nothin Cops Head To School ... Zones | New Haven Independent

Cops Head To School … Zones

Markeshia Ricks Photo

The next time you think of going around that school bus with the stop sign out … don’t.

Unless you want a ticket from the New Haven police.

The department Thursday afternoon announced plans to step up its traffic enforcement near Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School as well as at other school zones around the city.

Police officials joined Amity/Beverly Hills Alder Richard Furlow and Newhallville Alder Delphine Clyburn in front of Mauro-Sheridan on Fountain Street just as students were getting on buses headed for home.

Two officers from the police department’s traffic unit and their motorcycles were clearly visible on the busy street that at around 3 p.m. each weekday fills with yellow school buses, cars and pedestrians trying to navigate the street with children in tow. Most people made it a point to stop any time a bus turned on its flashing signal lights and put out its red stop sign. Those who didn’t, got a ticket.

The cops will soon be as familiar a sight near on the stretch of Fountain Street as the school buses that line up in front of the school in the morning to drop off students and in the afternoon to pick them up, officials promised.

Furlow had reached out to the police department after hearing from parents of children who attend the school and from neighbors about how fast cars are going during peak times, and how cars often roll right through the school buses’ stop signs and flashing lights. He said he conducted his own observation, and on a daily basis, as many as 20 cars can be counted passing stopped school buses on Fountain Street. Furlow said he once counted a high of 32 cars passing stopped buses, and that was unacceptable.

This is a great incentive to get cars to slow down,” Furlow said of the police presence.

West Sector Police Capt. Jeff Hoffman (pictured center) said increased enforcement around school zones is part of Police Chief Dean Esserman’s overall plan to step up traffic enforcement in the city. The department announced last month that it will double the size of its traffic unit, which Hoffman said gives the department the manpower it needs for increased traffic enforcement. (Read more about that here.)

Traffic unit officers on motorcycles who work days will end their shifts at schools like Mauro Sheridan in time for school to let out, and those who work evenings will wrap up their shifts with the morning drop-off. Hoffman said that traffic enforcement around school zones will be in place through the rest of the school year. He said that the fine for passing a stopped school bus is one of the highest traffic fines that a driver can incur at $465.

Clyburn said similar problems with speeding and school bus passing are occurring in Newhallville, particularly at streets like Highland, Lilac and Hazel, that connect to Winchester Avenue, and are all places where buses pick up and drop off students.

Furlow said a strong police presence is just the beginning of what needs to be done around schools, particularly those like Mauro-Sheridan where buses drop off children in high traffic areas. He is working with the city’s Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department in hopes of getting better signage around Mauro-Sheridan including the addition of more prominent street markings and signage that let drivers know they’re in a school zone. Furlow also would like to see a sign that lets people know how fast they’re going and flashing signals that remind people to slow down.

There is nothing on this street that really says that this is school zone,” he said, while pointing out a sign that indicates the end of the school zone, and the fact that there is no sign that indicates where it begins. This is a busy state road and it should have first consideration when it comes to signage.”

Furlow said he’d like the city to consider a prevention before maintenance,” approach.

I’ve found many times that we wait until something happens, and then we act,” he said. He pointed out that the no U‑turn sign that is now on Fountain Street in front of the school, didn’t go up until a parent made a u‑turn and hit a school bus. We need to start thinking proactively,” he said.

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