With the start of the school year quickly approaching the Hopkinton Police Department is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of students as they head back to school in a couple of weeks. The department has launched a comprehensive Back to School Safety Campaign to create a safe and secure environment for students, parents and school staff.

One of the key initiatives of the campaign is enhancing traffic safety around schools. The police department will be increasing patrols in school zones to enforce traffic laws and ensure that drivers adhere to speed limits and traffic signs. We urge drivers to be vigilant and cautious, especially in school zones, and to always prioritize the safety of students. By obeying traffic laws and being mindful of their surroundings, drivers can contribute to creating a safer environment for everyone.

The Back to School Safety Campaign is a collaborative effort between the police department, schools and the local community. Parents and guardians are encouraged to actively participate in the campaign by discussing safety measures with their children and reinforcing the importance of following safety guidelines.

 “By working together, we aim to create a safe and supportive environment for all students for the start of the school year,” says Acting Police Chief Scott van Raalten.

Traveling to School Safety 

The National Safety Council (NSC) provides the following tips for students and parents to safely get to school:

Walking to School

• Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic
• Before crossing the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming
• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections
• Stay alert and avoid distracted walking. Never walk while texting. If you need to respond to a text, move out of the way of others and stop on the sidewalk. Never cross the street while using an electronic device. Do not wear earbuds while walking across the street.

Riding a Bike to School

• Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in single file
• Come to a complete stop before crossing the street; walk bikes across the street
• Stay alert and avoid distracted riding
• Make sure your child always wears a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing
• Helmets appropriate for bicycling should be worn by everyone – adults and children – on every bike ride regardless of length of the ride.

Riding the Bus to School

• Go to the bus stop with your child to teach them the proper way to get on and off the bus
• Teach your children to stand six feet (or three giant steps) away from the curb
• If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, teach him or her to walk on the side of the road until they are 10 feet ahead of the bus; your child and the bus driver should always be able to see each other

Driving Your Child to School

• Stay alert and avoid distracted driving
• Obey school zone speed limits and follow your school’s drop-off procedure
• Make eye contact with children who are crossing the street 

Safety Tips for Motorists

It is important that motorists be alert while driving, especially in school zones and residential neighborhoods. Children can be unpredictable and may ignore hazards and take risks. The NSC provides the following tips for motorists:

• Don’t block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic
• In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection. Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign
• Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas
• Don’t honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way
• Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians
• If you’re driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car 
• Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you’re on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children. It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children
• If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop
• The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus
• When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist
• The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a bicyclist. Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this
• Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars

Motorists are also reminded that the Massachusetts Hands-Free Law requires drivers to stay off of all electronic devices while driving.

“I would also encourage parents to be mindful of what they post on social media and take a moment to check their privacy settings,” said Acting Police Chief Scott van Raalten. “Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and all other platforms are filled with images of young students ready to embark on a new school year. These posts often include the child’s name and age, as well as their school and teacher’s name. They also list the child’s favorite interests and activities, plus what profession they’d like to pursue when they grow up. The goal is not to share too much information which could be used by predators and other criminals. Try to avoid any personal information such as their full name, grade, age, teacher’s name, school name, and other distinctive characteristics. Keep your posts simple. Make it unique and memorable. Keep our children safe!”

HOPKINTON — Chief Joseph Bennett is pleased to announce that the Hopkinton Police Department is launching a new program this week where officers can reward children they observe doing positive acts within the community with ice cream vouchers.

Operation Sweet Rewards began this week and Hopkinton Police officers will be handing out Sweet Scoops Citations to children in the community they observe doing things like helping a friend, showing kindness and being responsible citizens.

This is the first time the department is running this program, which was spearheaded by Hopkinton Police Officer Augusto Diaz. The program will run until Sept. 3.

“We look forward to starting this initiative and encouraging positive relationships between youth in the community and our officers,” Officer Diaz said. “I’d also like to extend my thanks to Hopkinton Police Department dispatcher Robert Savolt for his artistic contributions to this campaign.”

Officers will be on the lookout for children wearing helmets while riding bikes, playing outside, throwing away and picking up trash, being involved in community events and supporting their community, family and neighbors.

Kids who receive vouchers from officers will be able to redeem them for a free small ice cream at The Spoonery, located at 1 Lumber St. #103, or Hop-Yo, located at 36 Main St.

“This program is a fun way for our officers to engage positively with kids in the community who are displaying good behavior,” Chief Bennett said. “We will be on the lookout for any opportunities to give out these vouchers and we are extremely thankful to the owners of The Spoonery and Hop-Yo for their generosity and partnership.”

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From left, Neha Ninan and Keira Souza. (Photo courtesy Hopkinton Police Department)

Two Hopkinton students attended the CADCA Conference earlier this month. (Photo courtesy Hopkinton Police Department)

Two Hopkinton students attended the CADCA Conference earlier this month. (Photo courtesy Hopkinton Police Department)

HOPKINTON — Chief Joseph Bennett and Hopkinton Youth and Family Services Director Dawn Alcott-Miller are pleased to share that two Hopkinton Organizing for Prevention (HOP) Youth Coalition students attended a conference led by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), as part of its longstanding collaboration.

HOP is a community-wide collaboration working to prevent substance use. HOP was founded by Youth & Family Services in 2015 with the goal of providing education, resources and support to empower youth to live a healthy, substance-free life as well as promote wellbeing for all Hopkinton residents.

The collaboration’s membership includes parents, clergy, youth, youth serving agencies, pediatric health professionals, business professionals, people in recovery, family members affected by addiction and representatives from the police and fire departments, Hopkinton Public Health, Hopkinton Public Schools and the school committee.

HOP’s work within the community is funded through two grants, the Massachusetts Collaborative for Action, Leadership, and Learning (MassCALL3) award and the Federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Grant. The funding supports HOP and its initiatives to build relationships with community partners and implement strategies and programs that aim to reduce youth substance use rates.

This is the third time the HOP Youth Coalition has attended the CADCA conference. CADCA is a substance use prevention non-profit organization that focuses on collaborating with communities to ignite social change. As part of its 23rd annual Mid-Year Training Institute, CADCA offered youth leadership training courses to empower young people ages 13-19 years old to take youth-led civic action in their communities. The training course took place from July 14-18 in Chicago, Illinois.

During the courses, participants discussed topics including embracing substance-free lifestyles, learning to make the most of their personal strengths and cultivating happiness for themselves and within the community. Additionally, they learned advocacy skills to make their case to decision-makers, the media and the public to create a powerful change in their community.

“I am thrilled that our police department played a role in educating youth on substance use prevention,” said Chief Bennett. “This was a fantastic effort in fostering multi-discipline collaboration that will truly benefit our communities’ future.”

The Hopkinton attendees at the conference included:

• Colleen Souza, Youth and Family Services Clinician and Co-leader of the Hopkinton Organizing for Prevention (HOP) Youth Coalition
• Cassandra Bigness, Drug-Free Communities Coordinator and Co-leader of HOP Youth Coalition
• Aaron O’Neil, Sergeant HPD, HOP Coalition Member/Mental Health Liaison
• Neha Ninan, Hopkinton High School (HHS) Senior and HOP Youth Coalition Youth Intern
• Keira Souza, HHS Junior and HOP Youth Coalition Member.

“It was an honor to watch the youth grow and learn about new prevention techniques, resources, education and programs they can bring back to their community,” said Souza. “Networking and getting new ideas from coalitions around the country helped us to see what we can do in our own community.”

“This was an experience I am grateful to be a part of and is something I will use to make a positive change in our town and as far across as I can,” said Ninan. “With all the empowerment I saw at the conference I know that our future will be bright!”

“Aaron brings invaluable participation and partnership to the HOP Youth Coalition,” said Director Alcott-Miller. “He has been such an asset to the group and we really appreciate him.”

Hopkinton students interested in participating in the HOP Youth Coalition can learn more here.

This initiative was funded by the Drug-Free Communities Grant. Hopkinton is approaching its fourth year out of five years using the grant, which the coalition can apply for to receive an additional five years.

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