What might appear to be discarded green refrigerators at the side of the road are something much bigger. They’re mobile speed cameras, and they’re looking for you.

The Montgomery County Transportation Department installed 20 portable speed cameras in September as part of its SafeSpeed program, which aims to enforce speed limits in school zones.

The cameras now cover more roadway and can combat those who only stop speeding near stationary cameras, said the department’s public information officer Lucille Baur. The cameras cover over 90 locations in the county.

“It’s not just one camera in both directions on a roadway. It’s several locations on a roadway,” Baur said. “The purpose of the portable cameras is to sustain slower speeds on roadways and typically they’re in residential neighborhoods and school zones.”

SafeSpeed is the first program in Maryland to enforce speed limits of 35 mph or less in residential areas and school zones with any speed limit, according to the Montgomery County police department.

The transportation department hasn’t been able to analyze the effectiveness of the cameras due to their recent introduction to the county, but Baur said anecdotal accounts have proven the cameras successful.

One benefit of the portable cameras is that they allow police to analyze the number of citations generated at particular locations, Baur said. The police department can then decide whether a camera is doing its job or if it should be moved to another location.

“They could leave portable cameras for up to a year and the police could analyze the data,” she said. “And they can either move it someplace else and if the speeding continues the police can move it back.”

Drivers have had mixed reactions to the new cameras, with some citizens expressing concern about the camera’s intentions.

Speed cameras are extremely important in front of schools, especially in front of elementary schools, due to heavy pedestrian traffic, history teacher Andrew Sonnabend said.

“If used to cut down on speeding, then they’re good, but I question whether or not they’re just there to generate revenue,” he said.

Portable cameras are probably more effective than stationary cameras, senior Jordan Brossi said. She admitted to being one of the many people who slow down while approaching a stationary camera and then speed up again once they pass it.

The county has plans to introduce more portable cameras in the near future, Baur said. However, the number of cameras added in 2013 will depend on the new transportation budget, which will be determined later in the year.

“If you’re going fast enough to be caught by a portable camera, it’s important that there is some kind of repercussion,” parent Noelle Hinga said. “They’re definitely a good thing.”