Students across Edmonton returned to schools Thursday morning. For some students, there were special patrollers to welcome them.
Ben Milne is doing his second year participating in the School Safety Patrol Program by the Alberta Motor Association. He is one of the six students in Centennial School who is part of the program.
“It’s been pretty good, the weather has been nice most of my shift,” said Milne.
Edmonton Public School partnered with the motor association to provide equipment such as vests and stop signs.
“They’re not there to direct traffic, they’re there to help create visibility, communicate with drivers and help their peers to cross the street safely,” said Crystal Vercholuk, a community engagement co-ordinator at AMA.
Not all drivers got the message of slowing down in school zones. Police officers wrote more than 1,900 tickets for violating school speed limits last year. Patrol will be back out in full force to make sure drivers get the message.
“This time of the year, we have a little more enforcement starting today till the end of next week around schools, they’ll be monitoring more closely,” said Sgt. Kerry Bates EPS Traffic Safety Unit.
Edmonton Public School Board recorded 121,000 students enrolled this year with 400 in Centennial. More than 12,000 students across Alberta participated in the leadership program.