The Charles County Sheriff's Office suspended the use of its three speed cameras because of a possible issue over placement.
The sheriff's office said Wednesday that commanders last week identified an issue concerning the proper placement of a camera in relation to a school zone sign. An examination of the entire program is under way.
In Maryland, speed cameras are supposed to be set up in school zones. The camera pad -- the cement slabs on which the camera sits -- on Berry Road (Route 228) near Trumpeter Court was not in the right spot for about a year, transportation reporter Adam Tuss explained. It was outside the school zone signs.
"What happened here is there was a breakdown in the checks and balances process of the infrastructure, meaning when these pads were being placed," said Maj. Buddy Gibson of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.
Those who paid tickets from the Berry Road site will receive a refund, but citations from other cameras still stand. Money from the $40 tickets is in a fund that hasn’t been designated for other purposes.
Though camera boxes were sitting by the side of the road Wednesday, the sheriff’s office assures drivers they are not issuing tickets. The cameras were removed.
Anyone with questions should call 301-609-5971 or 301-609-5972 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
