Bold claim: New speed cameras in Pawtucket are driving a sharp 12% surge in speeding tickets, even as most of Rhode Island reports declines. And that spike isn’t just about safety—it’s fueling city revenue.
In the last school year, all Rhode Island municipalities with automated speed enforcement saw fewer citations except Pawtucket. The NBC 10 I-Team obtained data showing Pawtucket’s numbers climbed, a trend tied directly to an expanded network of cameras. Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed the city added more cameras, and the result was more tickets.
The I-Team’s analysis shows Pawtucket issued 96,771 speed camera citations in the 2024-2025 school year, up from 86,497 in 2023-2024 — a nearly 12% increase. As cameras expanded, so did revenue, since the city receives a share of each ticket under its contract with camera operator Sensys Gatso. Pawtucket keeps 86% of the profit from citations, equating to $42.70 of every $50 ticket.
For the 2024-2025 school year, Pawtucket’s speed camera citations generated about $4,132,121 before equipment costs, with monthly equipment fees set at $2,500 per camera. Providence, in contrast, saw a 30% year-over-year drop in speed camera citations, and East Providence recorded a 20% decrease, with post-fee revenues totaling $2,617,945.
When asked if the program amounts to a cash cow for Pawtucket, Goncalves rejected the label. She argued the data indicate a real safety impact: “There’s been a reduction in speed around school zones, so it’s doing what it’s meant to do,” she said, and added that red-light cameras correlate with fewer accidents.
Data also show older cameras (in service since 2022) produced 31% fewer citations, while the uptick is driven by newer cameras installed around schools on Newport Avenue and Central Avenue.
The move to automated enforcement remains a national flashpoint. Several states, including neighboring Massachusetts, ban automated enforcement, though there are ongoing efforts to change that landscape.
Goncalves emphasized that roughly 80% of citations originate from out-of-town drivers, noting that officers can’t be deployed on every corner and that the cameras provide an additional tool to safeguard residents.
Warwick is the newest Rhode Island community to deploy speed cameras. Between late September and November, Warwick issued 14,525 citations, and its red-light cameras logged nearly 10,000 violations in one month, generating about $82,340 in city profits.
Would these cameras be justifiable if the safety benefits were proven universally, or do potential revenue incentives complicate public trust? Share thoughts on whether automated enforcement should prioritize safety outcomes over revenue considerations.
