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Citing recent pedestrian deaths and growing frustration over years of legislative defeats, Prince George's County officials say they plan to aggressively push the General Assembly to allow speed cameras in the county by next year.

The devices measure a driver's speed and photograph people driving more than 10 mph over the posted limit, sending a citation ticket to the driver. A pilot program was launched in Montgomery County in 2006 after the General Assembly approved it.

Prince George's, which leads the state in motor vehicle deaths and pedestrian fatalities, would make an ideal spot to expand the program, supporters say. Council attempts to get the devices approved have failed repeatedly in the legislature for three years over concerns about camera use and jurisdiction.

"Montgomery County has been given the privilege to conduct a speed camera test pilot [program] for at least two years," Councilman Tony Knotts (D-Dist. 8) of Temple Hills said at a recent council meeting. "To even not imagine it being for Prince George's County, I find that unconscionable."

The cameras have been an uncertain sell for state lawmakers. While many say giving the counties the right to set up cameras to catch speeders helps reduce unsafe driving, others fear that governments are using the devices to entrap motorists and reap more revenue.

Like tickets issued from cameras posted at stoplights, citations for speeding do not add points to a driver's license. The fines are treated as civil citations, costing the vehicle owner about $40 per violation.

In Montgomery County, where officials issued 180,000 citations worth $5.2 million in their first year, the high rate of violations has led to backlash from state motoring groups, including AAA.

"We support them if they are properly used," said Lon Anderson, a AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman, who said his group has noted that the county posts the cameras at well-travelled county borders and in residential zones where speed limits are considered artificially low.

It's a practice that Prince George's officials have noted, as well.

"On Powder Mill Road, they put the cameras to catch Prince George's County citizens," said Councilman Thomas Dernoga (D-Dist. 1) of Laurel, whose district borders the area.

Montgomery officials say the cameras are working, noting that the zones are clearly marked and are only placed around schools and residential areas where the speed limit is below 35 mph.

"We've seen a reduction in speeding in the areas" where cameras are posted, said Lucille Baur, spokeswoman for the county police.

Revenue from the cameras is going directly to pay for pedestrian improvements like crosswalks and sidewalks, said Baur, who noted that there have been 14 pedestrian deaths in Montgomery County this year.

Prince George's officials say there's a case for cameras in the county, where more than 100 pedestrians are killed annually on roads. State Highway Administration figures show at least 100 more die in vehicles, leading the state in both counts.

"This is not a revenue enhancement bill. This is a public safety bill," Knotts said. "Something needs to be done, and I don't think enough has been done."

While most officials agree that allowing speed cameras is not in dispute, it's the details that have tripped up previous attempts. County officials deferred to the state last year as officials tried to come up with a program that would let any county in Maryland opt in, but concerns about governments exploiting the machines for revenue sunk the deal.

Local efforts were also stymied by competing proposals among the county delegation. While one county bill assigned responsibility for the cameras to just the county government, another proposal would have allowed cities like College Park and Hyattsville to deploy the cameras as they saw fit.

Knotts and others said they do not agree with letting municipalities use the cameras.

County senators and delegates will hold a public hearing on potential speed camera legislation next month. A date for the meeting has not yet bet set.

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.