SPECIAL REPORT
ON THE RECORD
WRITTEN BY ERICWOOLSON
ADDINGEYES TO CATCH ILLEGAL PASSERS
While some districts are utilizing third-party
STOP-ARM SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS PROVIDE MORE SAFETY, DRIVER EDUCATION AT SCHOOL BUS STOPS
services to catch illegal passers, the Dallas County Schools District is seeing additional benefits from the creation of its own police force originally in- tended to monitor stop-arm camera violations and issue citations, said Superintendent Rick Sorrells. Sorrells noted that Dallas city officials ap-
proved the ordinance allowing camera technolo- gy, but had concerns about the time it would take from its police department. “They’re trying to put more officers on the streets and in neighborhoods. We stepped up to the plate and said, ‘Why don’t we be the entity to do this for you?’ They had the authority to delegate those responsibilities to us and they did,” he explained. Sorrells and other school officials thought
the creation of the five-officer force could help address other issues, too. “As the third-largest transportation district
in the country, we had issues on isolated buses, but they were continuous concerns from drivers about student behavior and it was more than one student,” he said. “We saw the opportunity when police were not handling stop-arm violations to assist us with student behavior. We determined we needed to have a uniformed officer ride the bus to make sure it was safe and everyone under- stood the consequences if they didn’t obey the student code.” Officers spend three to four hours a day re-
£ More and more school districts are adding video cameras on school buses to capture proof of motorists who illegally pass.
P
rivate contractors in the stop-arm camera industry and transportation pro- fessionals in the school
districts they serve agree their growing partnerships and the latest technology will ultimately reduce the number of drivers who illegally pass stopped buses. “Tere’s no question there are
three parts to any successful pro- gram: education, engineering and enforcement,” said Charles Territo, vice president of communications at American Traffic Solutions, head- quartered in Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Dallas County
Schools, which provides the nation’s third-largest public pupil trans- portation operation, became the first in Texas to employ stop-arm cameras. President Larry Duncan explained that the district couldn’t prosecute stop-arm runners before 2012 because police officers were re- quired to witness an incident before a ticket could be issued. “With 1,700 buses and 60,000
kids, there aren’t enough officers to put on enough buses to make a dif- ference,” Duncan said. “And if you had an officer on a bus, how do you
30 School Transportation News January 2013
viewing stop-arm violations — a number likely to remain constant for the foreseeable future. While stop-arm violations are expected to decrease over time, the district is likely to see a steady number of violations, as the remaining 875 of its 1,700 bus- es are to be equipped with cameras by late 2013. Sorrells indicated the officers’ duties have
blossomed into support for smaller districts within the county, including special events and monitoring campus surveillance. An important responsibility for the chief is his involvement with the countywide emergency management net- work. “It’s not that we weren’t effective before, because we were, but this brings great validity and resources to that effort, too,” he added. The force was established in six months with
two individuals playing prominent roles. The district’s director of risk management relied on his extensive contacts with emergency man- agement professionals for advice. And, a police chief within the Metroplex who had expertise in creating a school district police force offered valuable guidance.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56