Monroe County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer staff and members of the Road Patrol and Training Division as well as Key West Police Department members recently completed Single Officer Response to Active Threat and Shooter Incidents taught by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 

Sheriff’s Office reminders as school set to begin

The Sheriff’s Office will be out in force this week with safety in mind as children return to school.

Sheriff’s Office deputies will patrol school zones in the county to make sure drivers realize school is back in session. Road Patrol deputies will also be spending any free time they have concentrating on areas surrounding schools and school bus stops and they will be writing tickets to anyone not obeying the speed limits in school zones or those illegally passing school buses.

“We have a no tolerance policy for people who choose to speed in school zones, and for those who illegally pass school buses,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “We will be out in force beginning next week in both marked and unmarked cars watching for violators.”

Anyone driving should make an extra effort to watch out for students, who may not be paying attention to traffic in their excitement about returning to school. Be especially careful around residential neighborhoods, areas with bus stops, and around schools themselves.

This is a good time to take a look at your own driving habits and review the rules of the road. Florida law prohibits passing a school bus in either direction when it is stopped with red lights flashing. Drivers must also remember to slow down to the posted speed limit in school zones.

It is up to each one of us to ensure that our school children are safe. Please do your part and be aware as you drive.

“Our School Resource Officer staff recently underwent additional training with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,” said Sheriff Ramsay. “That underscores a very important part of my philosophy: To keep as highly trained staff as I can who are up to speed with the latest in law enforcement applications and knowledge — especially when it comes to school safety.”

Children and parents should also remember: If a child rides a bicycle to school, Florida law requires anyone under the age of 16 to wear a helmet. A violation of this requirement can result in a $25 fine.

Whether you have kids in school or not, be ready to adjust your schedule to accommodate the traffic slowdowns that occur when school is in session. Patience is the most important thing that every motorist can bring to the table. It’s worth allowing a little more time to get around to be sure that all Key West kids are safe on their way to and from school.

Here are some child safety tips for parents to keep in mind:

  • If your child is walking to or from school, walk the route with them beforehand. Choose the most direct way, and be sure the route has sufficient sidewalks, lighting and crossing guards. If a crossing guard is absent, be sure your child knows when it is safe to cross the street;
  • Make sure your child walks to and from school with other trusted schoolmates and follows the tried and true axiom, “Never talk to strangers;”
  • Teach your kids to obey all traffic signals when walking or biking to school;
  • When biking, be sure your child has a helmet;
  • When waiting for the school bus always stand on the sidewalk, away from the roadway. Always remain seated while on the bus;
  • Be sure your child knows a phone number where you can be reached in case of an emergency.
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