"We do have people that are upwards of 15 tickets," said Rich Innaimo, an officer with the Washington Police Department. "They just don't slow down. ... There are some persistent offenders on here."
Citations issued are $50 for the first violation and $75 for each subsequent violation. The town gathered $21,000 in fines within the cameras' first two weeks of operation, according to Washington First Selectman Jim Brinton.
Of the offenders, 50% are from Washington and nearby Roxbury while 50% are residents of Litchfield, Torrington, Thomaston, Danbury, New Milford, Brookfield, Waterbury and Middletown, among others, Innaimo said.
Comprised of five villages and about 3,600 residents, Washington became the first municipality in the state approved to use automated cameras to enforce traffic laws this past winter. The Connecticut Department of Transportation approved Washington's plan in December to install speed cameras on three roads in town, including Old Litchfield Road, Route 109 and Baldwin Hill Road.
Washington installed one camera at 20 Old Litchfield Road and another near 204 Route 109 about seven weeks ago, according to Brinton. The third camera will be installed on Baldwin Hill Road within the next few weeks, he said.
Signs have been placed on the road "ahead of the actual speed cameras," featuring a camera symbol and a speed enforcement photo, Brinton said.
Old Litchfield Road is a residential road with a speed limit of 30 mph, while Route 109 is a rural road with a speed limit of 35 mph, according to Innaimo.
"The placement of the cameras was built on traffic and accident data, especially on Route 109," he said. "On Route 109, with the traffic accidents I've responded to, we've had some serious accidents at the intersection of Nettleton Hollow (Road). There's a ton of wildlife over there and a number of deer strikes."
Innaimo said he has also seen drivers speeding through Route 109 in excess of 60 to 70 mph, and Old Litchfield Road has been "a constant source of complaints" from neighbors about speeding cars.
Washington police are anticipating more traffic on Route 109 this summer as traffic from Route 202 is rerouted to Route 109 for a bridge replacement project in Bantam, he said.
PAYING, GRIEVING TICKETS
Washington police have given out tickets for drivers going 10 or more mph over the speed limit, Innaimo said.
The cameras are designed to detect and collect evidence of alleged traffic violations by recording images that capture license plate, date, time and location, according to the DOT website.
The images are sent to the Illinois-based software company DACRA Tech, which sends the images to Washington police to process the fines, according to Brinton. Citations are mailed by the town to the registered owners of the vehicles photographed by the camera, according to the DOT.
About $13 per violation goes to DACRA Tech while the remaining money goes to the town, Brinton said.
On Old Litchfield Road, Innaimo said the majority of offenders are from the local area, such as Washington and Roxbury. On Route 109, the majority of offenders are "more out of town," such as "people commuting to work in New Milford," he said.
Repeat offenders are not at risk of losing their driver's licenses, according to Innaimo.
"It's a civil town ticket, so there's no points on your license or anything against your insurance," he said.
Josh Morgan, communications director for the DOT, said there is also a cap of $75 for the citation, compared to law enforcement tickets, which he said can add points to licenses, impact insurance rates and carry fines "upwards of several hundred dollars."
Drivers can pay their tickets online at the town website or by scanning the QR code on the citation, according to Innaimo. They can also visit Washington Town Hall to pay in person.
Given how recently the cameras went live, Brinton said the town has not tracked the number of drivers who have paid their tickets, though he said the town will likely start doing that in another month.
A few angry drivers have wanted to grieve their tickets, Brinton said, though "it's a very small percentage."
The town has four hearings scheduled in the next few weeks for drivers that plan to appeal their tickets, he said.
Drivers have about 17 days to grieve their tickets, Brinton said, which they can do by calling his office at 860-868-0423 or emailing him at jbrinton@washingtonct.org. Hearings will be held in the conference room at Town Hall.
'SLOW DOWN'
The cameras have been active for only a few weeks, Brinton said the town will need a couple of months of data to see whether drivers are slowing down.
Initial reports are due 18 months after the cameras were first installed, and annual reports are due thereafter, Morgan said.
"Anecdotally, what we are seeing in news coverage confirms what we know is happening on roadways around Connecticut," Morgan said. "People are driving way too fast and it's putting people in danger. We remain optimistic that this technology will change driver behavior and create safer communities."
As for the community's response, Innaimo said the reaction is "50/50 from the people I talked to, whether in person or social media." Individuals against the speed cameras call them "an invasion of privacy" and "a money grab," while individuals supporting the cameras have said they are needed to stop speeding, he said.
"The No. 1 complaint we get is speeding, speeding, speeding," he said. And "95% of the accidents that we respond to are speed-related. ... I just want people to slow down, and I want to reduce accidents."
© 2025 The Middletown Press, Conn.. Visit www.middletownpress.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
