42 sheriff’s offices participate in program this year
The Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA) has announced that sheriff’s offices in 42 counties issued a total of 7,218 warnings and 5,171 traffic citations during Operation Safe Kids this year.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office was among the agencies participating in the program, which works to ensure that children return to school safely, its staff noted in providing statistics from the state organization.
“Parents in our community can be assured that the safety of their children is a priority for the Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman in a news release. “From the first week of school to the last, we are doing our best to keep a close watch on the traffic in and nearby school zones.”
The FSA pointed out that the participating agencies also “dedicated 5,900 hours during the enforcement period, delivered 5,520 educational messages and posted 80,674 social media messages throughout the state.” The emphasis was in the news release.
“Safeguarding Florida’s future through youth-focused programs and services is a key objective for law enforcement statewide,” FSA President and Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said in the release. “This goal is being achieved through this operation by identifying and monitoring high-risk areas, issuing warnings and citations, and educating the public on the importance of school zone safety,” he added. “The implementation of this program highlights Florida sheriffs’ strong commitment to upholding the security of families and local communities in our state.”
“This initiative has been instrumental in ensuring the safe return of Florida’s students to school. Through these partnerships, we are setting the stage for the growth of community-centric resources to reduce accidents throughout the state,” Tommy Ford, Bay County sheriff and chair of the FSA Task Force, pointed out in the release.
The other 41 sheriffs’ offices that participated in the operation are in Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson, Lake, Lee, Leon, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Putnam, Santa Rosa, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia, Wakulla, and Washington counties, the release notes.