MIDDLETOWN — Police issued 54 traffic tickets during a June 6 enforcement detail targeting school bus stop light violators.
The Middletown Police Department coordinated the operation using data from the Orange County Department of Emergency Services School Bus Safety Program.
Officers deployed marked and unmarked patrol vehicles to locations with multiple violations and areas surrounding local schools.
The tickets included four violations for school bus stop-arm violations and three arrests for aggravated unlicensed operation.
Police also issued multiple other equipment and moving violations during the detail.
The enforcement targeted buses within the Middletown Enlarged City School District that are equipped with stop-arm activated cameras.
The cameras automatically capture traffic violators, according to Lt. Jeffry R. Thoelen, Bureau Commander of Operations.
Approximately 2.3 million children ride school buses daily in New York, with an estimated 50,000 annual stop light violations statewide.
Since the School Bus Safety Program began in May 2024, more than 15,000 violations have been issued across Orange County.
New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law requires motorists to stop at least 20 feet from a stopped school bus when its red lights are flashing.
Violators face seven points on their driver’s license, increased insurance rates and substantial court-imposed fines.
Civil summonses issued through the School Safety Program carry a $250 penalty but do not impact driver’s license points or insurance rates.
