Danbury Testing Cameras on School Buses

Two city school buses have automatic video cameras designed to catch drivers who pass the bus when its picking up or dropping off students.

The cameras send video that police review for ticketing drivers who endanger the students.

"When the stop sign is deployed, the video system is working," said Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton. He said the bus driver isn't involved in the system. It is designed to videotape cars automatically if they pass the bus when its warning lights are on and the stop sign is deployed.

"It's a test," Boughton said.

Police Chief Alan Baker said the city and the company providing the video equipment, Redflex, started a test on Tuesday. The equipment is called, "Redflex Student Guardian."

When students are getting on or off a bus, and the side stop sign swings out to warn any cars that might pass, the camera starts working. It sends the video to Redflex using the Cloud, and if the video shows a car passing illegally, that video is returned via email to the Danbury Police Department Traffic Division.

Baker said each case will be looked at individually before anyone is ticketed. Baker said drivers and police officers have always been able to start the ticketing process, and the camera is a new tool in this effort to protect students.

He said City Hall, the Board of Education, the Police Department and City Attorney are all interested in this process. 

"It has to be an egregious violation, not a "gotcha" thing," Baker said, before a ticket is issued.