Stay Safe: Douglas County Sheriff's Office Steps Up Enforcement in School Zones

As students return to the classroom, Douglas County Sheriff deputies are increasing patrols at known trouble spots, especially around school zones. Sheriff Darren Weekly emphasized the importance of slowing down, being mindful of school zones, and obeying traffic signs to prevent tragedies.

From January to June 30th of this year, Douglas County issued nearly 5,400 speeding tickets throughout the county. Here's a breakdown of where most of these tickets were issued:

• Lincoln Ave – 720 tickets
• Chambers Road - 236 tickets
• Quebec Street - 197 tickets
• Highlands Ranch Pkwy - 530 tickets
• Lucent Boulevard – 9 tickets

Sheriff Weekly mentioned that these areas were targeted due to high crash rates, with Lincoln Avenue being a primary crash location.

According to the Sheriff's Office, speeding is not the only issue they observe. Deputies also note drivers failing to yield and distracted driving as significant problems.

The top five dangerous crash intersections from January to June 30th are:

1. Lincoln Ave and University Blvd - 25 crashes
2. Chambers and Lincoln Ave - 11 crashes
3. County Line Rd and Quebec - 10 crashes
4. Colorado Blvd and County Line Rd - 7 crashes
5. Lincoln Ave and Meridian Village - 7 crashes

Sheriff Weekly stressed the importance of staying attentive while driving to avoid accidents that could result in serious injury or death.

To address these issues, Sheriff Weekly has increased the traffic unit with additional deputies and plans to request more resources in the upcoming budget meeting for 2025.

What do you think?

• Do you believe increased enforcement in school zones is necessary?
• Should distracted driving penalties be more severe?
• Is there a better way to address traffic safety issues in Douglas County?