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South Bend Police Department <br /> 701 West Sample Street <br /> South Bend, Indiana 46601 <br /> Monday,August 28,2006 <br /> InRe: SBPD Back-to-School Safety Blitz—slated for Tuesday,August 29, 2006 <br /> Media Alert <br /> Summer's on its way out, school's in session and many feel the time flew by too fast. <br /> And South Bend Police Department officers will be out in force on Tuesday morning, <br /> August 29, cautioning motorists against"flying"too fast through school zones. People <br /> are expected to slow down and heed posted speed limits of 25-miles-per-hour. Some <br /> zones are also equipped with flashing lights, and in short, speeders may be seeing a squad <br /> car's flashing light bar if they don't obey the law. <br /> Speeding drivers will be apt to get the book thrown at them with a $1 fine for every mile <br /> per hour over the speed limit, plus court costs. An average tally is $100; a rather pricey <br /> lesson. <br /> "We're not here to make lives miserable; but we are trying to prevent misery resulting <br /> from injuries or lost lives...From first hand experience, I can tell you trying to gain a few <br /> minutes is not worth putting any person, and especially innocent children, in danger," <br /> stated Traffic Sgt. Bill Kraus. <br /> Kraus said police understand the back-to-school transition can be overwhelming with <br /> families adjusting to new schedules, schools, and even traffic and road conditions or <br /> construction. While the SBPD has given motorists a few extra weeks to fine-tune their <br /> route plan before this school zone safety blitz, they still must be aware that officers are <br /> not going to ignore lawbreakers just to give them a break. <br /> "Break the law and you are fair game," said Kraus,noting that even outside of special <br /> traffic details like this one,the SBPD assigns officers to monitor public and parochial <br /> school zones on their daily beat, focusing on drop-off and pick-up times. <br /> Capt. Terry Young explained, "It's all about keeping South Bend's streets and families <br /> safe...and our biggest school zone violators are often the parents. Please follow your <br /> school's instructions and use extra caution around the parked cars...watching out for all <br /> the kids going back to school." <br /> -30- <br /> Teri Lanning <br /> Public Information/Public Relations <br /> 574-235-7682 <br />