By: Sheriff Carmine Marceno
As school begins, traffic violations become exponentially disconcerting to parents and guardians, to school staff, and, of course, to law enforcement.
At the start of the school year, we remind drivers of the increased presence of children and our concerns regarding speeding, distracted driving, and the passing of stopped school buses.
Upon becoming sheriff, I initiated the “Safe Kids, Safe Schools” program. I am wholly committed to ensuring the safety of our children from the moment that they leave home in the morning, on their way to and while waiting at the bus stop, while traveling on-board their school bus, throughout the school day, and until they return home safely.
This endeavor requires the cooperation and participation of all Lee County residents. Distracted driving, speeding in and around school zones, and passing stopped buses will not be tolerated. Our children, their parents, and their guardians deserve this level of protection and I am committed to utilizing whatever resources necessary to ensure their well-being.
While we have encountered these violations in other East District areas, we are paying special attention to the following:
- School Speed Zone-Tortuga Preserve Elementary, Gunnery Road
- School Speed Zone-Veterans Park Academy for the Arts, Homestead Road South
- School Speed Zone-Leeland Heights Blvd and Richmond Avenue
- School Crossing-Gunnery Road and 12th St SW
- School Crossing-Sunshine Boulevard North and 25th St West
The fines are steep…and rightfully so. The tragedies that can occur, as a result of careless driving in and around school zones, are far worse.
I respectfully ask you to drive cautiously throughout the county. We will be out there, in both marked and unmarked vehicles, enforcing traffic laws.
Please…put your phone down. Obey speed limits…and never pass a stopped bus with stop signs extended. Let’s all ensure the safety of our children!
