PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Petersburg Police Department is increasing its police presence this month. The department is aiming to cut down on crashes and slow down speeders.
Officers will enforce the rules of the road, but also educate drivers and pedestrians.
"What were trying to do is get people to follow the rules of the road. Don’t drive distracted, don’t ride your bike distracted," Sergeant Shade with St. Pete Police said.
The St. Pete Police Department is focusing their efforts on education for people on the road thanks to a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
“We received a grant from the foot for $51,000 to do high visibility enforcement operations and education operations throughout the city,” Sergeant Shade said.
Through the grant, officers identified 10 problem areas throughout St. Pete, including:
- 34th Street North and South
- 4th Street North
- 35th Street North and South
- 18th Avenue South
- 16th Street South
- 3rd Street North
- US 19/5th Avenue North
- 49th Street North
These are the locations police will focus their efforts.
“We have a group of officers that will saturate an area, and they’ll be doing stops with people, both education and enforcement stops," Sergeant Shade said.
Officers will also hand out pamphlets and lights for bikers.
St. Pete Police have seen 11 pedestrian fatalities this year. Officers will conduct 3 to 4 operations a month, and they will continue through May of 2023.
