High number of citations issued in school zones raises concerns
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EL PASO – Five per cent of all the citations issued by El Paso police for automobile related violations ranging from parking to speeding – 11,181 tickets – were handed out here in 2012 on and near school zones according to the El Paso Municipal Court. There were 18 accidents in school zones here in 2012 according to El Paso Municipal Court records. “I take the number of citations very personally due to the fact that I have daughters and at any point your kids could be walking in a school zone,” said Gabriel Rubio, a retired 11-year veteran of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department. The former deputy sheriff said that the blatant disregard for children’s safety as revealed by the large number of citations makes him worry about the safety of children and people in the school zones. “People these days and especially young teenagers don’t seem to care much about the school zones or the speed limit in school zones because they are too busy texting,” says Ana Ramirez, a Mountain View High School security officer.