Safety of Children is Non-negotiable

This week I alongside Clarkstown Superintendent of Schools Marc Baiocco, County Attorney Thomas Humbach, Stephen Powers Director of Public Policy & Intergovernmental Relations, and Ryan Monell, Vice President of Government Operations at BusPatrol, announced stop-arm cameras have been installed on nearly all school buses countywide in time for the 2024 school year.

My administration first launched the Rockland County School Bus Safety program in March of 2023. Even as installations happen over the course of the last year and a half, over 17,000 citations were issued during the 2023-2024 school year to drivers for passing a school bus.

Here in Rockland County, we cannot—and will not—allow this to continue. The safety of our kids is non-negotiable.

As we approach the start of a new school year, we held a press conference on Tuesday to address this critical issue facing children on their way to and from school.

Every day in New York State, an estimated 50,000 drivers illegally pass stopped school buses. That’s 50,000 times a day that children’s lives are put at unnecessary risk.

With nearly all buses now equipped in Rockland, cameras will catch any and all vehicles that illegally pass a stopped school bus, and offenders will be held accountable.

But this program is not about enforcement; it’s about saving lives. And not just any lives… lives of children.

Every child deserves to travel to and from school without fear. And all parents should have peace of mind knowing that their children are protected.

I want to thank BusPatrol for their partnership and dedication to this important cause. I also want to thank our local schools, law enforcement agencies, and community members who have supported this initiative.

Together, we are making Rockland County a safer place.

As we move forward with this program, I encourage all drivers to be vigilant, to respect the law, and to remember that a moment of impatience is never worth the risk to a child’s life. And drivers remember, when that stop arm is out the law states all vehicles across all lanes and directions must stop.