ST. LOUIS – Students head back to St. Louis Public Schools on Monday. With transportation issues already a concern for parents this year, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is sharing ways to help ensure that students stay safe.
“We have to rely on our parents and we have to rely on them to make sure that they are communicating exactly what they expect from their child when going to school and then returning home from school,” Mitch McCoy, SLMPD’s director of Public Affairs and Information Division, said.
Officials want to remind the drivers that one major danger is loading and unloading of school buses.
“Make sure you follow the speed limit zones,” McCoy said. “We want to make sure kids are safe as they are walking to school or they’re walking back to their school bus. So, leave early, be prepared, have a game plan, and make sure you know the route that you’re headed.”
Parents in the SLPS have new transportation options this year that include buses, taxis, and Metro bus service. Police are also keeping eye out for possible problems on the first day of school.
“It is our goal every single day that an officer is in the same district that they regularly patrol in,” McCoy said. “It helps officers spot things that just don’t seem right, things that seem out of place; and that’s what we will expect from our officers when it comes to the first day of school.”
As an extra safety precaution, St. Louis Public Schools is also rolling out an adopt-a-stop program, where volunteers will help monitor bus stops.
St. Louis Public School officials say they have a transportation web page for parents to check out before school starts.
