OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — After a kid was hit by a car at a bus stop in a Northwest Omaha neighborhood, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office CAT team is monitoring the area to make sure cars and kids are being cautious.
- The CAT team currently monitors 16 different bus stops that neighbors are concerned about. This one is different, as it was added after the incident. The child is okay.
- Neighbors share safety concerns they have with the intersection.
- If you have a complaint about a bus stop in your neighborhood you can contact the DCSO CAT team at DCSOCAT@douglascounty-ne.gov.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
If you're taking your kids to school this morning and you're worried about safety, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Community Action Team (CAT) is here to help.
A school bus stop near 156th and Ida has been added to law enforcement's list to monitor it, keeping kids safe and parents at ease.
In the Waterford neighborhood at 153rd and Scott St., kids going to Davis Middle School line the sidewalk waiting for the bus to arrive.
But two weeks ago, something happened concerning parents.
"Unfortunately, there was a driver that didn't see the juvenile."
A student was hit. He's okay but deputies with the CAT team say it's the reason why they're here.
"Typically, we're out at the bus stops because people are violating the school buses when they're stopped, and the red lights are flashing, and the stop sign is out."
Deputy Andrew Berkshire says a child getting hit by a car at a bus stop is a rarity, but it can happen.
Right now, the cat team rotates through 16 different bus stops, most out of parent concern for safety, but this one because of the recent incident.
"When a vehicle passes the school bus, we will stop them, and they will get a ticket for passing the stopped school bus,” said Berkshire.
Kylan Crawford lives near this bus stop and while his kids don't use it, he says there are safety concerns.
"It's usually the speed of people coming by in the mornings and afternoons at all times of the day, there's not a speed bump, you know, that's close by. And we have - a lot of us have small kids running up in this circle so it can be challenging because you're like, be careful, look when they want to play together and they're crossing the streets," said Crawford.
He says 153rd street can get busy and he's thankful for law enforcement's help.
But even with the presence of officers, Dept. Berkshire wants to remind parents and kids on how they can be safe.
"Always look before you're crossing the street, take the headphones off so you can hear traffic, hear horns, and just always just look where you’re going," said Berkshire.
The neighborhood will continue to watch for speeding cars and hope to get a speed bump installed on this main roadway sometime soon.
If you have a complaint about a bus stop in your neighborhood you can contact the DCSO CAT team at DCSOCAT@douglascounty-ne.gov.
