Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hassel asked permission from the county commissioners on Monday to apply for a Stop Arm Violation Enforcement Grant.
“What they’re going to do is kind of like Operation Pull Over and DUI Task Force – they’re going to bring in off-duty officers to focus strictly on school bus stop arm violations,” said Sheriff Hassel.
It’s a federal grant and will work similar to the Operation Pull Over in terms of reimbursement.
Sheriff Hassel said he will get together with the transportation directors of each school to look at the bus routes. An officer will then be staged at a certain area to enforce the stop arm law.
State law requires motorists to stop when a school bus is picking up or dropping off children. Watch for buses with the stop arm extended and red lights flashing. When this occurs, drivers are required to stop. If a roadway is divided by a physical barrier or an unimproved median, vehicles that are traveling in the same direction as the school bus need to stop. Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction do not need to stop if a school bus driver has activated the stop arm and red flashing lights.
Despite all of the information released to the public concerning school bus safety, Commission President Kevin Overmyer said some drivers still disregard the stop arms.
Overmyer stated, “About a month ago on State Road 17 in Burr Oak, the bus was heading north with its stop sign out and a truck was heading south on 17 and blew right by it.”
Hassel added, “The bus drivers tell us it happens a lot, unfortunately.”
The commissioners unanimously approved the grant application request as presented.
