School surveillance

By Kelly Yates
POLICE have launched a new operation this week in a bid to stop drivers ignoring school zone speed limits.
Operation Juno will involve police targeting speeding drivers, motorists using mobile phones while driving, and drivers committing seat belt and parking offences within school zones and residential streets around schools.
The operation is set to run until April next year.
Casey Traffic Management Unit (TMU) Senior Constable Allen Inderwisch said police had noticed a trend where motorists were ignoring speed limit signs around schools, especially during peak times.
Sen Const Inderwisch said in past operations similar to Operation Juno, the results have shown that parents dropping or picking up their children from school formed a large percentage of offending drivers.
“We are also concerned at the number of drivers who double park,” he said.
“I’ve been to a number of collisions where school children have been struck by cars because they were running across the road to meet mum or dad. Parents need to take some responsibility.”
Child safety is one of the main aims behind the new operation. Police will be setting up at schools within the City of Casey at random times within the next seven months.
According to Sen Const Inderwisch, police will be using marked and unmarked vehicles, and the police motorbike as part of Operation Juno.
Police will also patrol the streets on foot.
Sen Const Inderwisch said during the school holidays, police would be focussing on the residential areas given the number of children out and about in the streets.
Police are urging local schools to continue to push the road safety message.
“Most schools have a fairly good policy and take school safety very seriously,” he said.
Operation Juno kicked off yesterday (Wednesday).