The Colorado Springs Police Department is processing refunds and correcting outstanding balances after a software error by its speed camera vendor caused nearly 2,800 drivers to be overcharged on speeding citations issued this summer.
In July, Verra Mobility — the department's Speed Safety Camera vendor — rolled out a software update that included changes to the program's internal location codes. That modification caused the system to assign fine amounts at levels normally tied to higher-penalty zones, such as school zones, construction zones, areas bordering public parks, and residential neighborhoods. The department's speed safety camera program operates two mobile camera vehicles deployed across those zone types.
The problem surfaced during a citation review on Sept. 1, when staff came across a summons listing an $80 charge in a location where $40 was the correct amount. Digging further, reviewers found that the miscoding had touched multiple neighborhood and park locations — 34 of the 1,212 sites stored in the system, representing about 2.8 percent of all locations. Between July 21 and September 1, 2,764 citations were issued at those affected locations, each carrying an $80 penalty instead of the proper $40.
The department reviewed every flagged citation and concluded that in each case the vehicle had been traveling 11 mph over the speed limit and that probable cause for the fine was present. All 2,764 tickets were determined to be valid; the software update affected only the dollar figure attached to each citation, not whether a violation had actually occurred.
About 700 of the double-charged citations had already been paid by the time department staff caught the error. Drivers who submitted the inflated $80 civil penalty will receive a $40 reimbursement by check in the mail. Refunds are currently being processed and are anticipated to reach recipients within four to six weeks. For those who have not yet paid, court records have been updated to reflect the $40 figure, which will appear whether the ticket holder pays through the online portal or goes to the courthouse in person.
Verra Mobility has already sent letters to all drivers affected by the billing mistake. The letter, a copy of which CSPD shared publicly, acknowledged that a programming error caused the notices to display a civil penalty of $80, and confirmed that records have since been corrected to reflect the proper amount of $40.
Whether the department will pursue any contractual or procedural changes with Verra Mobility following the error has not yet been disclosed.