Palatka city leaders move forward with school zone speed cameras proposal

The City of Palatka may soon begin installing automated speed cameras in school zones around the city.

At Thursday’s City Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously voted to move forward with the proposal, which is being advocated for by the police department.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

This was only the first reading of ordinance 2025-10, meaning it has not yet received final approval.

According to city documents, if passed, the speed cameras will be active and enforced on school days from 30 minutes before school starts until 30 minutes after school has ended.

Anyone in the designated school zone caught driving 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit would receive a $100 civil violation in the mail.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Below is a breakdown of where the collected violation money would go:

• $20 must be remitted to the FL Department of Revenue for deposit into the General Revenue Fund.

• $60 must be retained by the county and must be used to administer speed detection systems in school zones and other public safety initiatives.

• $3 must be remitted to the FL Department of Revenue for deposit into the Department of Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund.

• $12 must be remitted to the county school district in which the violation occurred and must be used for school security initiatives, for student transportation, or to improve the safety of student walking conditions.

• $5 must be retained by the county for the School Crossing Guard Recruitment Retention Program

The use of the automated systems in school zones was authorized in Florida law in 2023, with her passage of House Bill 657. Cities that use the systems are required to hold a public awareness campaign about the upcoming implementation at lease 30 days before beginning enforcement.

Neptune Beach recently installed the speed detection systems and is currently only issuing warnings to violators.

People in Neptune Beach will begin receiving tickets for violations April 14th, after the warning period expires.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.