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Operation Safe Stop begins Thursday

Posted at 12:56 PM, Apr 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-22 12:31:56-04

When Town of Tonawanda Police pulled out of their station parking lot on Thursday they had one thing in mind: Operation Safe Stop.

"It's law enforcement's responsibility to do what they can to make the children safe when they're on the buses," said Town of Tonawanda Police Captain Joe Carosi.

During Operation Safe Stop, police officers went on patrol specifically searching for cars illegally passing school buses.

According to Governor Cuomo's Traffic Safety Committee more than 50-thousand vehicles illegally pass a school bus every day in New York.

"Maybe they aren't paying attention," added Detective Eric Schmidt. "They might not be thinking about you know what's happening in front of them 100-feet or 100 yards. They might be thinking about what's going on at work when they get there. Might be thinking about plans after work, weekends, you know, daily stresses."

The cost for illegally passing a school bus is a $400 fine for a first time offender.

Carosi wants to make one thing clear --"If the red lights come on do not pass the bus under any circumstances."