Starting today, Rockville residents could receive some rather unpleasant mail — speeding tickets obtained through the city’s newly installed enforcement cameras.

Police Chief Terry Treschuk said now that almost 3,000 warning citations have gone off to residents and he has the sense that the program has been well publicized, he’s ready to move past the warning phase, which began six weeks ago.

That means cars traveling 10 miles or more over the speed limit in areas with cameras could be subject to $40 tickets.

Twelve cameras will be placed throughout the city in residential areas selected by a special citizens advisory committee.

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Chief Treschuk told The Examiner the idea is to encourage slower driving behaviors in problematic areas.

And even though it took years to get legal permission from the legislature and then added time to set up the system, there has been little resistance from residents.

“I talk about it at every civic association I go to,” the chief said Friday. “Last night people were actually applauding about the cameras. They’re looking forward to the tracking.”

Like the cameras in the unincorporated parts of the county run by Montgomery County Police, these cameras are in vans that move along a designated roadway. Affiliated Computer Services handles both programs.

Montgomery County’s speed program, though, remains in the warning phase, as program manager Maurice Nelson said he wants to allow more time for citizens to get comfortable with the enforcement concept before mailing them citations. With Rockville, Treschuk said he thought he “had all his ducks in a row” and wanted to get to the part of the process that will produce a lasting effect, actual enforcement.

Rockville camera locations are listed and mapped out at www.rockvillemd.gov/residents/police/speedcameras.htm.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com