State Commits More Than Half-a-Million Dollars to Protect Children Travelling to School Thousands of Maryland Drivers Are Violating School Bus Safety Laws

300 E Joppa Road, Suite 1105 Baltimore, Maryland 21286-3016 410-821-2828 / TOLL FREE: 1-877-687-9004 FAX: 410-321-3116 INFO@GOCCP-STATE-MD.ORG WWW.GOCCP.MARYLAND.GOV For Immediate Release: July 25, 2011 Martin O’Malley Governor Anthony Brown Lt Governor Kristen Mahoney Executive Director Contact: Bill Toohey Offc: 410-821-2851 Cell: 443-279-8661 btoohey@goccp.state.md.us State Commits More Than Half-a-Million Dollars to Protect Children Travelling to School Thousands of Maryland Drivers Are Violating School Bus Safety Laws In February of this year, a one-day study found that Maryland drivers are bypassing the stop arms on school buses at what was described as “an alarming rate.” The study was conducted by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and found that on a single day, there were 7,028 violations school bus safety laws statewide Nearly 4,000 (3,997) were oncoming drivers who ignored the stop arm, 2,665 drivers moved past a stopped bus on the bus driver’s side of the vehicle and 366 drivers passed a stopped bus on the door side Law enforcement agencies working to reduce these numbers are receiving assistance from GOCCP, the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention GOCCP today announced that 46 agencies from Ocean City to Allegany County will receive a total of $548,411 to help make the trip to school safer for Maryland’s children The agencies are receiving these funds through the Maryland School Bus Safety Enforcement Fund The overall goal of the program is to reduce the number of vehicles illegally passing school buses while those buses are loading and unloading children The grants can be used for police overtime to enforce the school bus safety laws or driver education activities such as broadcast or print public service announcements To make the most of the finds available, funded agencies are encouraged to form partnerships with other agencies and community groups MSDE coordinated the February survey with school transportation directors in all 24 Maryland school systems It is considered a snapshot of illegal activity on the roads More than 4,712 school bus drivers took part in the survey, representing 65 percent of the school bus drivers in the State ### EDITORS: A list of the agencies receiving the awards and the amount for each is attached GOCCP is on social media You can find us on http://www.twitter.com/goccp and on Facebook as goccpmd School Bus Safety Enforcement Grants Agency Allegany County Sheriff's Office Cumberland Police Department Annapolis City Police Department Anne Arundel County, Maryland Maryland State Police Baltimore County, Maryland Caroline County Sheriff's Office Westminster Police Department Town of Manchester Carroll County Sheriff's Office Cecil County Sheriff's Office Charles County Government Dorchester County Government Frederick City Police Department Garrett County Sheriff's Office Harford County Sheriff's Office Howard County, Maryland Kent County Board of County Commissioners University Park Police Department City of New Carrollton Prince George's County, Maryland Town of Centreville Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office St Mary’s County Government Princess Anne Police Department Talbot County Government Hancock Police Department Washington County Board of Commissioners Wicomico County, Maryland Town of Berlin Pocomoke City Police Department Ocean City Police Department TOTAL Award $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $25,000 $160,000 $29,963 $7,000 $5,000 $5,000 $17,000 $15,000 $12,000 $22,000 $15,000 $20,000 $10,000 $21,309 $15,000 $5,000 $4,000 $21,500 $9,000 $6,000 $20,000 $6,000 $13,000 $2,987 $13,000 $15,000 $3,000 $2,000 $18,652 $548,411 Media Contact: Bill Toohey Office: 410-271-2851 Cell: 443-279-8661 btoohey@goccp.state.md.us GOCCP is on social media You can find us on http://www.twitter.com/goccp and on Facebook as goccpmd  .. .School Bus Safety Enforcement Grants Agency Allegany County Sheriff's Office Cumberland Police Department Annapolis City Police Department Anne Arundel County, Maryland Maryland State Police... State Police Baltimore County, Maryland Caroline County Sheriff's Office Westminster Police Department Town of Manchester Carroll County Sheriff's Office Cecil County Sheriff's Office Charles County... Sheriff's Office Harford County Sheriff's Office Howard County, Maryland Kent County Board of County Commissioners University Park Police Department City of New Carrollton Prince George's County, Maryland