Opelousas could be the only town exempt from Louisiana speed camera regulations

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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.

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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.

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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.

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