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District raises alarm over drivers ignoring school bus stop arms, to meet with police
Summary
West Salem district staff reported repeated incidents of motorists running bus stop arms and said bus camera footage and license plate captures have been used to notify law enforcement; superintendent staff will meet with the village chief to discuss boosting penalties and enforcement.
District staff told the board on Nov. 11 that multiple school buses reported motorists running bus stop arms or flashing stop sign systems this week and that the transportation office is using bus camera footage and license‑plate captures to refer incidents to law enforcement.
Ryan (S4) said transportation staff pull footage after buses return, extract plate numbers and notify the local police or county sheriff depending on where the incident occurred. "They pull the plate. They contact the local police department... If it happens within the village, we contact our sheriff, give them the plate number, they run the plate, and they issue tickets," Ryan said.
Ryan said he has asked Chief Alo to meet with him to discuss whether the village ordinance and fines can be made more punitive; he noted the current $6.25 fine (referenced in meeting discussion) does not appear to deter repeat offenders. "We need to find something that's going to decrease these number of incidents," Ryan told the board, adding he will have a safety debrief and return with recommendations.
Board members confirmed the district logs and records close calls using onboard cameras and radio communications and that transportation follows the chain of contact to involve law enforcement for citations. No change to policy was adopted at the meeting; staff committed to return with proposed options after meeting with police.
