In past discussions about pedestrian safety, it has been suggested that jaywalkers shoulder some blame for some of the deadly crashes around the city. Now, the City of Phoenix is considering a change that could lead to ticketing of those who jaywalk.

City officials are currently considering doing away with warning for people who committed jaywalking. Back in 2015, Phoenix allowed police officers to give first-time jaywalkers a warning under a city code, or a $250 fine under state law.

According to a city fact sheet prepared for a meeting on Wednesday, there have been fewer than eight citations issued for jaywalkers after the warning, since 2016. Officers, however, have used the state law to hand out anywhere from 19 to 73 tickets a year to jaywalkers, in the past four years.

Serial jaywalkers or repeat offenders could face jail time, or penalties of up to $2,500.



