New technology will capture Polk County school bus stop sign runners

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Sheriff Grady Judd and Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid unveiled a school safety initiative Wednesday aimed at keeping students safe while they ride the bus.

Officials said the new program, Safe Stop, will add state-of-the-art technology to school buses, including cameras that will capture those who run a stopped school bus displaying a stop signal.

“At the end of the day, keeping the children safe is most important,” Judd said.

Officials said those who violate Florida Statute 316.172 will be fined $198.

“98% of people that violate the school bus and receive a citation and pay it, do not get a second one,” said Matt Reich with Verra Mobility, the company operating the cameras.

All violation videos and license plate images will be reviewed by a PCSO deputy sheriff before a warning or traffic citation is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Polk County Public Schools said the cameras will be operational and issuing warnings on the first day of school, Aug. 12. Citations begin on Sept. 24.

Sheriff Judd does not typically support tools involving cameras, preferring face-to-face interactions instead.

“I immediately embraced red light cameras on school buses,” Judd said. “There is absolutely nothing in this world more important to us than our children.”

Heid said bus drivers observed 400 violations during a one-day study.

“It is frustrating that we have these big yellow school buses that you cannot miss, bright flashing lights and our drivers do a very good job as well of being patient in traffic,” he said.

This comes after a deadly year for Polk County students involved in traffic crashes.

“We lost 22 students last year alone to traffic fatalities. That is a number and a situation that none of us want to deal with,” said the superintendent.

One student was hit and injured by an accused drunk driver while getting off the bus in April.

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