Several Connecticut towns are installing AI-powered license plate readers on school buses to identify and penalize motorists who illegally pass stopped vehicles. The technology, provided by the company BusPatrol, is activated only when a school bus stops with its flashing red lights and extended stop arm deployed. This initiative follows a 2024 state law that enhanced the authority of municipalities to implement video monitoring systems and issue fines.
New Haven, which outfitted over 300 buses with these cameras earlier this year, has already recorded approximately 12,000 incidents. Vernon, another participating town, reported nearly 100 violations within the first three days of its program. Officials in Vernon stated the cameras were installed to prevent potential tragedies, highlighting that passing a stopped school bus is a dangerous act.
These cameras are designed to capture footage of vehicles passing a stopped school bus, with the recordings then provided to local law enforcement for review and potential citation. BusPatrol's system differs from continuously operating license plate readers, as it is triggered solely by school bus safety protocols. Since 2011, Connecticut law has permitted the use of digital video as evidence for such violations.
Despite the safety aims, the deployment of these cameras has sparked privacy concerns among some residents. Critics worry about the storage and sharing of captured video data, fearing potential connections to other surveillance databases or use by federal immigration enforcement agencies. A spokesperson for BusPatrol stated that the company's systems are regulated by state law and that data is retained only as long as necessary for law enforcement review or legal requirements, with information purged after citation disposition. By default, all data belongs to the school district.
Enforcing laws against passing stopped school buses has historically been a challenge in Connecticut, with thousands of violations occurring annually. In the past six years, 12 fatalities and 23 serious injuries have been reported in Connecticut involving school buses, though the exact number involving vehicles passing buses with lights flashing is not specified. Penalties for passing a school bus can amount to several hundred dollars per offense.
Legislation in 2011 allowed police and school districts to install cameras on buses for evidence collection. A first-time violation caught on camera now carries a $250 fine, a reduction from the $450 fine for violations observed by officers in person. The statewide implementation of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) has also drawn scrutiny, with concerns raised after reports indicated that ALPR cameras in Connecticut had been accessed by out-of-state agencies for immigration enforcement and to track those involved in abortions.
In response to broader concerns about ALPR technology, Governor Lamont called for a 30-day pause on new municipal ALPR installations to allow for the development of guidance on data retention and sharing. While this pause addressed various traffic enforcement cameras, it did not specifically single out school bus-mounted cameras. The governor's office indicated the pause aims to evaluate legal protections and improve communication regarding video technology and its uses.