373 Drivers Stopped During Tri-Cities Memorial Day Enforcement

BATAVIA, IL — In a joint effort between Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles police departments to increase patrol around Memorial Day, officers stopped 373 drivers during a one-week period, officials said.

Starting May 23 and lasting until May 30, police increased enforcement on "some of the main traffic violations that have led to an increase in serious crashes throughout the area." Police focused specifically on the four main roadways that stretch between the three cities: Randall Road, Route 31, Route 25 and Kirk Road.

The goal of the week-long traffic enforcement campaign, marking the unofficial start of summer with Memorial Day, "was to reduce crashes and raise awareness to some of the leading causes of crashes that we are seeing," said St. Charles Police Department Commander Rick Clark.

Officials said drivers received violations for infractions including speeding, distracted driving, lack of seat belt usage and disobeying Scott's Law, a rule that requires drivers to change lanes or significantly slow down when approaching emergency vehicles or cars stopped on the side of the road.

Of the nearly 400 traffic stops, Batavia police were responsible for 249 stops, according to Deputy Chief Shawn Mazza. Here's what Batavia's numbers look like when further broken down:

• 173 warning tickets issued
• 83 state citations issued, including:
  • 10 misdemeanor speeding arrests (30 mph or more over the limit
  • 4 arrests for driving with suspended/revoked license
  • 3 distracted driving stops
  • 2 DUI arrests

"The largest number of stops made by Officers were for speeding," Clark said in a statement. "Statistically, this is the leading cause of injury and fatal crashes in the United States. As we head into the summer months, we want to ensure everyone arrives at their destination safely."

At the time of publication, Batavia police did not respond to Patch's request for comment about the number of tickets issued in each category.