At today's Montgomery County Council hearing on the bus cameras installed on the exterior of MCPS school buses, Montgomery County Police stated that the citations issued to date have generated $21.4 million in fines.
However, when tracking the citation fines paid to Montgomery County, it is only possible to account for $12,086,617.
Which leaves $9.3 million in citation fines unaccounted for in the public documents that track the receipt of these fines.
The public also learned at the hearing that the revenue sharing deal that was supposed to be agreed upon by December of 2016 under the contract (shown below), still has not been finalized. That puts incoming revenue in limbo, but where is the incoming citation revenue being held during these years of negotiations? That question was not asked or answered at today's hearing.
Is the revenue in excess of the contract price being held by the vendor pending resolution of the revenue sharing agreement?
Showing posts with label exterior bus cameras. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exterior bus cameras. Show all posts
Monday, November 18, 2019
11/18 TODAY at 2PM Watch as Council Covers Up No Bid Contract That Violates Maryland Law. $18M+ Goes to Vendor, $0 to County. No IG Oversight. No AUDIT.
TODAY at 2PM Watch as Council Covers Up No Bid Contract That Violates Maryland Law. $18M+ Goes to Vendor, $0 to County. No IG Oversight. No AUDIT. https://t.co/QIsahemLzI https://t.co/ffGbcyATLs— Parents' Coalition (@PCMC1) November 18, 2019
All Committee meetings are televised live, except those indicated below that are on County Cable Montgomery,
streaming live at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/ondemand/index.html
Videos are archived and available on-demand 24 hours after the meeting concludes.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Extended stop sign arm installed on school bus eliminates passing: Move solves problem
KEYSER, W.Va. – The addition of a five-foot stop sign arm installed on one of Mineral County’s school buses is proving to be helping to keep children safer, school officials said.
John Droppleman of the school system’s transportation department told the Board of Education on Tuesday that the extended arm was installed on bus No. 57.
“That was a bus that the driver indicated he had seen cars passing the bus when it was stopped to load and unload students,” Droppleman said, adding that there has been a significant improvement since the extension was installed.
The new arm extends five feet farther from the side the the bus.
“There were an increased number of stop arm violations reported,” he said. “Since the installation of the arm two weeks ago, there has not been a single violation reported.”
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Montgomery Co. Council member repeats support for school bus camera program
...During the meeting of the council’s Education and Culture Committee, council member Craig Rice voiced his continuing support for the camera program.
Rice mentioned a recent report by the county’s inspector general that raised questions about the financial arrangement and said he’d been asked about the deal on social media.
“I don’t care if we get a single dime out of this. What I do hope is that we don’t have any children who are hit or killed as the result of somebody passing a school bus,” Rice said...
Thursday, September 12, 2019
MCPS Board of Ed Forces Student to Cross Six Lanes of Traffic. 6 cars and a RIDE ON BUS Pass Stopped Bus. Camera Will Not Protect Children when Bus Stops are Extremely Dangerous.
This video released by Montgomery County Police. While the video is supposed to show how drivers ignore stopped school buses, what it also shows is that MCPS is putting students in extreme danger by forcing them to cross to the opposite side of roads for their bus stop. In the past, MCPS did not allow these types of bus stops. Clearly, the Board of Education has decided that safety is not a priority. Instead of keeping children safe by making sure children never have to cross 6 lanes of traffic to get home, the Board of Education has chosen to simply video these inherently dangerous bus stops, as if a video can correct irresponsible behavior by adults.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
EXCLUSIVE: Board of Ed. Contract for Cameras on School Buses from Company Shut Down After FBI Arrests/Convictions #ForceMultiplierSolutions #BusPatrolAmerica #NoBid #NoRFP #SecretContract
For the first time in 3 years, the public can read the contract that was entered into by Larry Bowers, MCPS Interim Superintendent on June 30, 2016, his last day as Interim Superintendent. The contract was never presented to the Board of Education and was never included in the Board of Education minutes.
The contract was discussed in the Montgomery County Inspector General's July 23, 2019, Report on the MCPS bus camera deal. However, the Inspector General did not make the contract public as part of his Report.
In the contract, we learn that the "deal" required that after 18 months the parties would enter into a "revenue sharing plan." That, as we know from the Inspector General's Report did not happen. The contract is now 3 years old and still no revenue sharing plan has been established.
MCPS has redacted the numbers in the contract that show the cost of these cameras, as if that is some sort of a secret. Those numbers have been discussed and were also part of the Inspector General's Report.
Why did the Board of Education enter into this deal without any public process? Why no Request for Proposals? Why no bids from competitors? Why was this one company selected without public discussion.
As we know, in June of 2017, the FBI stepped in and began arresting individuals conntected to Force Multiplier Solutions, Inc, including the man that met with MCPS and police staff to "sell" them on the program. 5 people are now in federal prison connected to the bribes, kickback, wire fraud, and tax evasion scheme associated with this company. Yet as of today, the Board of Education has still not addressed the dissolution of this company.
The exterior bus cameras remain on MCPS school buses and 100% of the fines being paid by car owners go to a house in Louisiana.
The contract was discussed in the Montgomery County Inspector General's July 23, 2019, Report on the MCPS bus camera deal. However, the Inspector General did not make the contract public as part of his Report.
In the contract, we learn that the "deal" required that after 18 months the parties would enter into a "revenue sharing plan." That, as we know from the Inspector General's Report did not happen. The contract is now 3 years old and still no revenue sharing plan has been established.
MCPS has redacted the numbers in the contract that show the cost of these cameras, as if that is some sort of a secret. Those numbers have been discussed and were also part of the Inspector General's Report.
Why did the Board of Education enter into this deal without any public process? Why no Request for Proposals? Why no bids from competitors? Why was this one company selected without public discussion.
As we know, in June of 2017, the FBI stepped in and began arresting individuals conntected to Force Multiplier Solutions, Inc, including the man that met with MCPS and police staff to "sell" them on the program. 5 people are now in federal prison connected to the bribes, kickback, wire fraud, and tax evasion scheme associated with this company. Yet as of today, the Board of Education has still not addressed the dissolution of this company.
The exterior bus cameras remain on MCPS school buses and 100% of the fines being paid by car owners go to a house in Louisiana.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget Finds Error in Amount of Money MCPS has Paid to BusPatrol Company
Note: Calculations regarding the amount of money paid to BusPatrol America and Force Multiplier Solutions are important because the contract allegedly requires the Board of Education to pay $18 million to the companies before any proceeds will be kept by MCPS. The public has never seen the contract.
If MCPS doesn't keep accurate records as to how much they are paying BusPatrol America and Force Multiplier, they could end up overpaying for the lease (or is it a purchase?) of the 14 cameras being installed on every MCPS bus.
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August 29, 2019 MEMORANDUM To: Members of the Board of Education From: Jack R. Smith, Superintendent of Schools Subject: Technical Amendment to Fiscal Year 2019 Second Supplemental Appropriation for School Bus Safety Camera Program
During Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, two supplemental appropriations were adopted by the Board of Education and requested of County Council by MCPS to increase the authorization to receive and expend funds for the School Bus Safety Camera Program. MCPS requested $5,600,000 February 12, 2019 (Resolution No. 68-19), and $3,500,000 June 24, 2019 (Resolution No. 396-19), with the latter currently under review by Montgomery County Council. The combined total of the two supplemental appropriations increased the total authorized budget from $2,000,000 to $11,100,000. However, according to staff in the Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget, MCPS has transferred a total of $11,330,827 for Bus Patrol America payments in FY 2019, resulting in a budget deficit of $230,827. It has been determined that an additional $230,827 is needed as a technical amendment to the second supplemental appropriation of $3,500,000 requested June 24, 2019, in order to balance the total amount spent and received in the School Bus Safety Camera Program.
https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/BF7S2P6D684D/$file/Tech%20Amend%20FY2019%20Supp%20Approp%20Sch%20Bus%20Safety%20Camera%20Prog.pdf
If MCPS doesn't keep accurate records as to how much they are paying BusPatrol America and Force Multiplier, they could end up overpaying for the lease (or is it a purchase?) of the 14 cameras being installed on every MCPS bus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 29, 2019 MEMORANDUM To: Members of the Board of Education From: Jack R. Smith, Superintendent of Schools Subject: Technical Amendment to Fiscal Year 2019 Second Supplemental Appropriation for School Bus Safety Camera Program
During Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, two supplemental appropriations were adopted by the Board of Education and requested of County Council by MCPS to increase the authorization to receive and expend funds for the School Bus Safety Camera Program. MCPS requested $5,600,000 February 12, 2019 (Resolution No. 68-19), and $3,500,000 June 24, 2019 (Resolution No. 396-19), with the latter currently under review by Montgomery County Council. The combined total of the two supplemental appropriations increased the total authorized budget from $2,000,000 to $11,100,000. However, according to staff in the Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget, MCPS has transferred a total of $11,330,827 for Bus Patrol America payments in FY 2019, resulting in a budget deficit of $230,827. It has been determined that an additional $230,827 is needed as a technical amendment to the second supplemental appropriation of $3,500,000 requested June 24, 2019, in order to balance the total amount spent and received in the School Bus Safety Camera Program.
https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/BF7S2P6D684D/$file/Tech%20Amend%20FY2019%20Supp%20Approp%20Sch%20Bus%20Safety%20Camera%20Prog.pdf
Thursday, August 1, 2019
MCPS Board of Education Makes Major Decisions without All the Facts #buscameras
In May of 2016, the Montgomery County Board of Education received a Memorandum from the then Interim Superintendent, Larry Bowers. The purpose of the memo was to convince the Board of Education to agree to a no Request for Proposal (RFP), no bid deal with a company that wanted to install cameras on the outside of MCPS school buses to generate citations that would fine drivers for allegedly passing stopped school buses with their stop arms out. 100% of the fine revenue generated from these cameras would go to the outside company.
For some inexplicable reason, MCPS Board of Education members traditionally take these types of memos as factual, even when there have been many instances where the information in memos has been proven to be wrong or inaccurate.
The May 2016, memo shown below demonstrates once again how the Board of Education relies on a memo with questionable information on which to base a major decision.
Here is a key to questionable statements in the memo. Each statement is circled in red on the document below.
For some inexplicable reason, MCPS Board of Education members traditionally take these types of memos as factual, even when there have been many instances where the information in memos has been proven to be wrong or inaccurate.
The May 2016, memo shown below demonstrates once again how the Board of Education relies on a memo with questionable information on which to base a major decision.
Here is a key to questionable statements in the memo. Each statement is circled in red on the document below.
- RFP - The Board of Education was not approving a contract based on a MCPS RFP. If you are familiar with MCPS RFP designations, the RFP 22-10 looked wrong. 22-10 was, in fact a RFP from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System in Louisiana. 22-10 is not a RFP that the Board of Education members authorized or have ever seen. They would have no idea how that RFP was written or what it included.
- The memo states that the current stop arm bus camera system costs $250,000 a year to administer. What the memo leaves out is that the proposed system will also cost the Police Department and MCPS upwards of $500,000.
- Notice how the term BusGuard has a cute "tm" symbol next to it. It's cute, but it's apparently not accurate. BusGuard is not trademarked according to the PTO website shown in the image. They tried to get a trademark in 2009 but dropped their effort in 2010. By 2016, BusGuard was still not trademarked. But putting "tm" in the memo gave the name a little panache.
- "No cost" - As noted above, the program does have a cost to the Police and MCPS because each of those agencies have to hire staff to process the bus camera citations.
- "Existing contract" - This is a really intesting reference in this memo because the Board of Education does not have access to the existing East Baton Rouge Parish contract. What's in the contract? What is the MCPS Board agreeing to? They didn't know.
- "additional vendors" - This is also an interesting statement as this contract was not formally bid. Who were the additional vendors? How were they evaluated? Were they allowed to participate in this selection process or was the process exactly as has been stated to the County Council?
MCPS Contract Approval by Parents' Coalition of Montg... on Scribd
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Mont. Co. Council: Nancy Navarro Responds to Complaints about School Bus Camera Scheme
E-mail sent out by Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro regarding complaints received about Montgomery County school bus camera scheme.
Note Navarro's e-mail does not explain how Maryland distance requirement of 100 feet for yellow flashing warning lights is reconciled with bus camera video information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for your correspondence expressing your views on school bus
cameras. I have made it available to my Council colleagues, and I am
pleased to respond on their behalf.
The Council has recently received complaints about school bus cameras, where
drivers are concerned that they are not given enough warning before a bus
turns on its flashing red lights. School bus drivers are required by State
law to turn on flashing yellow lights 100 feet before stopping, and then to
activate their flashing red lights when stopped. The flashing yellow
lights function similarly to yellow traffic lights, alerting drivers to slow
down and stop.
School bus camera tickets are reviewed twice -- once by the vendor and once
by civilian staff in the Police Department. If the reviewers determine an
actual violation occurred, the ticket is then signed by a supervising sworn
police officer. Approximately 20% of all tickets are rejected as not being
in violation of the law. The video tickets show a yellow circle in the
upper left corner, which turns to red when the bus driver has activated the
flashing red lights. This allows all viewers, including the Police
Department, to understand the timing of the flashing yellow lights and red
lights as they relate to the actual violation. When someone has a concern
about a specific ticket they have received, they can contact the automated
traffic enforcement division of the Police Department. The staff will then
review the ticket again. I hope this addresses your concerns about the
automated cameras.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this important
matter.
Best regards,
Nancy Navarro
President, Montgomery County Council
Note Navarro's e-mail does not explain how Maryland distance requirement of 100 feet for yellow flashing warning lights is reconciled with bus camera video information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for your correspondence expressing your views on school bus
cameras. I have made it available to my Council colleagues, and I am
pleased to respond on their behalf.
The Council has recently received complaints about school bus cameras, where
drivers are concerned that they are not given enough warning before a bus
turns on its flashing red lights. School bus drivers are required by State
law to turn on flashing yellow lights 100 feet before stopping, and then to
activate their flashing red lights when stopped. The flashing yellow
lights function similarly to yellow traffic lights, alerting drivers to slow
down and stop.
School bus camera tickets are reviewed twice -- once by the vendor and once
by civilian staff in the Police Department. If the reviewers determine an
actual violation occurred, the ticket is then signed by a supervising sworn
police officer. Approximately 20% of all tickets are rejected as not being
in violation of the law. The video tickets show a yellow circle in the
upper left corner, which turns to red when the bus driver has activated the
flashing red lights. This allows all viewers, including the Police
Department, to understand the timing of the flashing yellow lights and red
lights as they relate to the actual violation. When someone has a concern
about a specific ticket they have received, they can contact the automated
traffic enforcement division of the Police Department. The staff will then
review the ticket again. I hope this addresses your concerns about the
automated cameras.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this important
matter.
Best regards,
Nancy Navarro
President, Montgomery County Council
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Sentencing delayed for the guilty in Dallas County Schools corruption case #ForceMultiplierSolutions #BusPatrol @mcps @mococouncil
Update on prosecutions in Dallas, Texas bus camera scandal involving the company that MCPS and Montgomery County Police chose for exterior bus cameras in Montgomery County, Maryland.
December 7, 2018
Five men in the past year have pleaded guilty to federal corruption leading to the downfall of Dallas County Schools —
~~~
Five men in the past year have pleaded guilty to federal corruption leading to the downfall of Dallas County Schools —
Locke Lord attorney Paul Coggins, who for eight years served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said sentencing delays over investigating reports aren't uncommon. If nothing else, he said, they "give the government and defense more time to agree on things rather than fight over material that goes into the pre-sentencing investigative report."
...But, he said delays could be for another reason: the defendants could be offering prosecutors information about a complex, widespread case that has so far netted guilty pleas from five people. The others are former Dallas City Council member Larry Duncan, who served as board president of Dallas County Schools; Rick Sorrells, the agency's former superintendent; Robert Leonard, the CEO of the stop-arm camera company that took millions from DCS; and Swartwood, who was an associate of Leonard's.
"The government may want more time to access Mr. Caraway's agreement of cooperation and run down leads," Coggins said. "Or they may want time to complete the report. Or it could be a little bit of both."
...Right now, Caraway and Sorrells are scheduled to find out their fates on April 5. Two weeks later, it will be Larry Duncan's turn — if the schedules hold...
...Leonard, the CEO and chairman of Force Multiplier Solutions who pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges shortly before Caraway cut his deal with the feds, also had a Dec. 14 date. But for now, at least, the benefactor to many Dallas political candidates will be last to find out his time behind bars: His sentencing has been pushed back all the way to May of next year...
Friday, March 8, 2019
MD House Told $6.4M of Bus Fine $$ Can't Be Found #NoBid #FraudWasteAbuse .@DelegateKaiser .@EricLuedtke
On March 7, 2019, the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee heard public comment on House Bill 45. House Bill 45 is the Governor's proposal to create a statewide Inspector General position to investigate public school issues. The Governor tried to get this legislation through last year as well, but the Maryland legislature rejected the bill.
Below is public comment from the Parents' Coalition detailing the bus camera scheme that is currently being used by Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Police.
The bus camera citation scheme was implemented without any public process and it is impossible for the public to determine the revenue generated by this scheme.
The amount of revenue being collected through bus camera fines is important because the faster the $18 million + price tag for these bus cameras is paid off, the faster MCPS can start earning revenue from this program. Revenue from the bus camera scheme could go to funding safety improvements in and around the MCPS school bus program, education campaigns, or other public school projects.
The visuals shown to the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee in the video are also shown below the video on this page.
Random members of the public listening to this presentation broke out in applause at its conclusion. They were gaveled to silence by Montgomery County Delegate Anne R. Kaiser.
Below is public comment from the Parents' Coalition detailing the bus camera scheme that is currently being used by Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Police.
The bus camera citation scheme was implemented without any public process and it is impossible for the public to determine the revenue generated by this scheme.
The amount of revenue being collected through bus camera fines is important because the faster the $18 million + price tag for these bus cameras is paid off, the faster MCPS can start earning revenue from this program. Revenue from the bus camera scheme could go to funding safety improvements in and around the MCPS school bus program, education campaigns, or other public school projects.
The visuals shown to the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee in the video are also shown below the video on this page.
Random members of the public listening to this presentation broke out in applause at its conclusion. They were gaveled to silence by Montgomery County Delegate Anne R. Kaiser.
2019 HB 45 Accountability i... by Parents' Coalition of Montg...
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Gazette: Montgomery police planning slow growth for bus camera program
Next phase would require new full-time position
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Another no-bid procurement coming to Montgomery Co.?
Why not? This is how we buy Promethean Boards, artificial turf, visitor entry systems, security cameras in schools, and the first batch of exterior bus cameras that we don't want to use anymore. Why use a Request for Proposal (RFP) when you can just go shopping!
...Richard Harrison, program manager of MCPD's Automated Traffic Enforcement Unit, has said each camera will likely cost between $5,000 and $8,000, and the county can either put out a request for proposals or negotiate a deal with the vendors it currently uses for speed and red-light cameras...
Patch: County Council Backs School Bus Cameras
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Bus cameras are windfall for supplier
...Since the bill was passed, six Rhode Island communities have installed exterior school bus cameras, generating $1,312,894 in fines.
Receiving $984,670 of that money is SmartBus Live, the company that provides the service to all six communities...
I-Team: Lawmaker defends school bus camera law
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Bus fines will be up to $250, but cost to install unknown
PATCH: County Moves Toward Cameras on School Buses
...The bill, introduced by County Councilmember Valerie Ervin, does not specify a cost, fine amount or number of cameras...
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Post article says external bus cameras are $3,500
...Montgomery has tested the external cameras since 2009, monitoring vehicular movement to the left of the bus when its ignition is on. Warning letters were issued to the owners of violating vehicles, he said. It costs about $3,500 per bus to install equipment used in the test...http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-proposes-using-cameras-on-school-buses-to-catch-safety-violations/2011/11/21/gIQA5W0QAO_story_1.html
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Bus cameras could be "no bid" procurement
Gazette: In Montgomery, cameras could catch drivers who pass school buses
Ervin said it is unclear how much the cameras will cost because they could be purchased through an existing contract for the county’s speeding and red light cameras.
The school system already has outfitted about 200 of its 1,264 school buses with exterior cameras — at a cost of about $500 each — but it is unclear whether those cameras comply with a state law allowing for the cameras, police said.
...So far this year, 231 drivers have been cited in Montgomery for passing a school bus illegally. In 2010, 291 citations were issued — down from 359 the year before, Didone said...
...each [bus] camera system would cost $5,000 to $10,000...
The Examiner reports on the proposal from the County Council to allow the Police Department to place cameras on the outside of school buses.
According to this article, the Police Department is now imagining "speed" activated cameras on the side of buses at a cost of $5,000 to $10,000 per system.
School-bus cameras proposed to fine passing drivers | Washington Examiner
...The bill, slated to be introduced by County Council Chairwoman Valerine Ervin, D-Silver Spring, on Tuesday, would authorize county police to install the cameras and fine offenders up to $250 for ignoring buses' flashing red lights and pop-out stop signs.The exact mechanics of the school-bus cameras are still being worked out; however, they're expected to work like red-light cameras. Activated by cars' speed, the cameras would produce video that an outside vendor would cull into snapshots of the car ignoring the law, said Captain Thomas Didone, director of the police's traffic division......Didone estimated each camera system would cost $5,000 to $10,000, making a systemwide solution unrealistic. If the bill passes, police would work with the school board to determine which buses to outfit...
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