FOREST PARK, Ga. — There are new safety measures in place as Clayton County students head back to school.
On average, five teens are killed every week in pedestrian accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Now, Forest Park has new speed monitoring cameras to hopefully help save lives, but some residents aren't on board.
Kids in Clayton County went back to school this Wednesday, and students in Forest Park have a new eye in the sky for the school year.
The City of Forest Park has eight public schools, and they all have brand-new cameras with a built-in radar to monitor drivers' speed during school hours. People who live in the city has mixed reactions to it.
“I totally disagree with it, and I don’t think it’ right," Rakeem Lewis said.
“I think it’s good. I’m all for safety," Anthony Wallace said.
Wallace said years ago, he got a ticket for speeding in a school zone. It made him slow down, and he thinks he may do the same for other drivers.
“I’ve always been nervous when driving around school zones. It’s a big ordeal. It may change it potentially," Wallace said.
Lewis thinks the cameras are a way for police to cash in.
“I think it’s a way to get money, for real, for real. I think it’s a way to get money for the city. Sometimes you can put stuff in people’s face, and they don’t really see it," Lewis said.
The city installed red speed cameras. That's an initiative approved in Georgia with the goal of getting drivers to slow down in school zones.
“When the police are active, that does something because they’ll say, ‘Oh shoot! They’ve got police at this time. He’s working this way. I’m going to slow down,'" Lewis said.
“If you’re speeding, technically you’re breaking the law. If you speed anywhere, no matter if it’s a school zone, it’s a ticket," Wallace said. "Specifically, around school zones, you just need safety.”
According to the Georgia Code, the first time a camera catches you speeding in a school zone, it's $75. The second time, it goes up to a $125 fine. If you get a ticket in the mail, you can choose to pay the fine or fight it in court.