Suffolk school bus camera program tickets Missouri man who was never in NY

Jim Vennard was already at work in St. Charles, Missouri, early one morning last September when, more than 1,000 miles away in Stony Brook, a dark-colored Audi SQ8 SUV passed a stopped school bus.

Weeks later, Suffolk County accused the 61-year-old engineer, who also drives a dark-colored Audi SQ8, of the violation. He initially thought the $250 ticket he got in the mail was a scam.

"I have never been to New York ... My car has never been to New York," Vennard told Newsday. 

But what might have been a humorous case of mistaken identity — the SUV in question had the same "SQ8" vanity plate as Vennard's, but apparently from another state — became an experience that speaks to frustrations drivers across Long Island have aired about the lucrative government program that hands enforcement of passing stopped buses to a private vendor.

Vennard, armed with evidence proving his Audi was not the one that passed the bus just before 8 a.m. Sept. 11 on Old Wood Road, embarked on a monthslong journey to convince Suffolk County and BusPatrol America his ticket was issued in error. He failed at every turn and even was told he might have to attend a hearing.

Then, this week, after Newsday raised his case to officials, the county dismissed the ticket.

"It seems like they’re just handing out a lot of tickets that shouldn’t be handed out," Vennard said last week, before the ticket was dismissed.

Add him to the list of drivers complaining about the program, including for tickets issued when they've already passed a bus before the flashing stop sign is deployed or when they're on the opposite side of a divided highway that children don't cross. Others say, like Vennard, it’s nearly impossible to speak with anyone at either the county or BusPatrol about their tickets.

The violation Suffolk County wrongly issued Jim Vennard for passing a stopped school bus in Stony Brook.

Previous Newsday reporting found roughly 70% of bus camera tickets in Suffolk were written on roads where students do not cross the street when boarding or departing the bus. Another investigation found the Town of Hempstead had issued as many as 80,000 improper school bus camera tickets to drivers in school districts that do not participate in the town’s program.

Still, most drivers pay their fines without contesting them in court, according to Suffolk County’s 2023 annual report on the program, the most recent report available. Of 103,532 citations in 2023, 79,581 were paid without a hearing.

Those who do request a hearing can face a long wait. The county’s report shows 4,334 people were scheduled for a hearing in 2023, yet only 2,294 hearings were held. Several drivers have told Newsday they are still waiting for a hearing months after their alleged violation occurred.

Suffolk's bus camera program has also documented thousands of legitimate violations and collected roughly $45 million in ticket revenue in 2022 and 2023, according to annual reports. The county's contract with BusPatrol gives Suffolk 55% of that revenue, while the company gets 45%.

'In limbo'

When Vennard first looked at the evidence Suffolk presented against him, he noticed several details demonstrating his Audi was not the violator.

The car in the video appears to be dark green with blacked-out accents; Vennard’s Audi is black with chrome accents. Missouri law requires front and back license plates, like New York. The car caught on camera only had a rear license plate. Multiple other discrepancies exist.

When Vennard called Suffolk to explain the mistake, he said he was bounced around before being instructed to take it up with BusPatrol, which controls the evidence and collects the fines for the county.

The company told Vennard to document his evidence and mail it to the company, which he did in November. The next month, he sent a certified letter containing the same information.

Vennard said company officials told him they’d review the documents and get back to him, adding he should follow up if he hadn’t heard back in 90 days.

On the 92nd day, March 5, with no further word, Vennard again called BusPatrol. He was told his evidence was still under review and he may have to attend a case hearing.

"I am left in limbo," he said in an interview last week, before Newsday inquired about his ticket. "I’m just waiting."

The wait ended on Monday, when county spokesman Michael Martino said Suffolk had dismissed the ticket — after Newsday contacted both the county and BusPatrol with questions.

Vennard said he was grateful, but remains frustrated he was forced to fight a ticket from a state he’s never visited.

"It seems like the county has given, basically, the key to the city to this company and said, ‘Go ahead and do what you need to do to write some tickets and get us some money,’" Vennard said.

With Shari Einhorn