Cops in Crosswalks program kicks off
By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Cherry Hill Sun
8/1/2010

It’s a good rule of the road that if you see a pedestrian trying to cross a busy roadway when they’re in a crosswalk, you should probably let them cross.

Now, for the next few months, if you ignore that walker you might get a hefty ticket from the Cherry Hill Police Department.

The state Division of Highway Traffic Safety announced that Cherry Hill Township, along with seven other municipal jurisdictions in South Jersey, have been selected to participate in the federally-funded Summer-Fall 2010 pedestrian decoy grant program. This program is designed to educate both motorists and pedestrians about safely sharing the roads.

A new law, which became effective April 1, now requires motorists to stop – and remain stopped – for pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Prior to this legislative change, motorists were required to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Undercover officers from Cherry Hill will be waiting at crosswalks throughout the township, attempting to cross the street.

If a motorist does not stop for the pedestrian, the officer quickly radios to a waiting police car about a block down the street, and the motorist is pulled over.

The program is known as the “Cops in Crosswalks” program and has proven to be effective. Last week when the program was started again, Sgt. Michael Rann said the department issued 46 court summons for failure to yield in just a four-hour detail.

“It’s one of the more worthwhile details that comes down from the state. Residents love when we do this, because it shows that we care, we care about their safety. Hopefully people start realizing that we’re serious and pedestrian safety is important to us,” he said. “We are a little bit more aggressive than other police departments.

“We tend to lean more to the summons side as opposed to the warning side.”

Last August the program ran for a month, he said, and the department issued 204 summonses for failure to yield, 35 summonses for other motor vehicle violations, and a summons for disorderly conduct.

Pedestrians may also be cited under this law for failing to use due care when crossing.

The law requires them to obey pedestrian signals and use crosswalks at signalized intersections as well as yield the right of way to traffic if they are not crossing within a crosswalk or at an intersection.

“Pedestrians must be aware that they can’t just step off of a curb and expect a vehicle that’s 10-feet away to stop,” Rann said.

To educate motorists about the new law, officers will be distributing oversized palm cards, developed by the NJDHTS, that outline the changes and penalties for failing to comply.

This program will be implemented from July 19 through 31, and Sept. 13 through 25.