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provide long-term insight by collecting huge data sets over long periods of time. These data sets <br /> can be broken down into 15 minute intervals, which helps enforcement get to the right locations <br /> at the right times, as each street has its own distinctive patterns. <br /> Police Chief Kaucheck reviewed speed enforcement trends over the last several years, noting that <br /> citation dips during COVID years were anomalies. He also stated that the department <br /> encountered staffing challenges in 2020 due to many unexpected retirements. This prompted the <br /> department to stick to its core services, focusing on crimes, calls for emergency, and traffic <br /> accidents. Spending time on these types of calls takes away from the department's capacity for <br /> radar enforcement, however every school zone has an officer assigned during arrival and <br /> dismissal time, depending on call volume. The city has built in capacity for 5 more officers, <br /> which should allow extra officers to run radar. The neighborhood officers meet weekly with the <br /> Planning Department to review speed data. Police also keep a list of areas from citizen and <br /> Council complaints. <br /> Law Director Vargo reviewed the key factors to consider for the implementation of stationary <br /> speed cameras. State law provides burdens to their use, such as safety studies of incidents over <br /> the previous 3 years and public information campaigns, however they are not insurmountable. <br /> Each camera would require the presence of law enforcement in order to issue civil fines. The <br /> receipt of state funds by the city is reduced if fines are issued outside of school zones. <br /> Chair Baker stated he is agnostic on speed cameras, and proposed considering their <br /> implementation in school zones. Lakewood receives $2.3 million in funds from the state. <br /> Councilmember Shachner asked whether Planning has seen a majority of high-speed events <br /> occurring throughout the city or whether it can be broken down into quadrants. Mr. Baas stated <br /> that the city does not have the data to support either conclusion, and that Lakewood is hyper <br /> local when it comes to speeding events. Mr. Shachner continued to ask whether staff could <br /> determine factors that precipitate high-speed events. Mr. Baas indicated that factors could be <br /> correlation and that speed studies are often restricted to smaller corridors to reduce the amount of <br /> variables. He drew examples from a speed study he conducted on Franklin Blvd. which was very <br /> labor intensive and difficult from which to draw conclusions, as the further the geographic scope <br /> expands, the more speculation increases. <br /> Councilmembers then asked Director Vargo various questions regarding the details of the safety <br /> study required by state law in order to implement traffic cameras. The state statute lacks clarity, <br /> so further legal research will be required. <br /> Councilmembers noted the use of cameras in school zones in other Northeast Ohio suburbs such <br /> as Parma and Newburgh Heights. Planning staff then provided a variety of updates on specific <br /> street-level traffic calming reviews currently underway. <br /> Chief Kaucheck informed the committee of the variety of ways officers can enforce speed limits, <br /> with radar being their biggest tool. <br />