Daniel Island Safety Patrol to mobilize

Children should be able to get to and from school safely each day. It’s a simple goal – and one that has inspired the Daniel Island Neighborhood Association (DINA) Safety Committee to help drive the message home.

Under leadership from DINA’s newly instated Safety Committee Chair, Marie Delcioppo, and School Safety Subcommittee Project Manager Carina Buckman, a brand new Daniel Island Safety Patrol will soon hit the streets. The pilot program is being initiated in response to several accidents, or near misses, involving vehicles and kids biking, walking or skateboarding in areas near the Daniel Island School (DIS) campus. The first area to be targeted by the volunteer patrol will be the intersection of Daniel Island Drive and Pierce Street, where a DIS student was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street on her bike on January 20.

Delcioppo and Buckman are reaching out to the community to help find volunteers to staff the new initiative, which will require coverage for four 40 minute shifts a day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Dressed in safety sashes and holding flags, patrol members will offer assistance to children in crossing the street and guidance on safe practices. But they will not direct traffic. The program is designed to complement the Berkeley County School District safety rules and responsibilities for parents, students, faculty, staff and nearby residents.

“If the kids see a grown-up standing on the corner, they’ll naturally slow down,” said Delcioppo. “And when drivers see someone standing at an intersection with a sash and a bright flag and a group of children, they’ll naturally slow down as well. We feel that if pedestrians and vehicles alike are reducing speed, this will help everyone be more mindful and cautious.”

“It’s just offering assistance in crossing the road and suggesting adherence to safe practices that the children are already hearing from the school and their parents,” added Buckman, who stressed that the parents have primary ownership for discussing safety issues with their kids.

Those interested in serving on the Safety Patrol must attend one of two volunteer orientation sessions to be held on Tuesday, April 5, at 8:30 a.m. or Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. at Daniel Island School in Vice Principal Kori Brown’s office. Since volunteers must register through the Berkeley County School District to take part in the patrol, they are being asked to go the website www.bcsdvolunteers.com to complete a required background check. To register for either of the volunteer sessions, or for additional information, please email Delcioppo at safety@dineighborhoodassociation.org.

“The more volunteers, the better,” said Delcioppo. “Come one, come all!”

The Safety Patrol at Pierce Street and Daniel Island Drive is expected to be in place by April 11 and will continue through the end of the school year. Buckman and Delcioppo will then evaluate the effectiveness of the program and determine next steps, such as the possibility of adding more intersections for the start of the new school year in the fall.

ISLAND SAFETY FRONT AND CENTER

Buckman reports that the addition of Delcioppo as DINA Safety Committee Chair has given new life to the committee’s efforts - and that there has been some “significant progress and momentum” in recent weeks. Buckman and Delcioppo met recently with the City of Charleston’s Traffic and Transportation Department representatives to address parking violations and the island’s infrastructure needs.

“Unfortunately, we don’t know if more restricted parking is the answer, or if more stop signs are the answer,” said Delcioppo. “Right now there are violations all over the place. So if we can get a better handle on what violations are happening and where, we can be more strategic in implementing the appropriate solutions to alleviate them.”

According to Delcioppo, the city will soon be dispatching parking enforcement officers all across the island to crack down on violations.

“Once we clean that up, we can see what are those areas that are really problematic and determine the best solution,” she said. “Is it a new stop sign? A new crosswalk? What’s the best solution? I just feel like it gives us a little bit more strategy that way.”

“We put these signs in place, but people aren’t really following those rules,” added Buckman. “So what makes us think if we put more of those things in place that they’re going to follow them? Let’s first address people not following the rules and then see if that brings the perceived risk level down to a satisfactory level. And if it doesn’t, then maybe we can open up conversations about doing things differently outside of the current criteria.”

Both Buckman and Delcioppo are eager to see the community buy-in on the idea of enhancing safety for all island residents.

“I’d like to see more of a sense of camaraderie,” said Delcioppo. “Because I feel as though if people do have an enhanced sense of community, they are going to act more responsibly.”

“We all have a role to play,” added Buckman. “Many times I think community residents think there is some magical person whose job it is to fix all this stuff. And it’s not. It’s for us as a community…Change always feels clunky and uncomfortable, and I think as a community we are feeling those growing pains, but we all need to realize that if we roll up our sleeves and come into the game with a positive mindset, we can all be part of where this community goes from here.”

The newly re-energized DINA Safety Committee also has some additional initiatives in the works. They plan to update the community on their progress at the upcoming DINA meeting planned for Tuesday, April 5, at Church of the Holy Cross on Daniel Island. For additional information, visit www.dineighborhoodassociation.org.

Volunteers Needed for Daniel
Island Safety Patrol!

Want to help Daniel Island School students safely cross the street on their way to and from school? Volunteers are needed for a brand new Daniel Island Safety Patrol, set to debut on April 11 at the intersection of Daniel Island Drive and Pierce Street. A brief orientation will be held at Daniel Island School for those interested in serving. Attend either April 5 at 8:30 am, or April 6 at 7 pm. To RSVP or for additional information, please email Daniel Island Neighborhood Association Safety Committee Chair Marie Delcioppo at safety@dineighborhoodassociation.org.