DENTON, Md. - What began as a technical update to Denton’s town code has sparked a broader debate about the town’s speed camera program. A recent proposal, Ordinance 766, would align local fines with the state’s updated speed monitoring penalties, creating a tiered system where the faster a driver exceeds the limit, the higher the fine.
At a recent town council meeting, councilmember Dallas Lister questioned whether the automated enforcement program should continue at all.
“I don’t think this is the solution and I think that there are other ways of controlling speed,” Lister said. “I am not inclined to support any of this. I won’t support fees in general but then I don’t support increasing more fines and fees.”
Robert Martinez, a retired veteran, says the cameras serve an important purpose.
“I think they’re helpful,” Martinez told WBOC. “You know, keep people from speeding, especially around the school areas.”
Martinez added that more cameras would be beneficial.
“I think they should remain. They probably should put more up, you know, around the high school and middle school.”
Of the cameras around town, there is one at a local school. Councilmember Keith Johnson noted that while speed cameras may affect some areas, such as the bus stop, they don’t necessarily impact the school directly.
Council members plan to continue discussions on the ordinance before taking any formal action.