Operation: Safe Passage Gets Kids to School Safely

Grand Terrace drivers taking their children to and from school this week will receive materials designed to remind them of various traffic codes and school zone laws as part of Operation: Safe Passage. Members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department - Grand Terrace station's Citizens on Patrol handed out educational pamphlets to drivers at the school sites within the city for two days this week to help remind drivers of vehicle codes often broken at and around schools during the every day morning and afternoon rush. Often times, residents raise concerns to local police including traffic violations like speeding vehicles, stop sign violations and pedestrian crossing violations, shared Dept. Navarro. Dept. Frank Navarro of the Grand Terrace station said, "This program allows us to educate the public on vehicle codes around school zones to create a safer environment for children." Informational pamphlets were handed out to drivers and were also left at the front office of each Grand Terrace school this week, shared Navarro. The pamphlets include tips on how to be an attentive driver, an easy reference of various school zone laws, and tips for school children on actions they can take to get to and from school safely. Education and reminders of these codes come first, shared Navarro, before local police will begin issuing citations. "It's part of standard police protocol to educate and then enforce the law," said Navarro. "We don't want to start enforcing this without giving drivers the opportunity to fix a violation and make themselves aware. I think what Operation: Safe Passage does is it makes people think twice about violating the law, and if they don't know the laws, then it makes them aware. Overall, we want drivers to be conscious of these vehicle code sections to create a safer school zone for kids."