The Lafayette Police Department would like to remind the community that school is back in session this week. There will be a substantial increase in pedestrian and vehicle traffic around local schools. Officers will be out in full force during the school zone enforcement hours of 7:30-8:30 am and 2:30-3:30 pm. The speed limit in posted school zones is 20mph. Officers will be looking for speeders, aggressive driving, and any other traffic violations that might endanger children in the area. Crossing guards will be out at major intersections to assist the children in these areas. Please watch for them and be patient as everyone gets back into the swing of a new school year.
The Lafayette Police Department will also be observing for school bus stop arm violations. If you are caught passing a bus while the stop arm is activated, expect a ticket! This is a very dangerous behavior and it puts children at great risk. Even if you are not observed by a police officer, bus drivers are asked to forward violator’s license plates and descriptions to the police department for prosecutor review. Please plan to leave early for your commute and display patience when you find yourself behind a school bus. To clarify the bus stop arm statue: you may not pass a bus (with stop arm activated) unless you are on the other side of a median, a barricade, or grass divide. Even if there are two lanes of travel in one direction, you may not pass the bus, with the stop arm activated, unless the lanes are divided.
Sgt. Chad Robinson
Lafayette Police Department