THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — As students return to classrooms after the holiday break, law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to keep children safe near schools.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Washington State Patrol last week to target speeding and other dangerous driving behaviors in school zones across the county.
During the operation, both agencies stopped a total of 117 vehicles, with Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies issuing 40 infractions.
In one instance, 15 vehicles were pulled over in just 25 minutes for speeding in a single school zone.
Sgt. Levi Locken with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said the public response to the increased patrols has been largely positive.
“The public, obviously they’re not exactly thrilled to get citations when they get them, but they understood, and they liked seeing us out there,” Locken said.
“[We] definitely had a lot of positive remarks from the public in general about us being out there and making sure the kids are safe, getting back to school, and everyone’s abiding by the laws.”
Currently, the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit consists of two deputies who primarily work night shifts.
The department hopes to expand the unit by adding two more deputies focused on daytime enforcement. That would allow for more frequent emphasis patrols, particularly during school hours.
Sheriff Derek Sanders says dangerous driving behaviors remain a major concern throughout the county.
“It’s just crazy driving out here. The amount of reckless driving, impaired driving—we’ve got cars blowing through stop signs on school buses, all these different things,” Sanders said. “This traffic unit, which will soon have a total of four deputies assigned to it, is going to be effective.”
He added that traffic safety is the number one complaint he hears from residents.
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