Christopher Haxel

Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING - East Lansing police have received reports about vehicles not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, so they're about to crack down on the problem.

Complaints from school crossing guards and parents prompted the new safety initiative, said Lt. Scott Wriggelsworth, a spokesman for the East Lansing Police Department.

"Most of the motorists are not yielding to pedestrians when they are in or near a crosswalk," he said.

Officers will primarily target schools where children and teenagers are using marked crosswalks, he said.

Officers will be writing tickets rather than simply trying to educate motorists, Wriggelsworth said.

And the department isn't announcing when the extra enforcement will begin, he said, because police want to maintain the element of surprise.

Contact Christopher Haxel at 517-377-1261 or chaxel@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.