Lakeland issues 26,365 red light camera tickets in 1-year period

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Red light camera violations netted $3.3 million in revenue, according to results reported by the city of Lakeland in accordance with a new state law.

Money was distributed from the 26,365 red light camera tickets to the city of Lakeland’s general fund, the state of Florida, and the camera vendor, Verra Mobility.

The tickets were issued between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

“I see every day, accidents,” said Khaled Akkoush, owner of Fast Stop Food Stores at E. Memorial Blvd. and Lakeshore Drive in Lakeland.

Akkoush said detectives are in his store often asking for security video of crashes at the intersection.

“I think if they put cameras, it’s gonna help lower accidents or lower traffic because I see many people dead actually in front of my eyes,” Akkoush said.

That intersection is one of five listed this week by a city official as potential new locations for red light cameras if the city were to expand its program, which began in 2009.

The locations proposed by Lakeland’s traffic operations manager Theresa Schwartz were Kathleen Road at West 14th Street and Montrose Avenue, New Tampa Highway and North Chestnut Road, North Florida Avenue and George Jenkins Boulevard, Bartow Road and North Crystal Lake Drive, and East Memorial Boulevard and Lakeshore Drive.

“We have over 150 I think signalized intersections in the city,” Assistant Police Chief Hans Lehman said. “We don’t have that many officers out on each shift so it’s physically impossible to monitor every intersection so that does help us because it’s a force multiplier.”

The 19th camera was added to George Jenkins Boulevard and Kathleen Road last year.

“It’s only been since last year that it was added, but the intersection of Kathleen at George Jenkins had a handful of angle crashes last year,” Schwartz said. “This year to my knowledge, there has not been an angle crash at that location yet.”

One business owner who did not speak to News Channel 8 on camera said the cameras are a way for the city to make money.

“I would venture to say some of those people that have said that have never done a death notification or given a next of kin notification, and those aren’t fun,” Lehman said. “I’ve done a lot of them. I spent 10 years in our traffic unit.”

In November, the city is holding a Vision Zero workshop to discuss safety measures to end serious injuries and deaths from traffic crashes.

City leaders are expected to discuss future locations for red light cameras and speed cameras in school zones.

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