Police Crosswalk Sting Operation Hits Its Stride

By Staff in News on Apr 24, 2009 5:15PM

In the city’s first crosswalk enforcement initiative of the year, 18 motorists who didn’t slow down for pedestrians at the corner of Nagle and Peterson Avenues were ticketed for moving violations. This is how it works: an off-duty plainclothes police officer begins walking through the crosswalk and if a driver doesn’t slow down and yield at an intersection without a stop sign or traffic signal, the driver gets pulled over a block away.

Don’t try to claim entrapment, the enforcement locations and times are posted on the CDOT website and there is a notice to drivers several feet from the appointed intersection according to CDOT spokesman Brian Steele. “We want to change dangerous motorist behavior of not yielding to pedestrians on crosswalks,” Steele said. The program was launched last year and netted 240 ticketed motorists in 2008. This year CDOT has received a $117,000 state grant to conduct up to 50 more stops through this fall.

During the crosswalk enforcement at Nagle and Peterson Avenues one driver was found without insurance and another without a driver’s license. The next crosswalk enforcement happens this Saturday. Police will be monitoring drivers at 119th and Stewart at 8 a.m., 103rd and South Prairie at 10:30 a.m. and 86th and Commercial at 1 p.m. Moving violations carry a fine ranging up to $500. [Chicago Breaking News, Tribune]

Post by Camela Furry