Greenwich has not joined the growing list of Connecticut towns putting AI-powered cameras on school buses to catch drivers who blow past stopped buses with flashing red lights.

At least seven municipalities have contracted with BusPatrol, which installs cameras on bus fleets and records motorists who illegally pass them, CT Public reported Tuesday, Sept. 8. Vernon, Bridgeport, Danbury, Shelton, Stratford, North Haven and New Haven are all participating. No public discussion of the technology by Greenwich's Board of Education or Board of Selectmen appears in available records.

The violation counts from participating towns are substantial. New Haven installed BusPatrol cameras on more than 300 buses earlier in 2026 and recorded 12,000 incidents by late August.

Vernon caught almost 100 motorists in the program's first three days, according to town spokesman David Owens. In Bridgeport, the program issued 20,584 tickets during the 2024–2025 school year, and nine out of 10 fined drivers did not reoffend, according to BusPatrol executive vice president Ryan Monell, as reported by the New Haven Register.

"Passing a stopped school bus is one of the most dangerous things that a driver can do," Vernon Police Chief Marc Petruzzi said at a Sept. 2 press conference announcing the rollout.

How the program works

BusPatrol covers all upfront costs, including installation and maintenance. Violators fund the program. In Shelton, fines are split 60% to BusPatrol and 40% to the city, CT Insider reported.

Unlike Flock Safety cameras, which continuously monitor roads, BusPatrol's cameras activate only when a bus is stopped with its warning lights and stop arm engaged, a BusPatrol spokesperson told CT Public. A 2024 state law set the fine for first-time violations caught on camera at $250. Violations caught by officers in person carry a $450 fine.

Greenwich's enforcement tools

Greenwich already uses other automated enforcement near schools. The town is one of 18 Connecticut municipalities approved for school-zone speed cameras, with devices installed at 10 locations including Greenwich High School, Central Middle School, Glenville School and Parkway School, according to the town's speed camera page. That program was suspended in April after a required public hearing was not completed and was still awaiting Connecticut Department of Transportation approval as of late August.

Greenwich Police Chief James Heavey wrote in a Friday, Aug. 28, letter to the Greenwich Sentinel that the department operates 27 vehicle-mounted license plate readers and 13 fixed-location units. The department does not use Flock Safety equipment, and its data is stored only by GPD, never shared with a third party or federal agency, Heavey wrote.

On Thursday, Aug. 27, the day before school started, GPD's Traffic Section conducted 33 vehicle stops near schools, issued 21 infractions and eight warnings, Patch reported. The highest recorded speed was 55 mph on East Putnam Avenue.

Privacy concerns and state action

The bus camera rollout comes as Gov. Ned Lamont called in August for a 30-day pause on municipalities installing new automated license plate readers. The pause did not specifically address school bus-mounted cameras.

Connecticut's Public Act 26-14, as amended by Public Act 26-26, limits license plate reader data retention to 21 days unless data is part of an active criminal investigation. The Connecticut Trust Act bars any use of that data to investigate suspected immigration violations.

Dan Piper, an organizer for the CT Civil Liberties Defense Committee, told CT Public he believes all AI cameras should be banned. Piper said companies operating the cameras share data with private databases that use AI to search for people.

BusPatrol said in a statement that it retains data only as long as needed for law enforcement review and purges it after a citation reaches final disposition.

State lawmakers in 2026 unanimously approved a bill requiring a six-month license suspension for a third offense of passing a stopped school bus when caught by a police officer. The bill does not apply to camera-detected violations, according to Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, as reported by CT Insider.