San Bernardino police Officer Dan Acosta conducts a traffic stop on Wednesday near Indian Springs High School. San Bernardino police and San Bernardino City Unified police are conducting traffic enforcement operations in response to complaints about speedy and reckless drivers and jaywalking near schools
SAN BERNARDINO >> Nora Hernandez and her husband, Luis Fabian, were shocked when they noticed about a dozen city and school police officers along Del Rosa Avenue on Wednesday morning when they dropped their daughter off at Indian Springs High School.
“I was a little scared and thought, ‘Is it safe to leave her here? Did something happen?’ ” said Hernandez.
“We’re doing traffic enforcement to make sure kids get to school safe,” explained school police Sgt. Tammy Land.
Hernandez said she was glad to hear about the operation, adding that while most parents follow the rules of the road when dropping off their children, there are times when others have been reckless.
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“Sometimes, yes, there are crazy people who don’t respect the 25-mile-per-hour zone,” she said.
City and school police agencies decided to work together to address the safety problem after receiving several calls from parents, school officials and residents surrounding the schools complaining about speeding and reckless drivers as well as jaywalking students and parents near various schools in the city.
The first operation took place last week around Norton Elementary, near Sierra Way and Eighth Street, and San Bernardino High School, near E Street and Highland Avenue.
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For about two hours on Wednesday morning, six San Bernardino police officers and eight San Bernardino City Unified police officers patrolled the streets around the high school as well as Curtis Middle School and Bing Wong Elementary and wrote 27 citations, impounded eight vehicles and made three warrant arrests during the school zone enforcement, said police Sgt. Vicki Cervantes.
In one instance, a 17-year-old boy was stopped for driving 37 mph in a 25 mph school zone less than a block from Bing Wong Elementary. He was cited and his truck was impounded.
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“I’ve had people honk at me when I drive 25,” said Max Nelson, whose two daughters attend the elementary school. “I mean, it’s in the little handbook. If there is one child outside those gates you have to drive 25. I’m glad they’re out here.”
However, some on social media criticized the operation, asking why the city was focusing on traffic when investigators should be focusing on more violent crimes, especially slayings.
“When more people are killed in traffic collisions than homicides, then we are dealing with the No. 1 cause of death in our community,” said police Lt. Travis Walker. “This is the first time this has happened since I have been here which is more than 20 years.”
He also noted that the department has different divisions that investigate violent crimes and the officers used for the school zone enforcement are with the traffic division.
Twenty-five people have been killed so far this year as a result of 24 traffic collisions, according to police numbers, compared with 19 homicides. On average, the city sees about 12 traffic fatalities a year, said Cervantes.
On Aug. 18, Lisa Ann Craig, 49, of San Bernardino was crossing the street in the 2600 block of West Foothill Boulevard when she was struck by a passing car that fled from the scene. Craig died several days later, making her the 25th traffic-related death in the city.
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Just a week previously, Cesar Figuero was a passenger in a Twinz Cab Co. taxi that had stopped at a red light at Del Rosa and Highland avenues when the cab was rear-ended by a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban, killing the father of two..
According to Walker and Cervantes, several factors may be contributing to the dramatic increase in fatal crashes including distracted driving and driving under the influence.
In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in the United States, according to Distraction.gov.
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Cervantes, however, said it’s hard to pin down how often distracted driving plays a part in fatal crashes.
“A lot of times people aren’t going to admit they were on their phone texting or talking when a crash takes place,” she said.
Recently, to heighten awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, police took to freeway off-ramps with cardboard signs in an effort to spot drivers violating traffic laws.
One sign said: “S.B. Police. I am not homeless. Looking for seatbelt and cellphone violations.”
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In just two hours, officers stopped 54 people and issued 39 tickets for distracted driving.
“What people have to understand is that a drunk driver or a distracted driver affects all of us on the roads,” said Walker. “You or your family member can be driving or walking and following the rules but a DUI or distracted driver comes by and changes everything for everyone.”
Authorities plan on continuing the school zone operation but have not confirmed whether it will be a weekly occurrence nor given the location of the next operation.