In the trained eyes of Officer Maury Karch of Airdrie Municipal Enforcement, the first nine days of the new school year couldn't have gone much smoother than they have in school zones in the city.  

Municipal Enforcement and Airdrie RCMP officers have been regularly patrolling school zones since September 4th and haven't found a lot that's concerned them.

Karch says, "I have a spreadsheet in front of me that lists all the schools in Airdrie and a good number of my officers, as well as a good number of the RCMP, have been making patrols in, pretty much, every school over the last two weeks.  Of course, there's not enough of us to make every school, every day, but when I check the list, someone's been at every school at least three times in the last nine days.  Both us and the RCMP have been flying the colours really well, and not just driving by but getting out and talking with principals or assistant principals."

Both Karch and Constable Dan Martin of the Airdrie RCMP say their officers are trying to give people a warning for the first few weeks of school if they do something wrong in school zones.

"Some of them have been writing the odd speeding ticket," explains Karch.  "You find in every school zone you don't have a lot of speeding violations when the kids are getting in or getting out.  It's just before or after the fact, latecomers.  So there have been some tickets issued but we've been instructing officers to give warnings."

Karch says the majority of problems he's witnessed from motorists have been people parking in the bus zones.

"It's bad at every school because, of course, everyone's showing up at the same time.  You'll have seven buses coming in and the parents are parking where the buses need to park.  Almost every zone I've talked to one parent and told them to move along, the buses haven't come.  They say 'well I'm just dropping off my kid,' the regular excuses or reasons why they're getting out of their vehicle.  I said 'well, the buses are coming and this week no ticket, next week a ticket.'  Rocky View's done a good job of putting up different signage that says 'All parents to remain in the vehicles when dropping off kids.'"

Karch also says students walking to school have been problem free for the most part, thanks to parents and AMA school crossing guards.

"I see a lot of kids with their parents and I think the parents are doing a wonderful job of walking with them.  I get a lot of waves and thank yous.  I don't see a lot of jay-walking.  The school zones where they have AMA crossing guards, to me, are doing wonderful.  From day one some of the schools had the kids out doing that.  I haven't heard of or seen any near misses.  For the most part, I think it's been wonderful with everyone involved out there."

Karch says the heavy presence of officers will continue through September.  "I think if you get them doing the correct procedures in September that will carry on through most of the year.  Just because these two weeks are done doesn't mean we're going to stop going to these areas."

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