NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News City Council members adopted a new ordinance to put cameras on city school buses.
Council members voted 7-0, giving Newport News Public Schools the go-ahead to equip their buses with cameras.
Viral videos displaying drivers who speed by stopped school buses has prompted many school systems and cities across the country to take action.
That includes Newport News Public Schools. They requested approval from the city council to begin the enforcement program, which includes placing cameras on their buses to identify drivers who pass stopped school buses in order to take legal action against those drivers.
Now, the school system has to find a private vendor to install cameras on 335 school buses. Then, a position within the Newport News Police Department would be created to identify drivers who pass school buses illegally.
According to state law, localities can enact laws that would fine drivers $250 for passing stopped school buses. The state code also permits Virginia school divisions to operate video monitoring systems for this specific purpose.
You can read the full agenda here.