School bus violations on the rise

Remember, when big yellow stops, everyone stops. That's the catchy public service campaign Medina Schools developed last year by Rob Travis, transportation director, and Amy Busby, director of community relations. The design was for increased national awareness of school bus safety and the number of motorists illegally passing a school bus. Many drivers in Medina County have not taken heed of the slogan, signs, banners and videos, according to police officials. Medina police Chief Ed Kinney said he's seen a significant increase in bus stop violations. He developed a plan to have police officers ride on buses to identify vehicles that violate the stoplight/arm stop requirement. He said in a Facebook campaign, when the bus stop arm is extended, motorists must stop. "We have a zero tolerance for bus-related violations," Kinney said. "With the addition of cameras mounted to the buses and officers riding on board, offenders can be quickly identified. Assisting officers will stop the offenders and issue citations. "Bus stop sign citations require a mandatory court appearance and have the potential for significant fines." Kinney said during the school year, there have been 30 complaints and 25 motorists have been issued citations. He said several are still under investigation. Travis said they wanted to find a way to train the community and let it know the potential risks. "We wanted to do something that was a universal theme," Travis said previously. " 'When Big Yellow Stops, Everyone Stops' is something that everybody can use, not just Medina. Because it is more than just a Medina problem." Kinney said the push has seemingly helped. "We've tried to do a campaign to deter any future violations," Kinney said. "I hope it's made an impact." He said when the district installed cameras on every school bus, it helped in identifying the culprits. In the past, it was difficult for school bus drivers to get a license plate number, the type of vehicle and a good look at the driver. "Now, we have a picture of the car and the license plate," Kinney said. "It's helped us identify the violators." He said the department took the violations very seriously. Kinney said the citations that are written can't be waived simply by writing a check and sending it in. "This is a mandatory appearance before the judge," he said. He said it's a misdemeanor offense that could add points to a driver's license, with a potential fine. Those would be determined by the court. Brunswick Police Chief Brian Ohlin said there have been four school bus violations reported, three in October and one in November. He said there is one open investigation, one warning issued and two cases of insufficient suspect information. "The safety of our children is of paramount importance to us and we investigate all reports of violating a stopped school bus thoroughly," Ohlin said. "Motorists are reminded to pay close attention when around a school bus and once the warning lights turn on, please slow down and prepare to stop." In other news There's been no movement in the vehicle break-ins that have been happening in Medina, Brunswick and other Northeast Ohio communities. "No, they just continue on," Medina police Chief Ed Kinney said. He said "intel" says the organized groups are coming down from Cuyahoga County. They are juveniles who typically run from law enforcement. The State Highway Patrol has caught some of them, he said. "We can catch a group of five and there's 15 other groups operating," Kinney said. He said sooner or later, police will break up the crime ring. In the meantime, residents are reminded to lock their doors and not to leave valuables in the vehicle. Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.