Las Vegas Sun
Metro Police officers watch for speeders during a back-to-school traffic safety event in this file photo. Officers are stepping up enforcement amid increased pedestrian traffic in the coming days and weeks. School starts next week.
Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 | 2 a.m.
A block from the intersection of Eastern and Owens avenues, Clark County School District Police Sgt. Michael Campbell stood near a crosswalk, radar gun in hand, as another officer in a neon yellow jacket repeatedly crossed back and forth.
Most vehicles stopped and allowed the officer in neon to cross. But others whizzed by, either in disregard for the crossing officer or the 35 mph speed limit on Eastern.
That prompted Campbell to radio to one of the 20 officers behind him from various jurisdictions to pull over and issue either a ticket or warning to the alleged offender.
Wednesday’s event marked the first in a series of measures being taken by local law enforcement to remind drivers to expect an increase in pedestrian traffic as children return to school next week.
They chose that intersection, just a few blocks from Rancho High School, because of its proximity to surrounding schools.
“Through the summer and with COVID, a lot of people were indoors and trying to distance themselves,” Campbell said. “And now that we’re going back to more of a normal school year … we’re going to have a large amount of pedestrians, mainly students, crossing the road in the morning and in the late afternoon.
“We just want (drivers) to be cognizant about knowing the laws.”
Campbell said 62 vehicles were stopped and 60 citations were issued as he was joined by officers from the Metro, North Las Vegas and Henderson police departments. Some drivers were clocked going as high as 67 mph in the 35 mph zone, Campbell said.
As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, it’s been nearly 17 months since children have filled the streets walking to and from school, and during that period some drivers have picked up bad habits, said Erin Breen, director of UNLV’s Vulnerable Road Users Project. In a media event Thursday, LVMPD Cpt. Carlos Hank and CCSDPD Lt. Bryan Zink noted about 310,000 students and 38,000 educators and school employees will be returning to classrooms in the coming days.
Though some kids were going to school in April and May amid hybrid learning setups, their numbers were far fewer than this academic year as in-person learning resumes. And as most public schools resume session Monday, Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft’s office said in a release Thursday he would be near Helen Jydstrup Elementary School between 7:30 and 8 a.m. Monday welcoming students and reminding drivers to be extra cautious.
Naft will also be handing out bicycle helmets to students on their way to school, the release said.
Breen also noted the number of people who have moved to the area since the beginning of the pandemic and those who may be unfamiliar with Nevada driving laws.
“We didn’t really have school last year, so we didn’t do any of this last year,” she said. “So if you’ve moved here in the last two years — look at how many people moved here during COVID — they don’t know the laws as well.”
Additionally, police said they were stepping up enforcement and will be handing out tickets to drivers speeding in school zones. Fines can be upwards of $200.
“And if you’re involved with an accident in a school zone or, more important, a crosswalk, that ticket can quickly be bumped up to reckless driving, which can add points to your license and you can accrue community service along with a lot of fines.”
During the 2019-20 school year, when data was last available, 41 children were injured and two were killed traveling to and from school by vehicles in Nevada, Breen said. Authorities want to remind drivers that officers will be out in force as school begins and are urging the following:
• School zones are 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after school.
• School zones and school crossing zones are subject to higher fines. It is also illegal to pass and make U-turns in school zones.
• Crossing zones are away from the school but provide children walking and biking a safer place to cross the street.
• When flashing lights are not available to mark the parameters of a school zone, speed limit signs for school speeds and “When Children Are Present” are the signs most often used in Clark County.
• If a pedestrian is crossing at an intersection or midblock crosswalk, drivers must yield to them the entire time the pedestrian is on the side of the street the driver is on or turning onto.
• Children may be unpredictable and can dash into the street. They are also shorter than most adults and can be more difficult to see.
Hank and Zink noted many of the same tips Thursday and stressed that drivers could expect increased commute times due to more traffic from school buses and parents. They recommend the best strategy for beating traffic is to leave earlier than usual and to be extra cautious when driving in school and crossing zones.
And because of the pandemic, Zink noted, there are two grades of elementary, middle and high school students heading to their campuses for the first time. For example, kindergartners aren’t the only ones that might be attending their school for the first time; first-graders that learned at home last year also may be making their first trips to their attendance centers.
“Fines are steep,” Hank said. “But what’s even more steep is the human lives that are affected when an accident occurs and a child is struck by a vehicle.”
As for parents and children, Breen said parents should walk with children to school for at least the first week, point out potential issues and especially make sure that children know their route and what to expect from them as they walk or bike to and from school. Other tips include making sure schoolwork stays in a backpack, so papers don’t blow into the street and making sure to look both ways before crossing the street.
“If it’s a school zone (drivers) should wait,” Campbell said. “They should give extra patience because kids are small, cars are parked too close to corners and we can’t be everywhere all the time.”
Breen also advises making eye contact with drivers to make sure the pedestrian is seen and can cross. Roughhousing should be avoided in case somebody accidentally steps off a curb.
Lastly, Breen said it helped to wear bright or reflective clothing, especially if traveling near dusk, dawn or at night; avoid speaking to strangers and always be aware of one’s surroundings.
“It’s going to take some time getting back to normal, we understand that,” Campbell said. “And that’s why we’re out here.”
Increased mental health and safety measures
Zink said in addition to the increased police presence throughout the valley, officers have increased patrol in schools and have trained officers in crisis intervention to address students and adults dealing with mental health crises.
Each CCSD high school will have two officers assigned to the campus and an additional patrol officer to that high school and the neighboring middle and elementary schools. School district police are also in “constant communication” with other jurisdictions so officers can be dispatched quickly, Zink said.
He also urged concerned parents to use www.safevoicenevada.org and its smartphone app to anonymously report safety issues.
The app is free on Apple’s app store and Android’s Google Play store, and he said the service could also be used to report issues with the private and charter schools.
“That tip line was so valuable to all of our jurisdictions during this pandemic so that we can take care of the kids and address any needs we did have,” Zink said.
