With the school year coming to a close, Henderson Police Department Capt. Jim Dunlap issued a warning to Las Vegas Valley drivers: stay vigilant.
“There’s going to be an increased presence of juveniles out there on the streets now that school is out,” Dunlap said. “Pay attention to driving in your residential neighborhoods as well as the major roadways.”
Law enforcement leaders from across the valley gathered at the Clark County School District Police Department headquarters in Henderson on Tuesday to discuss how police are approaching student safety this summer. Friday marks the last day of school for the school district.
School district police Lt. Bryan Zink said police have increased their presence at schools in the last two weeks of classes to ensure students are safe as school schedules shift with the transition into summer break.
“Our high school students will be getting out of school the last three days early, so we don’t want to just do our normal patrol beats as we have thousands and thousands of high school students leaving the valley,” Zink said.
Schools hosting classes or programs in the summer will continue following campus safety protocols, Zink said. This includes the activation of flashing school zone lights at campuses where students are present.
A new law taking effect July 1 will double traffic penalties in school zones, creating new safety expectations that Zink said valley residents will have to adjust to.
“Our motors team will be working throughout the summer,” Zink said. “I’m sure every other jurisdiction here will continue to put as many people out to deal with these traffic issues as possible.”
The district notably saw a stark rise in students being hit by vehicles this school year.
Zink said 407 students have been struck while traveling to or from school since August, up from about 190 last school year. He attributed part of the rise to improved data sharing between law enforcement agencies.
Nearly half of those collisions occurred when students were riding e-bikes and e-scooters, school district police data shows. School district police Lt. Michael Campbell encouraged students to pay attention while riding their e-devices this summer.
“When you’re on the sidewalk, act like you’re a pedestrian, and when you’re on the street, you have to act like you’re a car,” Campbell said. “You can’t be driving the wrong way, or driving down the center lane, or doing wheelies or anything like that on these devices because that’s what leads to, ultimately, a lot of these injuries.”
The rise in collisions coincides with an uptick in traffic stops, according to Campbell. He said school district police conducted more than 16,000 stops this school year, up from the 12,000 stops they typically make in any given year.
“We’re hoping with the increase in the fines and penalties that it could have a difference with some driving behavior,” Campbell said.
Though student traffic collisions are on the rise, Zink said school district police have found fewer firearms on campuses and seen a decrease in students fighting. He attributed the trend shifts to schools hiring more campus security monitors and administrators being more present around students.
Asked about police response during an officer-involved shooting at Legacy High School last week, Zink said “everything worked the way that it should have.”
“The school was put into a secure, meaning that the doors are shut so that no one can get in, and then it was transitioned into a lockdown when we made sure that the scene was safe,” Zink said. “They got the school secured as fast as possible.”
Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.
