Beginning Monday the Salina Police Department will join other agencies around the Midwest focusing on seat belt violations, specifically around schools.

According to the agency, the department will join other law enforcement agencies in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma to stop what has been an epidemic for the past several years. In 2015, 13 teens lost their lives due to car crashes in Kansas because they were not properly restrained.

In an effort to change this trend, The Salina Police Department will be extra vigilant when patrolling around local high schools.

For more than 30 years, officers have educated and warned passengers and drivers regarding the importance of using restraints while in their vehicle. There should be no surprises when it comes to this enforcement effort.

Officers will issue citations to any individual who refuses to obey the traffic laws, whether it is for speeding, texting or failing to buckle up.

The extra enforcement effort will go thru March 13t.