For the 6th consecutive year, Dubuque Police will be conducting a special project that will increase police presence at Dubuque Community Schools during both arrival and dismissal times.
The project will involve officers adjusting their shift hours to accommodate the arrival/dismissal times of area schools. The duration of the project is one week with extension possible if supervisory staff deem it’s necessary to insure the safety of students. During the project, officers will be focusing on violations that decrease and/or jeopardize the safety of students and school staff. Those violations include, but are not limited to: seatbelt & child safety seat use, safe/proper use of crosswalks, obedience to crossing guards, obedience to traffic control devices/signage, speed and/or reckless driving. Motorists are reminded to slow down and increase vigilance, especially in and around school zones and crosswalks. One of the more common violations pertains to passing a school bus (from either direction) while red flashing lights are engaged and the stop arm deployed. A violation of this Iowa law not only endangers students, but also carries a $330 total fine. Anyone who observes or experiences potential safety issues is encouraged to inform the officer(s) present at the school. In the weeks leading up to the start of school, officers have also been tasked with evaluating the areas in and around school zones to determine if modifications on any kind are necessary to increase the safety of area students. The department hopes the above efforts will help keep area students safer as they return to school and throughout the year.
Please discuss the following safety recommendations with your student(s):
School Bus Safety
- Wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb.
- Do not move around on the bus.
- Make sure to always remain in clear view of the bus driver and wait to be signaled by the driver before crossing the street. Always watch for vehicles.
- Children should always board and exit the bus at locations that provide safe access to the bus or school.
Private Transportation
- All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or age & size appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.
- Your child should ride in a car seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat as described below.
- Your child should ride in a booster seat until the vehicle’s seatbelt fits properly (usually when the child is 4’9” in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age).
- All children under the age of 13 should ride in the backseat and all those under 18 must be in a seatbelt or approved car seat – regardless of seating position.
Bicycle Riding
- Always wear a helmet, no matter how long or short the ride.
- Wear bright colored clothing to increase visibility.
- If you must ride on the street, ride on the right in the same direction as vehicular traffic, use appropriate hand signals and obey all traffic laws.
- Know the “rules of the road”: (http://www.aap.org/family/bicycle.htm)
- Watch for vehicles and don’t assume they see you just because you can see them.
Walking
- Make sure your child’s walk to school is a safe route.
- Be realistic about your child’s pedestrian skills and carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school unsupervised.
- If your child is young and/or is walking to a new school, walk with them the first week or so to make sure they know the route and can do it safely.
- Bright colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers.
- Teach your child to cross the street within crosswalks and/or at intersections, and to watch for vehicles while they are crossing.
As always, make sure your child knows the dangers associated with talking to strangers and teach him or her how to respond to such situations. Also insure that your child knows where to go after school (home, Y-Care, etc.) and how to get there. Remind him or her that deviating from the after-school plan without your permission is dangerous and unacceptable. Encourage him or her to inform you of any problems they may encounter before, during or after school.