Patrol/Traffic Safety Officers
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are typically organized at the individual school level or among a cluster of schools or school districts. Working in Patrol Operations or Traffic, you are keenly aware of the public safety and traffic concerns in your community. Your knowledge of local traffic patterns and neighborhood crime issues makes you an important member of a local Safe Routes to School steering committee.
Ways to Get Involved:
- Identify schools in your jurisdiction where speeding or other unlawful motorist behavior is a problem, particularly those that already have some students walking and/or bicycling to school. A quick speed study near several schools you suspect may have problems is one way to start.
- Work with members of your agency and others (if necessary) to conduct targeted enforcement activities in a two-mile zone around the school. In addition to enforcing speed limits, you can also conduct a crosswalk enforcement operation.
- Help a local SRTS steering committee assess bicycle and pedestrian safety and personal security around the school and in surrounding neighborhoods.
- Provide daily or periodic police presence during school access hours at identified problem areas (traffic safety or personal security concerns), provide support to crossing guards where needed.
- Get publicity for your activities! This will help raise awareness about the issues community-wide.
- Talking Points: Addressing Parents
Finding Funding:
Depending on your level of involvement and the extent of your program's SRTS activities, you may want to seek federal funds or assist others in doing so. Click here for more information on funding for SRTS programs.
Note: Under the Federal SRTS program, States are authorized to fund only those activities that are directed towards students in grades k–8 and within two miles of the school site.