There have been a number of incidents pertaining to students not following traffic rules this year. A majority of these incidents are outside school hours, many during football games. These incidents include: three underage students drinking in the parking lot before a football game, illegal selling on school grounds, and a number of car accidents. 

A spike in vaping and motor vehicle accidents have been seen this year. Officer Ray would like to note, “This class has done an excellent job with not turning left into the parking lot.” Last year there were 16 tickets given for the illegal left turn, this year there have been zero. 

Moreover, issues with students not reporting accidents ranks high on the improvement radar. If an accident is not reported to Officer Ray, an excused absence would not be possible, if the students come into school late. It is vital to report accidents in case anyone is hurt or needs medical attention. Last year, thirty six vehicle accidents involving students took place. In regards to crashes this year, there have been six motor vehicle accidents so far. For accidents occurring on school grounds, insurance companies make the ultimate decision, but the school is able to show footage. From there, companies determine how the damage is split and essentially cover their own cost. The school has 144 cameras total, a number of those being in the parking lot. 

The school was able to determine a fault from the accident in the parking lot between two senior students. This was a two car backing up accident. The two vehicles were backing into the aisle hitting the other. The two cars both sustained damage. Officer Ray is quoted saying, “I believe they were both at fault.” As for the accident that occurred on September 23, it was a two motor vehicle collision. Both drivers had a green light, but it was a matter of not yielding when turning left. One car was going straight on green, while the junior turning left did not yield, resulting in both cars totaled. 

In addition, there are a numerous students dropped off by parents. Drop offs have posed more issues, with kids getting dropped off in other areas besides the drop off line. “This year we’ve seen about 10-15 parents cutting through different areas than the side of the building. This is chaos,” says, Officer Ray.

As far as parking passes go, the school offers a number of options for every student. Permits are checked weekly and run in the computer system. Officer Ray weighs in saying, “We understand that some students do not drive everyday, however you must buy a parking pass or a day-to-day pass if parking on campus. I have seen everything from kids coloring old passes, keeping passes from last year, and even trying to make the pass from scratch.” If I see the vehicle does not have a pass, security will run the registration to see if they obtain a pass. If students do not have a permit they have 24 hours to obtain one. Students can buy a day to day pass, a half year pass, beginning in January, and a full year pass. The day pass is $1.00, half year is $50, and full year is $100. 

Officer Ray offers advice for junior drivers: “I understand you want to stop to get a drink at Starbucks or Dunkin’ but when you have 569 drivers all going to the same place at the same time, you have to give yourself a buffer. All these students have the same amount of driving experience, which can never be good.”

The Safe to Say App has been a great resource for the school. The app kicked off in February of 2019. Officer Ray elaborates on the apps success, saying, “Over 140 student tips have been sent in. Whether it is someone telling us about welfare checks, drugs, students safety, or counseling, this is a great tool for me to be able to reach out to kids.”

All things considered, our School Resource Officer not only keeps us safe, but believes in getting to know us, “Believe it or not, I look at the yearbook and try to remember five names a day. I think it’s important to get to know one another on a more personal level, so kids feel comfortable coming to me. I want to be a resource, more than anything, that kids feel safe speaking too.” There is still work to be done and improvements to be made, but NASH will do it’s best to decrease the number of incidents this year.