Goodyear road cameras start recording – hassteveclarkresignedyet

You may have noticed the traffic cameras while driving through Goodyear, taking extra care not to run a yellow light.

But currently, the video from these traffic cameras can only be viewed in real time: the video is not recorded or stored.

That’s about to change thanks to the unanimous support of the Goodyear City Council last week.

Goodyear cameras will soon record footage that could help the city maintain road safety, as it will be available to police when investigating accidents and crashes.

According to the city General traffic planfrom 2017 to 2021, 3,965 road accidents occurred. They mostly occurred at the major intersections of McDowell Road, Van Buren Street, Estrella Parkway and Litchfield Road.

The number of accidents has increased slightly over the years: 736 in 2017 and 905 in 2021.

But relatively speaking, Goodyear has fewer accidents than the rest of the Valley. According to the Maricopa Association of Governments’ top 100 intersections for crash risk, none of Goodyear’s intersections made the list.

The city made headlines for one fatal accident in February 2023when a driver plowed into a group of bicyclists on South Cotton Bridge Lane, killing two and injuring 19. In the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Three-year road safety plan for 2024-2026, the safety of cyclists and pedestrians is mentioned as a top priority.

Between 2018 and 2022, Goodyear had one accident involving a cyclist, although four more occurred in 2023. According to the report, crashes involving cyclists and pedestrians have increased significantly at Goodyear. But this is a nationwide and national issue.

Phoenix also recently announced the introduction of red-light cameras as a way to improve safety amid a shortage of police officers.

Steve Scinto, Goodyear’s city engineer, presented to the city council after a discussion in May during a city council work session. No action is taken during work sessions, although they give the Council an opportunity to discuss before making a decision. The May meeting also included discussions about license plate recording and the Glendale Real Time Crime Center.

Money for the project is currently available in the budget and will be about $300,000 for the storage required for the footage. It’s a three-year subscription, Scinto said. Since the city already has video cameras, money will not be spent on purchasing new ones.

The cameras will not be aimed at anyone’s house or yard, but only at the city lane.

Councilwoman Vicki Gillis initially supported the implementation of the recording after she discovered that despite having cameras, they weren’t actually recording. But adopting this policy will be a way to protect both police officers and the public. Gillis made it clear that the cameras would not be used to intrude on anyone’s privacy.

Councilwoman Sheri Lauritano also emphasized that there is no right to privacy when you are out in public and in the community.

“We make sure we don’t invade anyone’s privacy,” Lauritano said. “We’re not looking at their homes or anything like that. I want to make it clear.”

According to Scinto, the city council specifically approved a policy governing the operation and recording of traffic camera videos.

According to the policy, the city’s engineering and technical staff will only have access to the footage. However, there are times when the Police Department will have access to footage for certain purposes.

The video will be used for traffic operations and police investigations. In addition to helping with traffic investigations, it can also help the city identify any traffic problems.

As for the retention policy, Scinto said the city evaluated the practices of other cities and determined that the footage would be available for 14 days in accordance with state guidelines. But if the police use the footage, it will change availability by at least six months.

Implementation will begin in November and be completed by the end of fiscal year 2025.

Contact the reporter at [email protected] or by calling 480-259-8545. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @AlexandraHardle.