LARGO, Fla. – The Largo Police Department is out patrolling more to help keep pedestrians safe.

What You Need To Know

  • Largo Police Department received a grant from FDOT for a high-visibility campaign to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the city

  • Most traffic stops are educational or warnings

  • Officers are giving out safety material like bike lights or handouts with information for pedestrians

The department is trying to cut back on crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclers.

Officer Drew Thornsbrough has been patrolling the streets of Largo for more than seven years. In that time, he’s seen the roads get busier and busier.

“You get different driving behaviors from different states. And everybody is always in a hurry to get someplace,” Thornsbrough said.

While keeping an eye on those habits, he’s also focusing on pedestrians.

He’s stopping those who aren’t following laws, like crosswalk violations.

“We get a lot of fatal crashes that involve pedestrians,” Thornsbrough said. “So if we can prevent a pedestrian from crossing the roadway when they’re not supposed to cross, it will hopefully keep them safe.”

Largo PD is working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for a high-visibility campaign to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the city. The campaign runs until May.

Officer Thornsbrough says it’s kept him busy, with stops for things like crosswalk violations, bike light infractions, jaywalking and failure to yield.

“There’s some people I stop over and over again. And I guess they just don’t care. And it’s sad because we see these crashes all the time,” Thornsbrough said.

Still, he does feel the campaign is helping cut back on crashes this year.

Most of his stops are educational, where he gives out safety material like bike lights or handouts with information for pedestrians. Repeat offenders may be given a ticket.

“We’re not out here to hammer with you a ticket. That’s not our goal. Our goal is to make sure the people are safe,” Thornsbrough said.

It’s also not just pedestrian behavior he’s looking out for, it’s drivers, too.

“Pedestrians, bicyclists, they are everywhere out here. It’s beautiful weather. Everybody is walking around. Even if it’s a one-way street, drivers have to look both ways before they pull out,” Thornsbrough said.

The campaign runs until May.

Several other local departments have participated in the FDOT campaign in recent years, with the same goal of pedestrian safety.