KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. He first reported on issues involving drivers not stopping for school buses earlier this month, and offers today's story as a follow-up. Share your story idea with Marlon.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is dedicating additional resources this week to make school bus stops safer for students across the area.
From Oct. 20 through the 24th, deputies will take part in a School Bus Stop Arm Enforcement Campaign, cracking down on drivers who illegally pass school buses while their stop arms are extended and red lights are flashing.
"it's not the ride to school that's most dangerous for kids—it's when they're getting on or off the bus," said Sheriff Darryl Forté in a press release earlier this week.
Records from the Kansas City Municipal Court show that since the start of 2023, 30 citations have been filed under city ordinance 70-483(a)—the law prohibiting drivers from passing a stopped school bus. However, the court's database only tracks cases filed by the prosecutor's office, not the total number of tickets written by law enforcement.
Forté said the enforcement effort is about awareness and accountability.
The sheriff's office urges drivers to:
- Always stop when school bus stop arm is extended.
- Never pass a bus on the right side, where children enter or exit.
- Stay Alert
- Avoid distraction while driving
I reached out to Platte County R-3 School District. They told me that since our story highlighting the issue happening in the Northland aired, the number of violations has grown to over 80 violations.
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