JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Just a few hours into the first day of school here in Duval County, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has already made a number of traffic stops. It’s part of their safety initiatives that officers are doing to make sure students are welcomed back to the classroom safely.
Before the first school bells rang, JSO said they already stopped 12 to 15 drivers this morning near Lake Lucina Elementary School.
We saw an officer take off ourselves, live on Action News Jax Monday morning.
Zion Decoteau, Action News Jax : “So we’re hearing somebody spitting off right now. What will this Officer be doing? So he’s just gonna be giving people a warning, issuing tickets?”
JSO Officer Christian Hancock: “I guess it’s all about education for these, usually for the first couple weeks out here for education. Does that mean you will not get a citation this morning? No, it doesn’t”
Of course, if you do get a ticket, there’s a steeper penalty.
“School zone speed limits are 15. If you get stopped in any other part of the city, 9 miles an hour over might be $150 so this is gonna be double that of the school zone,” Hancock explained.
Officer Hancock also wants to ensure that drivers are paying attention to what’s in front of them. Alertness avoids accidents.
“We want them to be mindful of what’s going on in front of them and not what’s inside of that car: phone, books, makeup, whatever the case may be. You should be mindful of what’s happening in the world in front of you,” said Hancock.
Part of school safety is getting children across the street safely.
“We have over 300 crossing guards out here, trying to ensure that folks are able to cross the road safely,” said Chief JD Stronko of JSO Patrol. “But we’re always looking for more. We have over 35 vacancies, so if you want to, go to joinjso.com; that would be a great way to sign up if you wanted to help,” he continued.
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