How Mobile Police’s ‘Red Light Blitz’ operation aims to prevent serious car crashes

MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Mobile police officers are going after people who run red lights with a new operation called, “Red Light Blitz” from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Interim Mobile Police Chief William Jackson said the reason for this is due to citizen complaints and to prevent any more serious car accidents.

The Airport Boulevard and University Boulevard intersection is one out of 12 intersections included in this operation, which the police department scoped out. MPD will not name the other 11 intersections.

These will not be checkpoints, but officers will be stationed at the lights to watch out for drivers running the red.

Jackson said that there have been 77 red light-related accidents so far in 2024.

“We have to obey the traffic laws,” Jackson said. “Otherwise, we have these injuries; we have these accidents.”

“It affects everything from insurance premiums to people being hurt, injured and sometimes killed,” Jackson continued.

Joann Garrett told News 5 that she drives through these intersections daily and often worries about who may come across when her light turns green.

“I have seen many people pass through the red lights, and it’s obviously dangerous,” Garrett said.

Garrett believes that the operation is a good thing, so other drivers like herself can remain even safer on the roads.

“I think it’s probably going to help drivers stay safe and keep families safe and keep everybody in Mobile safe,” Garrett said.

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