Traffic cameras and license-plate readers are sparking widespread controversy across the country. That includes Connecticut, where Governor Ned Lamont has said cities and towns should hold off on introducing the technology.
But New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said he’s moving ahead with them. He said the cameras help the city of New Haven and its police keep up with crime on the roads.
"There's a lot of dangerous driving in New Haven, and the reality is that we can only put up so many speed bumps," Elicker said. "We can only have so many officers around the city making sure that people follow the traffic laws."
Community discussions over the cameras in the nearby city of Milford turned near-riotous, with hundreds of residents angrily demanding their removal.
But Elicker pushed back against the idea that the cameras were unpopular.
"There may be some people in the public that are concerned about data security, rightfully so," he said. "But we have in our contract negotiated language to ensure that data security is solid."
New Haven has more than half a dozen cameras ready to go but not yet turned on, with more on the way. The cameras are not made by Flock, the most controversial company involved in the technology.