HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County Public Schools announced a major initiative to improve student safety by installing cameras on all of the district’s school buses.
The cameras will capture the license plates of drivers who illegally pass stopped buses. The district is the first in Florida to equip its entire fleet of buses with this technology. Beginning in February, violators caught on BusPatrol cameras could face a $200 fine.
“These are our license plate reading cameras that are the highest resolution cameras on the market,” said Executive VP of BusPatrol America Steve Randazzo.
Bus Patrol America has entered a five-year partnership with the Hillsborough County Public Schools to install cameras on 1,100 school buses. The main objective is to ensure the safety of students as they get on and off the buses, while also holding reckless drivers accountable.
“There is no way law enforcement can be behind school buses for every school route,” Randazzo said.
This would allow them to partner and assist law enforcement.
BusPatrol has launched a four-month pilot program in Florida. A video shows multiple drivers passing by school bus stop arms while they are extended, with students present. The cameras store what the company calls “evidence packages,” which capture the offense from multiple angles.
“The cameras are not engaging in facial recognition,” Randazzo said. “What Florida has permitted is through photo enforcement; it’s a civil violation that goes to the registered owner.”
The camera covers up to eight lanes of traffic. Randazzo says BusPatrol has taken safety on buses a step further.
“Part of our partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools, we've also installed interior cameras,” he said. “What these are is really a game changer at helping the school address things like fights and bullying and other behavioral issues to really give the school district and parents that peace of mind.”
As part of the updates, bus drivers will now have a panic button nearby that they can use to call for help. This will help to ease their minds in case of an emergency. Additionally, a school district administrator will receive a text message and be able to view the interior of the bus in real time.
“This is again, why the cameras make logical sense," Randazzo said. "Let's have the school bus driver focus on what he or she is supposed to be doing: getting the kids to school safely."
Starting in January, the school district and sheriff’s office will launch an awareness campaign for the license plate number 30-day to inform drivers about the cameras installed on school buses.
Senator Danny Burgess introduced the enforcement of school bus passing infractions during the 2023 legislative session. The law was signed on May 31.
All revenue generated from school bus violations will be directed towards the school district. This funding will be utilized to finance bus safety programs and other technology and safety initiatives.