The Fresno Police Department sends additional officers to
implement jaywalking laws on Cedar Avenue and Bulldog Lane
near Fresno State.
Alicia Acevedo / The Collegian

At the end of the month the Fresno Police are often patrolling Cedar Avenue and near Bulldog Lane. Motorcycle officers park behind signs, cars and bushes looking for students who are illegally crossing the street.

“When I was getting stopped for a ticket I thought it was ridiculous. I’ve always jaywalked before because it’s a shorter distance to where I need to go,” Fresno State student Vincent Rodriguez-Ruiz said. “I even walked across the street illegally in front of a cop once.”

Although it may seem police officers of the Fresno Police Department are unfairly targeting students, the intentions behind this monthly routine are for safety precautions.

Police Officer Sgt. Bruce Allen, who works in the Fresno police traffic division, said “So far this year, twenty-two people have been killed in traffic incidents.”

Police officers are cracking down on not just students, but all jaywalking pedestrians in Fresno.

The areas near downtown Fresno by the courthouse, Fashion Fair Mall and Fresno State generate the most foot traffic and are patrolled frequently by Fresno Police Department vehicles.

“Not just students, but all pedestrians are crossing streets downtown and other heavy traffic areas of Fresno,” Allen said. “So there’s no way to write everyone a ticket for illegal jaywalking.”

The Fresno Police Department sends out units once a month to conduct an operation aimed at keeping bicyclists and pedestrians safe on city streets. Their goal is to let the public know they will give tickets to anyone who is caught violating traffic regulations.

“Once a month, the cops go out to write tickets in a pedestrian-bicycle safety operation,” Allen added. “We want to let students and other pedestrians know that they just can’t cross anywhere like Cedar Avenue.”

Working in conjunction with The Fresno Bee, the police department issues press releases to the public on a monthly basis regarding safety operations to further spread the word that they are trying to make the streets safer for all pedestrians.

“The whole purpose of the operation put on by ten officers is to impact and make people aware of the rules of the road,” Sergeant Allen said.

“If you spend any amount of time traveling Fresno’s streets, you’ll see traffic violations happening,” Allen said. “The purpose of the motorcycle cops is to go places where cars can’t and sit and watch for pedestrians who are illegally crossing.”

Allen believes jaywalking tickets averaging $130 are necessary due to an increase in accidents involving pedestrians.

“In a vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision incident, it doesn’t matter who’s at fault because the pedestrian will be severely injured, if not killed,” Allen said. “On Wednesday, Oct. 26, the cops will be out again.”

Some students feel they are being targeted unfairly and are cited tickets that amount to absorbent fees.

“I think there is a quota for Fresno Police Department because there is a lot of crime around Fresno that should be paid attention to,” student Rodriguez-Ruiz said. “But the police seem to go after students who don’t have much money and give ridiculous fines for just jaywalking.”