MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz on Thursday announced the immediate suspension of the county’s school bus camera citation program after officials discovered errors in the amounts listed on traffic tickets issued by the vendor, BusPatrol.
“The integrity of how we enforce our laws must never be undermined,” Cordero-Stutz said.
The sheriff made the announcement alongside Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Juan Fernandez-Barquin and Chief Judge Nushin Sayfie.
The program, launched last year in partnership with Miami-Dade Public Schools and BusPatrol, aimed to catch drivers illegally passing stopped school buses using automated cameras.
But officials say some citations sent to drivers listed incorrect penalty amounts, causing confusion and the potential for license suspensions.
“Effective immediately, we are suspending the BusPatrol citation program, and no additional citations will be issued under this program from today forward,” Cordero-Stutz said.
The issue centers on two types of notices: NOVs, or Notices of Violation, and UTCs, or Uniform Traffic Citations.
If a driver ignored the $225 NOV, they were issued a UTC. But according to Fernandez-Barquin, the UTCs incorrectly listed the fine as $225, when it should have been $344.
“The 225 listed for the UTC is incorrect. It should be 344 dollars,” Fernandez-Barquin said.
That $119 discrepancy could result in unpaid balances and potential license suspensions for unsuspecting drivers.
“And that could potentially lead to these individual licenses being suspended,” he added.
Cordero-Stutz said the errors undermine trust in the enforcement process and fall below departmental standards.
“There’s no one who doesn’t want our children to be safe, but in that process it has to be done right,” she said.
The sheriff urged residents who receive a citation to comply unless told otherwise. Those who have already paid and are concerned about the validity of their citation should speak with a lawyer to understand their rights.