They’re Not “Just Out to Get You”

By Lauren P. Burrows, Contributing Writer

It’s another school day, 7:30 a.m., in St. Cloud.  The school zone outside Lakeview Elementary is packed with cars snaking their way in to and out of the parking lot.  Many of the drivers are accustomed to slowing down when they see the familiar yellow “School Xing” sign.  Others are not, including an individual approaching the intersection at a clip of 29 mph, which is nearly twice the posted speed limit.

That’s where the St. Cloud Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit steps in – literally.

Senior Motor Officer Mateo steps forward and puts his hand out.  His loud command to “Stop!” may seem a little dramatic, but it gets the job done:  the driver pulls over onto the grass and stops his vehicle.

It’s the process that comes next that Mateo says is the most difficult part of his job.  “It’s really not pleasant for us to write these citations, but it’s very necessary.  Taking people’s money is hard, especially in these tough economic times,” Mateo said. 

The Traffic Enforcement unit, which is responsible for the safety of four school zones in St. Cloud, pulls radar each morning and evening during the school year.  Mateo said officers rotate between schools, monitoring two per day. 

The intersection of Michigan Avenue and 17^th Street is the worst for traffic offenses, “mostly because of the high school students,” Mateo said.  “And there’s so much traffic there.”

On the flip side, he said the unit rarely hears complaints concerning the zone outside Canoe Creek Charter Academy.  Mateo credits the lack of problems to the flashing light on the school’s sign. 

But Mateo told St. Cloud In The News that which school zones the unit chooses to monitor has nothing to do with writing citations – it is based on the level of danger to pedestrians and the number of complaints received from citizens.

“The most common misconception is that we have a quota,” Mateo said.  He said the theory is completely false; there is no minimum or maximum number of citations or warnings set for traffic enforcement officers.  “There’s no toaster oven waiting for us at the end of the month,” Mateo said with a smile.

His colleague, Officer Colley, agreed.  “We’re not out just to get you,” Colley said. 

This morning a driver is pulled over, the individual shouldn’t expect any favors; Mateo said the unit rarely issues written warnings to drivers in school zones.  “If the boot hits the pavement, the pen hits the paper,” Mateo said.    

Improper turns and seatbelt violations are some of the common causes for citations during the beginning of school zone hours, Mateo said.  Most speeding tickets are issued in the last 15 minutes, when traffic has started to clear.  Mateo’s advice to drivers is simple, “Just obey the traffic laws,” he said. 

Officer Colley told us that it’s about paying attention and staying focused and that is how citations and accidents can be avoided, both on the highway and in a school zone.  “You don’t want someone else’s kid to get hit by a car just because you weren’t paying attention,” Colley said.

Editors Note: 

Next week, we will continue to follow the St. Cloud Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit as they perform the myriad of duties they are responsible for. 

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