Back to school: Police will look for stop arm violators

Back to school an exciting time for kids as they embark on their new academic journeys. But situations like these from last school year , can put their safety at risk.

“Two students were hit by cars that have passed a school zone. Very fortunately, they were not seriously injured. Recently we had a child almost get hit,” said Chris Evoy, interim chief of AISD Police Department

Austin police and AISD police are warning drivers to pay extra attention, because summer is over.

“Some of these students are going to different schools, middle school, high school and they're not familiar with the area,” said Evoy.

“We're going to see a lot more traffic on the roads. We are going to see a lot more kids,” said Brian Manley, interim chief of Austin Police Department.

Officers will be looking for drivers breaking the law...that means speeding in school zones, passing stop arms, and using cell phones while driving.

“We will have an initiative running through the 1st September where we will be focused on the school zones,” said Manley.

During their back to school initiative last year, police issued 300 speeding tickets in a school zone, eight for passing a bus, 14 for cell phone users, and 93 for general electronic device use. In addition to traffic challenges, APD says there could be an increase in burglaries among college students. That's why they advise all to lockup their belongings. Drivers, be sure to obey traffic laws...it will help keep our kids safe.

“The children of our community are in very vulnerable positions crossing these roadways,” said Manley.