City-County councilor asks IMPD to target east side for school zone enforcement
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Speeding in school zones continues to be a problem on the east side just 15 months after 7-year-old Hannah Crutchfield was killed crossing the street outside of an Indianapolis Public Schools elementary in 2021.
David Ray, a City-County Council member, is working with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to slow down drivers.
IMPD is doing targeted school-zone traffic enforcements across the east side for the next two weeks in an effort to slow drivers. Parents say speeding in school zones makes them fear for their children’s safety each day.
Kailani Fife, a mother of three, said, “Every day, it scares me at 3 o’clock. Am I going to get that phone call that something has happened to them?”
Fife says her children have to cross the four lanes of Washington Street each school day. She wants drivers to be safer.
“I think people aren’t maliciously selfish, but they just don’t realize people’s kids walk across the street. Just slow down and take an extra 30 seconds, isn’t going to kill your day.”
Ray requested IMPD direct enforcement to the east side. The Democrat represents a district covering parts of the east side. His said they his goal was to “slow down our traffic and remind folks that our kids are going back to school and let them know it’s a school zone and you need to slow down.”
Ray says aggressive driving is a problem across the board. “It seems like, ever since the pandemic, drivers are just impatient and speeds are up and people are aggressive and so the east side is no different.”
Parents are pleased to see this effort but want long-term solutions.
Stephanie Sponsel, a mother of five, said, “People need to slow down and realize there is a school zone. I think we need more than police presence, that’s a short term aspect. I think maybe overhead lights, those sort of things.”
Others on social media suggested more solutions for school zone speeding. One user wrote, “Has anyone considered narrowing the road and putting in speed-cushions???”
Another said, “As well intended as this is, it’s not going to do anything. We need to make it physically more difficult and less comfortable to speed. Narrower lanes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks near schools, and speed/red light cameras.”
Ray says, during this two-week period of extra enforcement, police will use radar and tickets. Motorists found in violation could face increased fines for speeding in a school zone.
