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Police bring message; Information on buckling up distributed to St. Mary's parents.
The Fort Scott Police Department handed out informational pamphlets and trinkets at St. Mary's Catholic School this week in an effort to educate parents about the importance of buckling up their children.
School Resource Officer Toby Nighswonger visited the school on Monday and Thursday and gave parents the brochures and red or green pens and key chains from the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Center with the "Buckle Up Message."
Police Chief Ron Puterbaugh said it was an opportunity for the police department to "encourage parents to do it voluntarily" without giving them a ticket.
"If they persist in not buckling their kids up, we'll take action," Puterbaugh said. "But we're hoping the education will take care of the problems."
Nighswonger said all the parents seemed appreciative and were smiling.
"We would always prefer to be proactive instead of writing citations," he said.
St. Mary's school officials' concerns about traffic safety during after-school pick-up prompted the police department's intervention.
More than half of the students at St. Mary's -- around 60 kids -- are picked up by their parents after school, so some 30 to 35 vehicles are lined up on Holbrook Street at 3 p.m. on any given day.
Principal Krista Gorman said she received calls from parents concerned about the situation.
After months of observing the process, Puterbaugh said he concluded that the school's pick-up system was "very safe on how they load the kids up.
"Some were concerned about traffic and parking, but after watching for three or four months, they have a great plan in place," Puterbaugh said. "They've done a great job."
"One of the things we noticed, though, was a lot of kids were coming out here and are not being buckled up," he said.
Based on that information, Gorman said she requested that the police department provide some reminders and tips.
"I think people forget," Gorman said. "They don't know what the law is and what the recommendations are and there is a difference between the two."
The Child Passenger Safety Act requires children between the ages of 4 and 8 to be in a federally-approved child safety or booster seat unless the child weighs more than 80 pounds or is taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Children 8-14 must be protected by a safety belt, according to the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Center. A seat belt violation fine is $10, including court costs.
Gorman said she thinks it is "always a good reminder" and it was not intended as any form of punishment.
"We appreciate that the police department helped us out and took the time to come out share information with parents," Gorman said. "Education is extremely important and the safety of our kids is our No. 1 priority. That's why we try and set up a system like this."