JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Speed in a school zone and you will be pulled over, that’s the message from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Duval County Public Schools Police, with school officially back in session.
The emphasis on roadway safety is all part of Duval County Public Schools and Jacksonville law enforcement’s “Be Safe, Be Seen” campaign.
“The ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ campaign was an initiative through the school district and Dr. [Christopher] Bernier,” DCPS police chief Jackson Short explained Monday morning. “It features all of our local leaders to include Sheriff [TK] Waters, reminding our drivers that students are out, but also reminding our students to be careful of drivers also.”
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Monday morning, JSO’s traffic enforcement unit caught someone going 19 miles per hour over as students were crossing the street to San Jose elementary – on the very first day of school.
“It’s pretty ridiculous. That should not happen,” Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said Monday. “But it’s going to [happen,] and we’re going to have JSO traffic officers out here to support our Chief Short and DCPS. We’re absolutely 100% going to be dealing with it, when we call, we have complaints, we are going to address those complaints. But we’re also going to address those drivers.”
The heightened focus on traffic safety in Jacksonville’s school zones comes after 42 students were hit by vehicles while trying to get to and from school last year across Duval County, with three killed.
However, the message, Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said Monday, extends to not just school zones, but everywhere on Jacksonville’s roadways.
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Many of the DCPS students hit by vehicles during the 2024-205 school year were in their very own neighborhoods, including one Atlantic Coast High School student Action News Jax told viewers about in January, hit and killed on the way to her bus stop.
“Everyone should expect for the kids that are there walking to school to be able to get there safely and not, and not be hurt by a driver,” Sheriff Waters said. “So please pay attention. Please focus on what’s going on around you. And that way we can have our kids get to school safely and get home safe.”
Law enforcement officials are also urging drivers to keep their eyes on the roadway, as that quick text or look down at the GPS can be the difference between life and death for a young student in the Jacksonville community.
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