Walla Walla Gets Tough On School Zone Speeders
WALLA WALLA -- The Walla Walla School District has a new plan to tackle the growing problem of school zone speeders. Half-a-dozen kids have been hit by cars just since the start of the school year.
No one has been killed, but the district isn't waiting around for that.
It's using your money to pay for cops to patrol school zones and keep children safe.
KEPR Action News still saw these distracted drivers first hand.
"If I pull one person over, that makes ten slow down," Deputy Scott Brashear with the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office said.
Patrols have become a top priority in Walla Walla.
There's now a cop stationed at every school zone in the district before and after school.
The district is tired of watching kids get hit by cars.
"When you see four children hit by cars, that gets your attention quickly," Mark Higgins with the Walla Walla School District said.
Katie Christianson and other parents also banded together to form a group called "Safe Travels Alliance."
They're working with the school to improve traffic safety in school zones and already wrote new guidelines on safety for crossing guards.
"I don't feel like we've achieved resolution. I do feel like we're on the right path," Katie Christianson said.
On the right path, but not safe enough for Katie.
She told Action News that she still won't let her kids walk to school.
Posters are going up around town.
It's not about catching bad drivers, it's about getting everyone to slow down.
With no excuses.
"Couples miles an hour over, you might get stopped and talked to by an officer. You know if you are doing that five miles over, you might get a ticket, pretty likely that you will," Deputy Scott Brashear with the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office said.
The Walla Walla School District also installed a gate so kids crossing can cut through the school and it keeps them away from cars.
Small steps towards fixing a dangerous problem.
The Safe Travels Alliance says the next step is to meet with each school individually and form a safety team with a student, parent and staff member.
No one has been killed, but the district isn't waiting around for that.
It's using your money to pay for cops to patrol school zones and keep children safe.
KEPR Action News still saw these distracted drivers first hand.
"If I pull one person over, that makes ten slow down," Deputy Scott Brashear with the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office said.
Patrols have become a top priority in Walla Walla.
There's now a cop stationed at every school zone in the district before and after school.
The district is tired of watching kids get hit by cars.
"When you see four children hit by cars, that gets your attention quickly," Mark Higgins with the Walla Walla School District said.
Katie Christianson and other parents also banded together to form a group called "Safe Travels Alliance."
They're working with the school to improve traffic safety in school zones and already wrote new guidelines on safety for crossing guards.
"I don't feel like we've achieved resolution. I do feel like we're on the right path," Katie Christianson said.
On the right path, but not safe enough for Katie.
She told Action News that she still won't let her kids walk to school.
Posters are going up around town.
It's not about catching bad drivers, it's about getting everyone to slow down.
With no excuses.
"Couples miles an hour over, you might get stopped and talked to by an officer. You know if you are doing that five miles over, you might get a ticket, pretty likely that you will," Deputy Scott Brashear with the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office said.
The Walla Walla School District also installed a gate so kids crossing can cut through the school and it keeps them away from cars.
Small steps towards fixing a dangerous problem.
The Safe Travels Alliance says the next step is to meet with each school individually and form a safety team with a student, parent and staff member.
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