City of Dover Police Department
Proudly Serving the Capital of Delaware Since 1925
The Dover Police Department is offering the following information to better prepare the citizens we serve for Back to School week.
Police in Schools:
The Dover Police Department has a full-time officer dedicated to the Dover High School, Dover Middle Schools of Excellence and Innovation, William Henry Middle School, Kent County Secondary ILC, and one SRO assigned to charter/private schools in the City of Dover. These officers are otherwise known as SRO’s or School Resource Officers. We encourage parents to tell their children to communicate concerns with those officers as needed. In addition to our five full-time youth officers, the department will increase their presence at schools across the city during the first days of school to ensure a smooth and safe process for all children and school faculty. There will also be increased presence by the Special Enforcement Unit Motorcycle Division in area school zones, cross walks, and bus routes to crack down on vehicle violations. People who speed in school zones, disobey crossing guards, or pass school buses will be cited accordingly.
H.A.W.K. Traffic Signal at Dover High School
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDot) installed the new High-Intensity Activated CrossWalK system at the Dover High School main entrance/exit prior to the 2014-2015 school year. This system is designed to maximize the flow of traffic in what is expected to be a congested area before and after school. A video showing how the light works can be viewed below.
Tips for Motorists
The Dover Police Department will utilize special enforcement units to increase presence in school zones and on bus routes throughout the city to target speed violations, passing of school buses, and other driving violations that threaten the safety of school children. The beginning of school is also a time when children are at increased risk of transportation related injuries from pedestrian, bicycle, school bus, and motor vehicle crashes because there are many more children on the road each morning and afternoon and many drivers’ patterns change. Shorter daylight hours make it especially difficult to see young pedestrians and bicyclists. So as schools open their doors, it’s time for everyone – motorists, parents, educators, and students – to improve their traffic safety practices. The following tips can help make this a safe and happy school year for the whole community.
School Bus Safety:
School Zone/Bus Stop Safety:
Walk/Bike to School:
Schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year. Make sure you know them for the safety of all kids. The following apply to all school zones:
According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they’re walking. They are hit by the bus, or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus. A few precautions go a long way toward keeping children safe:
If you’re driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.
On most roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles, but bikes can be hard to see. Children riding bikes create special problems for drivers because usually they are not able to properly determine traffic conditions.
By exercising a little extra care and caution, drivers and pedestrians can co-exist safely in school zones.
Bullying:
Bullying or cyberbullying is when one child picks on another child repeatedly. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. It can happen at school, on the playground, on the school bus, in the neighborhood, over the Internet, or through mobile devices like cell phones. The Dover Police Department has full-time officers dedicated to the Central Middle School, Dover High School, and Parkway Academy with another officer that spends time in William Henry Middle School and the various elementary schools throughout the city.
When Your Child Is Bullied
When Your Child Is the Bully
When Your Child Is a Bystander
Teen Driving:
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