OPELOUSAS — If you’ve ever had your day ruined by finding a speeding ticket in the mail after driving through Opelousas — you’re not alone. But here’s what’s changing… and what’s not.
A new bill heading to the governor’s desk could ban the use of speed cameras in towns and cities across Louisiana — restricting the cameras only to clearly marked school zones. However, thanks to a last-minute amendment, Opelousas may be the only town in the entire state where those cameras can continue to operate as usual on several streets in the city.
Senate Bill 99 would make it a crime — malfeasance in office — for municipalities to continue using speed cameras outside of school zones or red light areas. But State Representative Dustin Miller, who represents Opelousas, added an amendment to the bill that effectively exempts his hometown.
According to the amendment, the ban would not apply to towns with populations between 15,000 and 16,000 in parishes with fewer than 90,000 people. The only city that fits that exact criteria is Opelousas, which has a population of 15,176, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The move has stirred strong opinions from the community.
Driver Travis Ward says he’s not a fan of having the speed cameras.
"They need to get rid of them, because I don’t care too much for getting tickets in the mail. I already get enough tickets," he said.
Gary Andrus, who works for a local ride share company, echoed the same frustration:
"This is not acceptable. This should be banned...If you ever send me one in my own personal vehicle, you best believe you will not get a response."
Andrus does support camera enforcement in school zones but says ticketing outside of those areas should be done by officers on the street.
"Now, it’s not fair. But when it comes to school zones, yes, I agree with them to a certain degree — I just feel you still need an officer to write the tickets."
Opelousas Police Chief Graig LeBlanc defends the system, saying it’s a matter of public safety — and strategy.
"This is all about public safety," said LeBlanc." When you have a city that struggles with violent crime, you have to become resourceful with the manpower that you have. We just didn’t have the manpower to put officers on the streets to run traffic."
Chief LeBlanc says the speed cameras help reduce speeding while allowing officers to focus on more pressing crime issues, particularly in high-traffic areas like Downtown Opelousas and Landry Street.
"If you abide by the speed limit, this is not even a concern," said LeBlanc.
According to city officials, you must be traveling 12 miles per hour over the speed limit to receive a citation from the speed cameras.
It's important to note that Senate Bill 99 does not eliminate speed traffic cameras, but regulates them to school zones only. All speed cameras within a school zone will still operate in the State of Louisiana. In Opelousas, meanwhile, the speed cameras will operate in and outside of school zones to control traffic and assist with public safety.
The topic will be up for discussion again at Tuesday’s city council meeting, where speed camera enforcement is on the agenda.
If you’d like to learn more about Senate Bill 99 you can click here.
To read State Representative Dustin Miller's amendments to the bill click here.
