Police officers from across the West Valley converged on Glendale last week for a regional traffic enforcement operation focused on keeping students and families safe as they return to school.
The Aug. 19 operation marked the 46th deployment of the West Valley Speed and Aggressive Driver Task Force, according to Justin Ramsey, public information officer for the Glendale Police Department.
About 40 officers from agencies across the West Valley participated, with enforcement concentrating on school zones, major roads serving schools and areas where police have received traffic complaints or responded to collisions.
“This is a back-to-school deployment, so our focus is school zones, school-related traffic and to keep our students and our families safe on their way to school so that they can go get an education and not have to worry about being struck by a vehicle or damaging their property,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey said the regional task force brings together agencies from Phoenix to Wickenburg in a collaborative enforcement and education effort.
Over the course of more than 40 deployments, officers participating in the task force have stopped about 8,000 drivers for traffic infractions and issued about 4,000 citations, Ramsey said.
“About half of our drivers get an educational contact,” Ramsey said. “It’s obviously those aggressive and dangerous drivers that are getting citations and need that corrective action.”
Glendale Police Chief Colby Brandt told officers at the briefing that West Valley agencies made a commitment about three years ago to work collaboratively to address dangerous driving. He credited traffic enforcement efforts with helping to reduce crashes and fatalities in Glendale.
“Without all of us working together, we can’t resolve them,” Glendale Police Lt. Wade Kamman said of traffic safety problems across the Valley. “We really appreciate the partnership of every agency in this room.”
Police officers from across the West Valley converged on Glendale early Wednesday, Aug. 19 for a regional traffic enforcement operation focused on keeping students and families safe as they return to school.
(Jimmy Van Wickler/Submitted)
For Wednesday’s operation, officers were directed toward locations identified through community complaints, calls for service and collision histories.
Priority areas included school zones near Copper Canyon Elementary School around 91st Avenue and Camelback Road, Legacy Traditional School near 67th Avenue and Thunderbird Road, Ironwood High School near 59th Avenue and Cactus Road, Challenger Elementary School along Maryland Avenue and Sierra Verde Elementary School along Rose Garden Lane.
Although school zones were the primary focus, officers also monitored major streets carrying traffic to and from schools.
“School zones are the intentional focus; however, school-related traffic is also one of our big focuses today,” Ramsey said.
Police were watching for more than speeding. Ramsey said officers were looking for red-light violations, unsafe behavior involving pedestrians and crosswalks, bicycle and e-bike violations and other dangerous driving.
Distracted driving remains a particular concern around schools, he said.
“Cell phone violations are huge, especially when we’re at slow speeds, when waiting in a pickup line,” Ramsey said. “Just looking at your phone for only a matter of seconds takes your eyes and your attention off that roadway when a child might be crossing the road.”
The operation carried added significance for Glendale officers following a serious collision at the beginning of the previous school year.
Glendale Traffic Officer Brian Schlingman told participating officers that a child riding an e-bike to Mountain Ridge High School was seriously injured after being struck and run over by a vehicle on the first day of school last year. The child survived but suffered significant injuries, Schlingman said.
Officers also had child passenger safety technicians available during Wednesday’s operation. If police encountered a child who was not properly restrained during a traffic stop, a technician could respond with an appropriate child safety seat and help ensure the child was left the stop properly restrained.
Ramsey said drivers can reduce risks around schools by paying attention to posted speed limits and traffic controls, avoiding distractions and remaining aware of pedestrians and cyclists.
Even relatively small increases in speed can make a significant difference when a driver needs to react to a child entering the roadway, he said.
“As speed increases, and even if that is 5 to 10 mph, stopping distance and reaction time tends to decrease,” Ramsey said. “So that could be the difference between just avoiding a collision altogether or a fatal or very significant collision.”
Police also hope the increased visibility of officers encourages drivers to make safer choices before a traffic stop becomes necessary.
“What we hope people will do is notice that the police are out, enforcement is happening, make the right decisions and drive safer so that we don’t have to have a conversation,” Ramsey said.
For parents, students and other motorists traveling through school areas, Ramsey said the message is straightforward: Follow posted signs, watch speed and eliminate distractions.
“Keeping your cell phone down, watching your speed and being attentive to what’s going on around you,” Ramsey said.