Speed Cameras Take Shots on Spring Break

The news that speed cameras would be stationed on Old Washington and Old Montgomery roads this week raised eyebrows among greater Elkridge citizens.

"Aren't the cameras supposed to be for school zones? Why are they in use during spring break?" asked Leslie Kornreich of Hanover on the Elkridge Patch Facebook page.

Howard County has continued to issue citations to drivers going more than 12 mph over the speed limit in school zones, even while students have been away for spring break, according to the Howard County Police Department (HCPD).

Both county and state laws allow for school zone speed camera enforcement from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and school does not need to be in session.

Howard County public schools are on spring break April 2 to April 9. Still, the police department maintains it is using the cameras in a reasonable way.

"We have been sensitive to that issue and for the most part are operating our vans in areas where activities are planned at the school," said HCPD spokesperson Bryce Buell.

Buell added that the cameras will also be used in the summer to maintain safety for attendees of summer programs.

Not everyone is convinced that the motive behind the cameras is purely for safety.

James Wilson of Hanover wrote on Elkridge Patch's Facebook page that the cameras were a "money maker."

The department recently disclosed that  more than 3,500 citations, yielding upwards of $180,000, in the first four months of operation.