ST. MARTIN PARISH — With school starting on August 12 in St. Martin Parish, local law enforcement is rolling out new efforts to make sure students get to and from school safely. Deputies with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office will be monitoring school zones more closely, and for the first time this year, they’ll be riding along on school buses to catch drivers breaking the law.
Sheriff Becket Breaux emphasized that these safety efforts rely on strong collaboration between multiple groups.
“You know we just signed another contract with the St. Martin Parish School Board and look — we got a good relationship. I say there has to be a partnership between the sheriff’s office, the community, school board members, our teachers. It’s important that we have that relationship,” Breaux said.
One of the top concerns deputies plan to address is drivers who fail to stop for buses. Breaux said that violation is not only dangerous, but it also comes with serious consequences.
“I’m putting deputies on school buses to stop that. And if we get someone passing the school bus stop sign, we’re gonna give a ticket. Now I don’t know if people realize it — but when you pass a school bus sign, it’s up to a 30-day suspension on your driver’s license,” he said.
In St. Martinville, the local police department is preparing to do the same. Lieutenant Ursula Lewis, who has served on the force for more than a decade, said officers will be focused on high-traffic areas and will be out during key school hours.
“During the school times we will be monitoring traffic — only during those school hours, in the morning time between 7 to 9 and the afternoon between 2 to 4,” Lewis said.
She added that part of their job is also making sure kids get across the street safely, especially near schools like St. Martinville High and the STEAM Academy on North Main Street.
“For us, we just wanted to make sure that we were in the area — that we were there, and we would get out and we would help assist the kids in crossing,” she said.
“We try to keep that under control,” Lewis continued. “The traffic can be a bit hectic.”
Beyond enforcement, Sheriff Breaux said his office also hosts annual safety meetings with school bus drivers and teachers — not just about bus laws, but about how to handle larger emergencies.
“You know, it’s not only that we talk about school bus safety — but we also discuss the new drug trends, or what to do if they have a hostage situation, or anything the school bus drivers and teachers can help us do to make our job better,” Breaux said.
He added that while enforcement is important, safety ultimately comes down to community awareness.
“We wanna make sure that the kids are safe. And like I said — those are my kids, that’s the sheriff’s office’s kids — and we’re gonna do everything to make sure they’re safe and they get home safe,” Breaux said.
Sheriff Breaux said he hopes this year’s increased enforcement will send a message to drivers to be mindful.
