KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Even though you hear that seat belts save lives, many drivers don’t buckle up. Now, deputies with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office are hoping to change that.
Man drivers leaving Harmon High School didn’t take the time to buckle up on Wednesday. Deputies took the time to remind them.
“A lot of them say it’s not cool messing up what I’m wearing,” said Baliff.
Lt. Kelli Baliff and a team of deputies are working to change that attitude one stop at a time. Most of the time they don’t give out tickets but drivers and passengers didn’t get away without a conversation.
It’s a direct and blunt message but it seems to be well received.
“I think the interaction between the teenagers and law enforcement was positive, a good thing because they don’t walk away feeling they were chewed out,” said Baliff. “They were talked too with respect.”
Lt. Baliff would love to have her deputies stay parked in their cars but driver after driver wasn’t wearing a seat belt. Each time a deputy was there to pull them over.
Not every driver was able to drive away. One jeep was pulled over and the deputy smelled marijuana. Every one was taken out and deputies searched the vehicle.
That comb cost the driver a trip to jail. It wasn’t the goal of the operation but it all started because she wasn’t wearing her seat belt.
“Even though were making a positive contact with these teens about seat belts, if we come across illegal activity or if they have warrants, we still have to arrest them we still have to do our jobs,” she said.
Deputies will continue the seat belt enforcement for the rest of the week. If you want to avoid the lights in your rear view mirror, take the time to buckle up.
