On-The-Lookout PD Gives 'Fair Warning' On 'Operation Don't Pass'

EAST HAVEN, CT —School safety is a "top priority" for the East Haven Police Department, Capt. Joseph M. Murgo said recently, and said again Friday. And that includes getting students to and from school safely.

In a post to Facebook, police said motorists can expect to see "increased enforcement" at and near bus routes to "catch and cite violators." That means drivers who "fail to stop for school busses flashing red, who are stopped, with its stop sign extended picking up students."

A first offense infraction of the Passing a Standing School Bus law is a $470 ticket. And a second or more offense will land the driver in court.

"Officers will be on the lookout for violators and will pull you over and will issue you a ticket," Murgo wrote.

"We are giving fair warning because of the expense of the ticket,"he wrote. "Our goal is to achieve a greater level of safety for our students, not to issue tickets. Please spread the word because we will be on the lookout."