Jake Luce

Police will be looking for speeding, rolling stop signs, too many people in the car, and going the wrong direction on Sunset.

For the remainder of this week and through the week after break, there will be an increased amount of police officers in the areas surrounding LHS in order to deter students and others in the area from driving unsafely.

The added police force came in response to the wishes of various residents of the neighborhood behind the high school’s back gates. Because of the bus stops for elementary schools on streets like Homewood and Sunset, parents of the neighborhood felt that students’ and others’ driving put their children at risk.

“They all got together and made a petition because they got a little fed up with how the high school drivers were driving,” police officer Bob Uliks said. “They felt strong enough to where they actually brought it up to the school, the police department and the mayor.”

While the goal is to prevent drivers who disregard the speed limit and blatantly ignore stop signs, several students have been pulled over this week on account of much more minor offenses.

“There are kids right around 7:30 flying down the local streets to get to school, so I can see where they’re coming from,” admitted junior Ben Kimpler, who was issued a warning Monday morning for failing to come to a complete stop. “I feel like the cops should be targeting those people, not the ‘oops, I didn’t come to a complete stop,’ type of person.”

One resident of the neighborhood who didn’t partake in the petition agreed that some of the wrong drivers have been targeted; she feels that the real offenses come after school, when there are noticeably less police officers around.

“It’s just bizarre to me. I would be pulling people over at 3 o’clock, not at 7 in the morning,” she said, requesting anonymity for this story to speak freely on the subject.

While some people in the area may feel the citations have been misguided, Uliks dispelled the popular belief that police officers work under a quota, where they must issue a certain amount of tickets every month or year.

“Our officers are not mandated to write a certain amount of tickets. This is completely, 100% in response to the neighbors’ complaints,” he confirmed.

Uliks also wanted to emphasize that the police aren’t specifically targeting high school students; anyone who is driving unsafely in the area will be pulled over, regardless of who they are.

“It’s anyone that’s driving, not just teenagers. If a parent is driving (poorly), they’re going to pull them over too,” he said.

Until the police begin to clear out towards the middle of January, there will have to be a stricter standard of driving safety in the area around LHS. Kimpler, who is able to speak from experience, has advice for those who drive to school every day.

“Definitely just be aware of your surroundings, obey the laws, and do what you’re supposed to do,” he said.