Speed cameras in El Mirage to go dark this weekend

EL MIRAGE, Ariz. (FOX 10) - Speed cameras in high-traffic areas in El Mirage will go dark this Sunday. The police department says this decision was made by the city council and they'll be doubling up on traffic control. The public has mixed reactions about the cameras being taken down.

The cameras that are going dark have been up for nearly 10 years. Areas that usually see high volume traffic like Thunderbird and Dysart Roads, 129th Ave., Cactus and El Mirage Road, and Olive Ave. will now be speed cam-free.

"People see cameras and then once they get passed them, they tend to speed back up," said Sgt. Robert Peoples with the El Mirage Police Department.

The public says the removal of these cameras could be both good and bad for the community.

"The speed limit drops a lot so a lot of people aren't paying attention," said David Loney. "They'll probably be speeding through here a lot more."

"It's going to be really bad because people are going to know about it and they're just going to drive the way they want to," said Tony Hernandez.

Over the next few months, all of the speed cameras in these areas will be taken down completely. In place of the cameras, the department says they'll be putting more officers out on the street, doubling up on traffic patrol to ensure the public's safety.