Brockport Police are closely watching school speed zones in the village as part of an effort to make the walk to and from school safer.
“This idea was brought up at a committee studying a grant that’s available from BISCO (Brockport Integrated Service and Community Organization) regarding walking and having the students walk in a safe environment,” Brockport Police Chief Daniel Varrenti says and adds he has received “numerous” complaints regarding vehicles speeding in and around school zones.
The posted limit is 15 mph in the school zone on Allen Street as you approach the Oliver Middle School. There is also a school zone on Utica Street at Erie Street, Chief Varrenti says. The 15 mph limit is in effect only during school hours.
The school zones are not the only locations Brockport Police are focusing their attention for speeders.
“We are evaluating our speed enforcement throughout the entire village,” Chief Varrenti says.
Regarding enforcement, he explains that a police officer’s greatest power is discretion.
“In the past, we have given drivers a great degree of latitude prior to enforcing the speed limit,” Chief Varrenti says – as much as 15 miles per hour over the speed limit.
“In re-evaluating this, I believe that it is too great a latitude to give anyone who is speeding,” he says. “While I won’t specifically say what latitude, if any, we are going to give, I know it’s safe to say if you are exceeding the speed limit of 30 mph, you are in effect speeding and subjecting yourself to a speeding ticket.”
