Cape Coral Speed Cameras Hand Out Wrong $100 Tickets Outside School Hours

Speed cameras near Cape Coral schools issued incorrect $100 fines to passing cars. The devices caught vehicles moving at 31 mph in zones where 30 mph was legal. These mistakes occurred when the school flashing lights were off.

"I looked at the fine print, and it showed that I was going 31 in a 15 zone, and it showed the time of 2:34ish," said Jeff Waggoner to WINK News. "I knew that wasn't correct because I know when the flashing lights are flashing, I was not speeding according to what the speed limit, the posted speed limit was, because the speed limit at that time it's 30 miles an hour."

When warning lights flash during school times, the speed drops to 15 mph. Without active lights, 30 mph is the limit. After finding wrong timing data at one school site, police started canceling tickets.

The system caught Audrey Starkey at 2:10 p.m. with no active lights or students present. Another driver, Ian Easterday, got fined at 4:03 p.m., just moments after the 4 p.m. dismissal bell.

State Rep. Mike Giallombardo wants answers from the camera makers. "I've been getting folks that are complaining," said Giallombardo. "If you know there's no speed, you know those Speed Zone lights flashing, and you're getting a ticket for going 31, that's a problem."

The cameras work as part of police efforts to keep kids safe. Yet Cape Coral PD keeps quiet about which school zone had the wrong times in its system.

Similar issues pushed Manatee County to shut down its cameras last March.