Summer seems to go by so fast in South Dakota. A sure sign of summer winding down is when students return to school. Some private schools in Sioux Falls started up last week while Sioux Falls public schools begin classes on Thursday, August 27.

The Sioux Falls Police Department announced a school zone safety campaign that begins on Monday, August 31. Police will take a "proactive approach" to ensure student safety by having an extra six to ten officers patrolling school zones in addition to regular patrols, Dakota News Now reported.

The goal of these patrols is to make drivers more attentive to the presence of school buses, especially when their red lights are flashing. Police also want drivers to slow down in school zones and be on the lookout for students who are walking, particularly around crosswalks.

Now that schools are back in session, police say drivers need to slow down and watch for kids walking and buses with flashing lights.

“Give yourself extra time, because it’s going to be slow through those areas. You’re gonna have kids walking to school who are maybe new to those school routes,” Sgt. Andrew Siebenborn said. “I’ve got faith in our citizens, but we do write a number of tickets during these saturations. It’s been a tough year already, so don’t make it tougher on yourself and pick up a ticket you could easily avoid just by lowering that speed.”

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