Alarmed by a rise in pedestrian and bicycle accidents involving children, Los Angeles school police have issued hundreds of tickets in the last few months to students as young as 9.
The crackdown targets children near schools who jaywalk, dart through traffic on bicycles or ride without helmets. The citations require children and their parents to attend a Saturday pedestrian traffic school or, for repeat offenders, to pay fines of as much as $80.
Some of the most dangerous moments in children's lives occur when they are traveling to and from school, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In Los Angeles, traffic accidents involving child pedestrians jumped 23% last year to 919 incidents, from 746 in 2000, according to Los Angeles Police Department figures. In 2001, 15 child pedestrians were killed, compared with nine the year before.
Also in 2001, bicyclists under the age of 18 were involved in 379 traffic collisions, up 49% from the year before, according to the LAPD. One child bicyclist was killed last year; there were no fatalities the year before.
The crackdown is led by Los Angeles Unified School District police, who just a few years ago issued only a handful of citations to youth pedestrians. Until now, the department has focused primarily on ticketing drivers when they speed, double-park or make illegal stops near schools.
But targeting drivers dealt with only part of the problem, said Tana Ball, director of the school police's pedestrian and bicyclist safety program. So officers are now on the lookout for pedestrian and bike violators as well.
Even though it may help save lives, the get-tough effort has left some teenagers fuming. In Woodland Hills recently, Taft High School seniors Melissa Barker and Joanna Lord sauntered mid-block across Winnetka Avenue en route to the campus. They had barely reached the curb when an officer strode over to them. Minutes later, the teenagers had identical citations fluttering from their hands.
"Puh-leeze," said Barker, rolling her eyes as the officer left to cite more students. "We jaywalk every day," but are always careful to look before crossing, Barker said. "[Police] should have better things to do with their time."
Police and school officials counter that tougher enforcement makes children think twice about breaking traffic safety laws.
