Police Plan Safety Initiative in Central Business District

The Highland Park Police Department will conduct a traffic safety initiative in the central business district from 3 p.m. till 6 p.m. on August 22 and 23.

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The police will be monitoring vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist activity and enforcing violations that compromise safety, according to a news release issued by the department last week. The initiative is planned in advance of the Highland Park and , which begins Friday and runs through Sunday.

"The business district is getting busier," Deputy Police Chief Dave Schwarz said, "And we've got a big event coming up."

The police will be targeting illegal U-turns or turning left to enter a parking space, stop sign violations, use of handheld cell phones while driving and cyclist violations like riding through stop signs.

"We're getting some feedback that people are seeing some of these U-turns into parking spaces, enough that its concerning," Schwarz said.

This is the second safety initiative in the last month.

"The more and more compliance we get the less and less need we have for running these things," Schwarz said.

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