Okeechobee County - Friday September 1, 2023: The Okeechobee County Sheriff Office, in cooperation with the Florida Sheriff's Task force, deputies recently conducted a speed enforcement operation they called 'Operation Safe Kids.'
The enforcement effort focused on the following Okeechobee County school zones:
- Okeechobee High School
- Yearling Middle School
- North Elementary
- Osceola Middle School
- South Elementary
These schools were selected after a study found that they were problem areas within Okeechobee County. Speed measurement trailers were placed in these selected school zones along with an electronic message board flashing safe driving reminders.
13 deputies were assigned to traffic enforcement duties in the selected school zones. Some were detailed to follow along with school buses on their routes. The deputies worked at different times over 75 hours between August 21 and August 25.
As a result, 85 citations or warnings were issued to drivers who exceed the school zone speed limit of 20 mph.
Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel Stephen was happy with the success, but expressed concerned about the number of drivers caught speeding through the school zones. He warned that this would not be the only speed enforcement operation that residents could expect.
'Operation Safe Kids' Results
- Okeechobee County Sheriff's Deputies wrote Eighty-five (85) citations or warnings for speed in and around school zones and bus stops.
Other warnings and citations issued:
- One warning for careless driving
- One warning for failure to yield the right of way
- One warning for an expired tag
- One citation for a child not in a seatbelt or restraint device
Social Media posts about the operation and safety in school zones wielded almost 40-thousand interactions on the Sheriff's social media channels.
