the school year is almost here for aps kids... and that means if you haven't already ... you'll start to see the blinking lights in school zones on your way to work. sharon erickson joins us live from washington middle school. and sharon... what message do police have for drivers? antoinette. they are asking everyone to slow down. with minute thumbnail 06:01 am fewer crossing guards this year... it's even more important for people to slow down in school zones to help keep kids safe. and police are using new ways to catch speeders-- ways that will hurt your pocketbook if you don't pay attention. albuquerque police say these high-tech mobile speed vans will be out in full force this year to crack down on speeders in school zones. "i want them to slow down because i'm out here to keep the children safe." this radar device, that officer j-r garcia puts on the front of the speed van ... acts a lot like a red light camera. "it's attaching it to the computer that's in there... which is attached to the camera." "if they go by and they're over the trigger speed, it automatically triggers the camera to take a picture." even though we were in a police unit... in broad daylight ... we "still" caught people speeding. "crossing guards with orange vests... flashing lights... and a fully marked vehicle. even that doesn't make some people slow down." minute thumbnail 06:02 am instead of only pulling over one or two people duringhe half- hour a school zone is active... the mobile speed vans allow the police department to catch dozens more. 16:01:09-:13 "yesterday, there were 44 violations that were captured." "slow down and make it safe for everybody." a-p-d has three speed vans that hit about a dozen school zones everyday. and if you're caught... the camera takes a picture of your license plate... and a-p-d sends you a 75-dollar ticket in the mail. live at washington middle school. sharon erickson. kob eyewitness news 4.
