SPECIAL REPORT: Officers say many drivers are not slowing down in school zones

News 11's Cody Lee looks into the problem happening across Yuma

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - 15 miles an hour is how fast you should be going in a school speed zone when signs are posted or lights are flashing. But Yuma police say drivers are speeding through school zones and they want to put a stop to it.

We spent a day with Yuma Police Department (YPD) motorcycle officers who are out almost every morning and afternoon throughout the city.
 
“what we're watching for is that a lot of them is no attention. They’re busy on their cell phones, they’re busy with everything else and they’re not paying attention.”

They have one goal in mind to protect students walking to and from school every day. But officers say many drivers simply don’t care.

“There are complaints on every school, every school in the city.

Most of the time it's people not paying attention.

Sgt. Jonny Vidrio has been with the Yuma Police Department for 22 years and was promoted to sergeant in 2014.

He supervises the entire traffic enforcement division.

“One of the things is people just speeding through the school zones not knowing they’re even there. So many people come through at high rates of speed. Even 20 mph in a school zone that's 15 mph is a bit.”

Sgt. Vidrio says leading up to most school zones there are signs slowing drivers down.

“There is a 25 mile an hour zone before the 15 which alerts the drivers, hey, there's a change in in the school zone or in the speed zone. So 25 it goes from 35 to 25 and then it prepares them to slow down to the 15 mile an hour zone.”

Pricilla Aguiar is quite familiar with this area. She walks her granddaughter to school every morning.

“Traffic here is bad. Either we need lights or something because a murderous they don't stop for the kids, even if the crosswalk aid is in the middle of the road they just pass around her,” Aguiar said.

She tells me it’s good the police are here enforcing the strict speed limit but it’s something that’s needed 24-7.

“Especially when it gets dark. You can see them drag racing around the stream. The kids are in danger here,” she added.

Most patrol officers now wear body cameras… which gives us another perspective of what’s taking place between the officer and driver.

Sgt. Vidrio hears a myriad of different stories from drivers.

“Earlier a gentleman was saying he was just having problems with just general life and family, and he was not paying attention to the road his mind was elsewhere. So he wasn't paying attention to the traffic signs and just driving through here” Sgt. Vidrio explained.

He says the average speed officers pull someone over at is 35, but it all depends on the speed limit of an area.

In under an hour and 30 minutes, the team of three officers pulled over close to 30 drivers.

“I think we issued like 19 citations so it depends on how many people are speeding and being inattentive in their driving habits.”

Vidrio says his officers always want to work with you and prevent it from happening again.

“We just engage the public and talk to them and find out what it is and why they're speeding and what are they doing to slow down and, you know, it's just to help them out?”

Back over in the enforcement zone, the concerned grandmother hopes people understand that the safety of these children matters.

“If their kids are walking to school, either walk him or just bring him you know, in a vehicle. I do it because I just live across the street and traffic here is bad,” the grandmother warned.

If you do end up being pulled over, in a school zone, you’ll most likely be facing a heftier fine, since they double when you enter one of these zones.