There is much confusion about the List of Roads and school zones, the Sheriff, and the Griffin Police, may or may not have authority to run speed detection radar on. Here is the process:
1. The respective law enforcement agent of a municipality or county, aka both Sheriff and Police, must have a List of Roads (LOR), for On-System and Off-system roads, approved through ordinance resolution, by the respective governing body,
2. The governing body of Griffin is the City of Griffin Commissioners, the governing body of Spalding is the Spalding County Board of Commissioners,
3. The Law enforcement agent places roads that they want to run speed detection radar on and then it must be voted on by an ordinance resolution from each respective governing body, changing the ordinance to reflect the changes,
4. Then the law enforcement agent, be it the Sheriff or the Police, must send the approved List of Roads (by the appropriate governing body through ordinance resolution) to the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) to receive a Speed Detection Device Permit (SDDP) enabling that agent to run radar on those roads listed and with assigned speed limits and distances. If the road is not listed no radar can be run,
5. All speed limits are listed that have been approved by the respective governing body through ordinance resolution and adopted, any changes to any speed limit requires a vote by the governing body. The county and city both must vote through resolution for their own List of Roads for both On-System and Off-System.
The list of roads for the county for on-system is here: https://library.municode.com/ga/spalding_county/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=1232235 (may have changed)
The list of roads for county Off-system is here: https://library.municode.com/ga/spalding_county/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=1232236 (may have changed)
The list or roads for City On-system/Off System is here: https://library.municode.com/ga/griffin/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=1231793(may have changed)
6. On-System roads are maintained by the state or Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and Off-System roads are maintained by the respective governing body be it city or county. All list of roads must be approved through ordinance resolution by the respective governing body,
7. State maintained roads for On-System Roads, originated from the GDOT under their Master State Order (MSO), and the only way a speed zone or speed limit can be added/changed on the On-System Roads on the Master State Order, is through sound practices and traffic studies, completed by the GDOT,
8. Then the local governing bodies will vote to add to their ordinances, through an adopted ordinance resolution, their respective List of Roads, enabling the Law enforcement agent to run radar of those select roads. Without the addition of the List of Roads to the local ordinances, the law enforcement agent cannot run speed detection radar or issue citations for roads. All roads must be approved through adopted ordinance resolution by the city or county, whichever the roads fall under for On-Systems or Off Systems,
9. Then the law enforcement agent, be it Sheriff or Police Chief, sends the approved List of Roads (LOR) in a package, along with FCC license (cannot run radar without an FCC license PERIOD), up-to-date calibration tests on radar detection equipment, adopted List of Roads by the respective governing body, to the Georgia State Patrol for an approved Speed Detection Device Permit (SDDP); Every2 years the local governing body and respective law enforcement agent must send a new SDDP application for approval by the State Patrol.
10. Maintenance of road signs proportions and lettering, and the erecting and placement of road signs for the county, city, and state, have narrow and distinct guidelines through the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD).
11. For the School Zone Camera Program, or the Automatic Traffic Enforcement Safety Device Program, prior to the issuance of a permit by GDOT, the school zone must have been on the list of roads. We addressed this oversight here: https://griffinspaldingcit.wixsite.com/gscitizenwatch/post/lack-of-consistency-in-motor-traffic-ordinances-forces-rules-of-the-road-resolution-spalding-county
We also addressed the Rules of the Road change and how it has been argued by the Spalding County Commissioners and Sheriff, that the Rules of the Road Change has no bearing or effect of the School Zone Camera Program, we beg to differ and addressed it here: https://griffinspaldingcit.wixsite.com/gscitizenwatch/post/spalding-county-says-ocga-40-14-18-not-within-rules-of-the-road-passed-on-dec-19-2022-you-decide