Avondale City Council voted 5–2 on Nov. 3 to end the city's speed safety camera program after staff presented data suggesting the cameras did not produce sustained reductions in speeding at monitored locations.

Lieutenant Justin Iwin of the Avondale Police Department told the council the department's deployment assessment showed temporary reductions in speeding at some sites but that speeds later returned toward predeployment levels. "Our recommendation is termination of the contract with Vera Mobility," Iwin said, adding that staff proposed removing the cameras Dec. 31, 2025, and canceling the program June 30, 2026, to allow the court and department queues to be cleared. Iwin said the estimated cancellation cost was $107,000.

The program used two automated cameras at rotating locations and generated 12,127 citations from Aug. 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025; department figures show 2,174 citations went to Avondale residents and 9,953 to nonresidents. Iwin described the deployment methodology: covert traffic counters provided predeployment baseline speeds, cameras were then deployed for an enforcement period, and postdeployment counters measured subsequent speed behavior. At Dysart Road staff saw average speeds near 59 mph before, during and after deployments and a rebound in the number of vehicles exceeding the posted limit. Avondale Boulevard showed a larger postdeployment reduction in vehicles exceeding the threshold at one measured interval; staff said they planned a longer follow‑up to evaluate sustained behavior change.

Officials outlined the program's costs and revenues. Estimated recurring FY26 costs for camera services and associated expenses were roughly $209,482; adding personnel (additional court and processing staff) raised the FY26 operating estimate to about $561,482 in the department's projection. The city reported program‑related court collections and fees of $743,665.19 for the cited period. Iwin said staffing demands and spikes in captured violations at some deployments required outsourcing of review work in high‑capture weeks.

Council members were divided in debate. Councilmember Weiss said staff provided the data requested and supported termination based on the evidence that behavior change had not been sustained at some sites. "Looking back at Dysart Road and seeing that that was not a sustained decrease'it kinda tells me that this probably is not a good program," Weiss said. Councilmember White opposed immediate termination on policy and contract grounds, saying ending the contract early could have reputational impacts and that the program had achieved behavior change in some measures. Several other council members said they preferred a multi‑pronged enforcement strategy that includes additional patrol tools, public awareness campaigns and partnering with engineering to address roadway design.

Following the debate, the council approved a motion to end the contract and program. The motion passed 5–2; staff indicated they would remove cameras Dec. 31, 2025, and fully cancel the Vera Mobility contract June 30, 2026, after clearing outstanding court processing and collections.