BURLESON COUNTY, Texas — Burleson County is upping its law enforcement around school bus stops and routes after Sheriff Gene Hermes says more people are complaining.
The sheriff explained that the department is stretched thin, but even when fully staffed, getting around to every school bus stop in the county is especially tough.
“I wish that we could put somebody on the bus and leave them there every day that a school bus leaves,” Hermes said.
He explained that people not stopping when school buses do is a problem not only in the county, but across the country too.
“Sometimes it gets worse, and that's what we're dealing with right now,” he said.
Now, he’s directing his team to the bus routes and certain problem areas.
Hermes shared that when he was in his early 20s, before his career in law enforcement, he witnessed a semi-truck ram into a school bus, injuring many children.
“It was a very horrific scene,” Hermes said.
“For a person that's never seen that or never had to listen to the children screaming and hollering on that bus… you just don't know.”
Sheriff Hermes said he has a no tolerance policy, meaning if you pass by a stopped bus in Burleson County... you’re getting a citation.
“Those children, that's our future, we need to take care of them,” he said.
“It's not just law enforcement’s problem or issue, it's every one of us out here. We have to do the right thing.”
The consequence for passing a bus can lead to fines of over $1,200 and is a misdemeanor offense.