School zone cameras are meant to keep kids safe, but are they getting it right? Or are you paying the price for mistakes? 7’s Heather Walker investigates.
These speed zone cameras are supposed to slow down drivers to keep kids safe in school zones.
But some drivers in Miami-Dade County say these cameras are handing out tickets drivers don’t deserve.
Erick Perez: “I was very shocked when I received the violation.”
Erick Perez received this notice in the mail. It has a picture of his truck and says he was speeding in front of Pinecrest Preparatory Academy Middle-High School.
Erick Perez: “I was like, ‘How could this happen to me? I drive a specific route every day of the week and I’m very familiar with all school zones.’”
Erick is adamant it’s the wrong address because he doesn’t drive by that school – but he does drive by Pinecrest Preparatory Academy Elementary School, which is down the street.
Heather: “You don’t trust the cameras?”
Erick Perez: “Not entirely, no. Especially given my background.”
He tests computer software for a living.
Erick Perez: “I’ve seen software not work, as well as issues caused by people inputting in wrong data.”
7Investigates took his concerns to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, which runs the cameras.
When we questioned the accuracy of the address, a spokesperson sent us a statement, saying in part: “I received confirmation that the school where the violation was received was indeed at the Pinecrest Academy Middle/High School.”
Going on to say: “These cameras are fixed and have numbers assigned to them. Therefore, it is virtually impossible for the camera to capture a violation other than the location and direction of travel listed on the violation.”
When we told Erick, he said they were wrong, the address was wrong and he wasn’t going to pay the ticket.
But here’s the kicker — when he went to look up his ticket online a month later, he saw that the address was changed.
It now says Pinecrest Preparatory Academy Elementary, which is the school Erick said he passes every day.
The problem: enforcement at that location begins at 8:02 a.m. The ticket was issued at 7:42 a.m., which means he was driving through the school zone before enforcement even began.
Erick Perez: “I think the county should put a pause on the program for the time being. Audit the entire system. Audit any citation that has been issued.”
Erick is not alone — 7Investigates received similar complaints from a handful of other drivers who also questioned the location of their violations.
Erick Perez: “I don’t feel it’s fair to have to hand over my hard-earned money when I didn’t do anything wrong.”
7Investigates went back to MDSO and the camera company, Redspeed, to ask why the address changed.
Redspeed never responded, but the sheriff’s department says the company admitted that the locations of the two schools were “inadvertently transposed during a program update.”
The sheriff’s office tells us they’ve decided to void all violations issued during the affected timeframe and any payments made in connection with those violations will be fully refunded.
Erick Perez: “I think it’s great that they’re taking care of all these citations that were paid and voiding any that haven’t been paid. I just hope they’re more careful in the future.”
His ticket is gone, but many questions remain about the accuracy of these cameras.
Heather Walker, 7News.
CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
About the Author
Discover more from USA NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
