Howard County officers use back-to-school initiative to protect students
BALTIMORE -- The Howard County Police Department is preparing to help students return to school through a back-to-school initiative known as H.A.S.T.E., which focuses on Helping Arriving Students Through Enforcement.
Officers will enforce driver and pedestrian safety in school zones as part of the annual initiative, according to county officials.
Those officers will increase their patrols along the roadways surrounding the county's elementary, middle and high schools for the first three weeks of the school year, county officials said.
They will look for drivers who are speeding, drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians and those people who are driving while distracted in areas around the schools, according to county officials.
Additionally, they will be checking to make sure that people are using seatbelts and child safety seats to protect everyone in their vehicles, county officials said.
H.A.S.T.E. was launched last school year, according to county officials.
Officers will continue to conduct traffic safety education and enforcement efforts throughout the school year.