Henrico County approves speed cameras in school zones amid parent concerns over student safety

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The Henrico County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance Tuesday night permitting speed cameras in school zones, with cameras expected to be placed at 11 schools as early as next year.

For parents like Victoria Crawley, who has 5 kids in Henrico County Public Schools, the concern over speeding near schools is not new.

"I'm extremely concerned for all of the students that have to walk across the street," Crawley said. "I have footage of drivers continuing to drive through the crosswalk as we are actively in it with the pedestrian lights flashing."

Cameras will be placed at all nine high schools, as well as Fairfield and Tuckahoe Middle Schools. Henrico police say the cameras are not related to the Flock network, though the topic has drawn pushback from the community over privacy concerns.

Community members raised questions at the board meeting about the vendor selection and potential ties to Flock.

"What company will be providing the cameras to be used? Will the cameras be part of the Flock network, either directly or indirectly? What prevents our vendor from sharing data with the Flock network?" one community member said.

Police say they are still reviewing vendors. The cameras will only operate when school zone signs are flashing. If a driver is caught going at least 10 mph over the posted speed limit, the rear license plate and the make and model of the vehicle will be captured. Officers will review and verify every alleged violation before a $100 fine is issued.

A board member emphasized the reasoning behind the decision.

"At the end of the day, the judgment call for erring on the side of protecting people crossing streets in this county, and we have seen tragedies," the board member said.

Officers issued nearly 400 speeding citations during the 2025-26 school year — a number Crawley hopes does not keep climbing.

"Just feel as though that there's something that needs to be done in the interim in order to like immediately in order to really get speeders to slow down," Crawley said.

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