EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The East Greenbush Central School District will be installing stop arm cameras on all of their school buses. Installation began on December 27 and all school buses are expected to have stop arm cameras by the end of February.

“Student safety is the top priority of our district,” said Superintendent Jeff Simons. “Each year we receive several reports from our bus drivers regarding cars passing our school buses when the STOP Arm is engaged. We hope that the implementation of this new technology, at no cost to our taxpayers, will deter such actions on the part of drivers and keep our students safe.”

The cameras will begin recording whenever the school bus’s red lights flash and the red stop sign is extended. If a vehicle passes by at this time, the camera will record the action and the vehicle’s license plate number, which will be uploaded to Bus Patrol, where the video will be reviewed. If a traffic violation had been committed, the video will be sent to law enforcement for ticketing.

Cameras will also be installed on the dashboard, passenger side, rear side, and interior of every school bus. “The stop arm cameras will provide additional safety for our students, community members, and bus staff,” said Transportation Administrator Dr. Wanda McQueen. “Bus Patrol data shows a decrease of 33% in vehicles passing school buses illegally each year over the first three years. The interior cameras will offer video and audio access with advanced features including live camera footage during the bus run. This will enhance our ability to support our bus staff in real-time.”

The technology is being added at no cost to the school district as the Rensselaer County Legislature is paying for the implementation of the program. “I was enthusiastic about sponsoring this program because I truly believe this program will protect our children,” said Kelly Hoffman, Chairwoman of the Rensselaer County Legislature.”