Everyday University of Arizona Police says thousands of students are caught jaywalking, increasing the danger on roads near campus.
Now university police are making sure students are making the right choice when crossing the streets by keeping an eye out for violators of pedestrian safety rules on campus.
According to Rene Hernandez, a spokesperson for the university's police department, since last October , UAPD has given nearly 3,500 warnings to students for jaywalking on-campus. Its a statistic the department is trying to curb by using a grant from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. The grant will allow to increase patrols at major intersections that cause a lot of problems during class breaks. Those intersections include Second and Olive, Second and Highland, and Fourth and Cherry. "We go out there and give them a lot of warnings and really stop and talk to them about the law and how not to break the law and become a jaywalker," Hernandez said.
According to Hernandez, most students are receptive to the educational approach because most do not realize they are breaking the law. "Our job is to go out there, stop them, inform them what they are doing wrong and how not to do it so we can build good habits," he added.
Although most stops end as warnings , if a student has several offenses, a $150 citation is given, Hernandez explained. A method he believes will help keep students and anyone near campus safe.
