Thoughts from the Sheriff August 24
I want to thank all of you who stopped by our mobile command post at the Clearwater County Fair earlier this month. As always, it was a pleasure talking with you and answering your questions.
One of the biggest highlights is always greeting the young children who are so excited to get their very own “Junior Deputy” sticker badge. Some of the younger school-aged children were also excited to receive a pencil or pen for school. School, after all, is just around the corner.
I want to use this month’s article to provide some safety reminders to motorists and parents or guardians of children who will be attending school.
The first piece of advice I want to give parents is to use caution when posting pictures of your children on social media, especially on the first day of school. Avoid including their full name, age, grade, or the school they attend. In addition, do not post other identifying information about your children. Predators and scammers can use this information for illegal purposes. We are all proud of our children and want to brag about them, but it is important to keep personal information to a minimum.
Next, I want to caution motorists to be extra vigilant as school buses will once again be running their routes. School buses are one of the safest ways for children to get to school. Buses are large and heavy, providing good protection for the occupants.
In Minnesota in 2023, there were 701 crashes involving school buses, which resulted in four fatalities and 201 injuries. Of those injured or killed, they are frequently pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles rather than passengers on the bus.
Motorists need to remember that you must stop for a school bus when its red lights are flashing, regardless of whether the stop arm is extended. If you are on a divided highway, such as U.S. Highway 2 outside of city limits, and the bus is traveling in the opposite direction, you do not need to stop.
When a bus stops to pick up children, you must stop within 20 feet of the bus. You can be fined up to $500 for failing to stop. If you pass the bus on the right while children are outside the bus, you could face additional penalties.
If your children are walking to school, plan out a safe route with them. Make sure they know where to cross busy roads and where the crosswalks are located. Remind your children that although motorists are required by law to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, not everyone is going to stop. They should never assume a vehicle is going to stop and walk out into the roadway without making sure it is safe to do so.
Whether you are a motorist or a pedestrian, put down anything that may be a distraction so you can pay attention to the roadway. A few extra seconds of attention can make a big difference in keeping everyone safe.
We want the school year to be a safe one for everyone. Get out and enjoy the rest of the summer and take some time to prepare for the start of another school year.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future columns, please email me at darin.halverson@clearwatercountymn.gov or call the Sheriff’s Office at 218-694-6226. You can also follow the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook for updates and information.
Thank you, and as always, it is an honor and a privilege to serve as your Sheriff.