Law Enforcement Case Study: Gulfport, Mississippi
Infrastructure and Non-infrastructure Strategies

Background:

For the most part, children in the City of Gulfport (population 72,464) do not walk or bike to school because of unsafe conditions, primarily the lack of sidewalks, but also the need to cross multi-lane streets without lights, and other issues. The Gulfport Police Department (GPD) became increasingly concerned about this situation and decided to seek SRTS funding to improve safety and increase the numbers of students walking and bicycling to school.

Solutions:

In October 2007, the GPD took the initiative to promote and engage schools to participate in Walk and Bike to School Month as a way to promote safety and encourage more students to walk and bike to school. To further expand its SRTS efforts, the Gulfport Police Department was awarded a $89,000 Safe Routes to School grant through the Mississippi Department of Transportation. To reach their goals, the program was designed to:

"The Gulfport Police Department's proposed project was well-planned and comprehensive in nature and will potentially provide an excellent example for other Safe Routes programs, specifically enforcement agencies who are considering involvement. We are excited to see this program come to fruition."

—Cookie Leffler, the Safe Routes to School Coordinator for the Mississippi DOT praised the city's effort

As the lead agency, the Gulfport Police Department is working with the city's two school departments as well as the Public Works Director and Traffic Engineer to implement the program. To make the program relevant to each school and to build program sustainability beyond the federal funding, the local program coordinator works with School Resource Officers and classroom teachers to form local Safe Routes to School committees.

Expected Results:

The anticipated outcome of the program is to create an ongoing bicycle and pedestrian safety education program that reaches approximately 7,466 students in 18 school sites across the city. It is also expected that the program will improve the safety of children who are currently walking and biking to school while increasing the overall number of children who walk and bike to school. Results will be measured through the following evaluation methods:

Contact:

Sarah Lizana
Grants Coordinator
Gulfport Police Department
P.O. Box S
Gulfport, MS 39556
(228) 868-5981
slizana@ci.gulfport.ms.us

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