Elkhart sheriff’s officials to enforce traffic norms at schools
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Now you’ll face tickets, fines and all the rest that goes along with violating traffic laws.
Elkhart County commissioners on Monday approved agreements with the Baugo, Concord, Fairfield and Middlebury school districts, granting the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department authority to enforce traffic rules at the varied districts’ schools. “It just gives us another tool to make the school grounds safer,” said Sheriff Brad Rogers.
Before the change, those who broke school traffic norms could face warnings from sheriff’s department officials or administrative action by the schools, but the potential repercussions stopped there. Per Monday’s action, the traffic rules at the four school districts’ schools have been adopted as county law as well and violators now face the same sort of fines and penalties they would if the violations occurred on public roads.
The Goshen, Elkhart and Wa-Nee school district schools are inside city limits, thus sheriff’s officials don’t have jurisdiction.
Rogers said Monday’s changes, per requests from the four school districts, shouldn’t require additional manpower. The resource officers in each of the school districts will most likely handle enforcement, he said, and violation of traffic norms has only been a “sporadic” issue.
The regulations run the gamut, from parking rules and speed limits to one-way travel restrictions and stop sign requirements. The speed limit is 15 mph on the grounds of Baugo and Concord schools and 10 mph at Fairfield schools. In the Middlebury district the limit ranges up to 25 mph along the entry into Northridge High School.
