The Diamondback

Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own.

If we’re being honest, I’ve definitely rolled through a few stop signs during my time in College Park.

OK, maybe more than a few. But what I didn’t know is that, recently, I may have been getting tracked by artificial intelligence when I do.

I’m referring, of course, to the AI-powered stop sign cameras installed in College Park in March and operated by Obvio, a California-based technology firm. This hardware has been appearing in our neighborhoods to capture stop sign violations and issue citations. Advocates for the technology have pointed to a 56 percent reduction in detected violations at five locations in the city as proof the cameras work to change driver behavior.

But do they work for the community? Apart from raising privacy concerns, these cameras mark a dangerous step toward surveillance and law enforcement being routed through private vendors instead of the government. Fines are $40 per violation. Obvio takes 40 percent of the citation revenue, while the city gets the rest. As College Park citizens and students face an affordable housing crisis and high gas prices, the city has chosen to drain people’s wallets over minor traffic infractions.

If the city wanted safer intersections, raised crosswalks, curb extensions and better signage are proven ways to use your tax dollars for public good — without installing unnecessary technology on our streets. Right now, the cameras seem like a predatory revenue scheme that does very little to actually address safety.

Read more at the link in our bio./ ✍️: Arjun Saigal, 📸: Christina Duncan