Police Launch 'Keep Kids Alive - Drive 25' Campaign

The Monrovia Police Department has recently launched a safe driving campaign, posting "Keep Kids Alive - Drive 25" signs around the city to encourage motorists to watch their speed.

City workers will be sporting "Keep Kids Alive" safety vests and stickers carrying the message are also posted to garbage cans. The idea for "Drive 25" is born out a national campaign that began in Nebraska, and police hope it will reduce speeding in residential neighborhoods.

“Traffic enforcement impacts the number of speeding violators on our residential streets, but it is not the only solution to the problem,” said Monrovia Police Chief Jim Hunt in a written statement. “The Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 traffic safety education program will be an important tool to help reduce the number of drivers exceeding the residential speed limit.”

The campaign was started based on feedback that the city received in its neighborhood survey, where many residents complained of unsafe speeding along their streets, according to a city news release.

The police department conducted a street radar survey in response and discovered that the vast majority of speeding in the city took place in residential neighborhoods.

"Through the street radar survey, it was discovered between 2 to 12 percent of drivers exceed the speed limit on residential streets, and over 70 percent of the speeders are residents of the neighborhood," according to the news release. "The survey also revealed that while violations occurred throughout the day, the highest volume of traffic occurred in the morning and afternoon."

Free signs and stickers can be obtained at the lobby or by calling Sgt. Glen Coleman at (626) 256-8020. Residents must provide their name and address so police can pick up the signs in two months and deliver them to other areas.