BELTON, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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The Belton School District is installing stop-arm cameras on its 56-bus fleet ahead of new state legislation that increases penalties for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.
Close calls near school bus stops in Belton have prompted parents to demand action.
One Ring doorbell video, shared by a viewer to KSHB 41 Cass County reporter Ryan Gamboa, shows a child and a car narrowly avoiding a collision.
"I have watched it happen several times, especially here," said Sara Taylor, a Belton School District parent who lives near rural Jaudon.
Taylor said she had previously contacted authorities about stop-arm violations, only to be told nothing could be done without a bus driver report.
Kellie Manley, another Belton parent, said she has gone as far as physically intervening at a stop on 58 highway and Chestnut near Scooter's Coffee.
"I have actually screamed and yelled at them, come out and physically (tried) to stop them," Manley said.
The district partnered with its contractor DS Bus Lines to install exterior cameras on school bus stop arms.
The cameras are designed to capture a vehicle's make, model and license plate when a stop-arm violation occurs.
The program costs $50,000, and DS Bus Lines and school district are splitting the cost.
Torrence Allen, director of finance and support services for the Belton School District, said the cameras give law enforcement a new tool.
"Belton PD will have a little more opportunity to reinforce the law," Allen said.
In a statement, the Belton Police Department said bus drivers are already multitasking at a high level, making it difficult to provide witness information for stop-arm violations.
"These cameras will provide another set of eyes on that bus to hold traffic violators accountable," a department spokesperson said in an email statement.
For bus driver Heather Butters, the cameras are a long-overdue solution. Butters said her stop arm has been run approximately 100 times.
"I quit counting at one point (in) time because it just happened so much," Butters explained.
Butters said the cameras will allow drivers to focus on students and the road, rather than trying to document violations.
"Having video proof is going to be a huge relief in my opinion," Butters said.
The cameras arrive as Missouri prepares to enforce stiffer penalties for stop-arm violations.
KSHB 41's Marlon Martinez has lead the way covering school bus safety across the Kansas City metro, and state lawmakers took notice.
Missouri House Rep. Mike Jones credited Martinez with shining light on the issue in his Platte County reporting.
The new state legislation takes effect Aug. 28, increasing the minimum fine for a first offense from about $130 to at least $500, adding five points to a driver's license per conviction, and creating the possibility of felony charges for repeat offenders if a child is injured.
READ MORE | Starting Aug. 28 drivers in Missouri will pay higher fines for passing stopped school buses
Allen said the timing aligns well for the district.
"It's reassuring for us as a district that the timing is perfect, it lines up with the law, and be in a position to enforce it," Allen added.
For parents like Manley, the combination of cameras and tougher penalties is a welcome development.
"It's about time," Manley said.
Taylor said she hopes the cameras change driver behavior before a tragedy occurs.
"I hope that it triggers people to be more careful," Taylor said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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