The Village of Dennison is hoping to raise awareness and get parents more active in educating youth on operating an e-scooter or bicycle.
The topic of youth riding dangerously on the transportation is being talked about by council following a concerned citizen speaking at their June meeting.
“I had like two weeks in a row; kids fly up and down the sidewalks and they don’t even stop for the crosswalks. One day I went to turn to go out First Street, and these two girls come flying right in front of the bank and right across. If I hadn’t stopped, I would have run them over.”
Several council members agreed, noting their own experiences, like a youth on a scooter not slowing down on the sidewalk despite pedestrians walking.
Mayor Greg DiDonato says their limited police force cannot constantly patrol. He says parents need to get involved in educating their kids on how to ride a bike, electric or peddle, and e-scooters on the roads.
“We’ve been pulling them over and trying to educate them but it’s humanly impossible for us to police everybody because one policeman can’t do. But we also need parents to step up to the plate and start, instead of getting your kids a scooter and saying go at it, they need to start knowing the rules.”
Chief Todd Beeman says officers are stopping kids for safety education every shift, even nighttime. The police department has stopped over 20 youth on the transportation but Beeman notes families need to get involved.
“We have stopped quite a bit of them and we’re trying to get the safety aspect instilled into them before we go beyond that I guess.”
The police department is working on creating an educational program and council is reviewing a proposed ordinance.
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