Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Traffic topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council receives school traffic safety plan focused on education and enforcement
Summary
South Gate police presented a school traffic safety plan for 2025–26 emphasizing education, enforcement and collaboration; the council voted unanimously to receive and file the presentation and asked staff to pursue school safety zones and quarterly reporting.
Lieutenant Chavez of the South Gate Police Department presented the city's proposed 2025–26 school traffic safety plan at the Oct. 14 council meeting, outlining education, progressive enforcement and community collaboration to address heavy vehicle and pedestrian congestion during school drop-off and pick-up times.
Chavez said South Gate has "over 20 schools" serving nearly 10,000 students and described recurring problems during peak hours including double parking, blocked driveways and students walking between cars. He presented baseline enforcement figures for the prior year: more than 21,000 site parking citations, nearly 1,500 vehicle-code violations and almost 2,000 vehicle impounds, and said the department will track school-zone citations, warnings versus citations, parking enforcement data and the number of educational meetings.
The plan centers on three principles: education (PTA meetings, social media, age-appropriate classroom talks by school resource officers), enforcement (directed patrols, community service officers on foot, progressive enforcement starting with warnings) and collaboration with PTA, school administrators, city staff and local nonprofits.
Chavez told council the department is exploring establishing school safety zones with higher fines during school hours and asked for council support. He said initial rollout would emphasize warnings and education before transitioning to full enforcement and that the department will provide quarterly updates to the council and community.
Councilmembers questioned staffing and coordination with crossing guards and school police. Vice Mayor Baron asked whether the department communicates regularly with crossing guards; Chavez said yes and acknowledged conversations about problem areas and potential additional crossing-guard placements. Councilmember Avalos pressed on officer availability and asked whether the department has enough officers to monitor peak times; Chavez said the city will continue to deploy patrol teams and seek support from LAUSD police and other partners but described staffing as a continuing challenge.
During public comment, resident Nelson Mercillo urged the council to press LAUSD and county supervisors for a larger presence in city schools. The council voted unanimously to receive and file the presentation; councilmember Avalos made the motion and the roll call was recorded as Avalos, Hurtado, Rios, Baron and Mayor Davila voting yes.
Ending: The presentation is to be tracked with quarterly metrics and the department will continue outreach to LAUSD, PTAs and other partners to implement education and enforcement steps. The council asked staff to return with updates and to pursue school safety zone designations and public outreach.
