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L.A. Police to Join the Largest-Ever Buckle Up Campaign

18 May 1998

Los Angeles Police Department to Join the Largest-Ever Nationally Coordinated Effort by Law Enforcement to Buckle Up Children

            In All 50 States Officers Mobilize Against the Leading
                          Cause of Death to Children

    The Los Angeles Police Department will join more than 4,000 law
enforcement agencies across the country in an unparalleled effort to protect
children -- Operation ABC '98: Mobilizing America to Buckle Up Children.  Tens
of thousands of officers from all 50 states will conduct high-visibility
enforcement of child passenger safety laws throughout Buckle Up America Week,
May 18-25. LAPD will launch their participation in Operation ABC '98 at a
child safety checkpoint on Monday, May 18th at 10:00.  The Department will be
engaged in high visibility enforcement of California's child passenger safety
law throughout the week.  Citation counts will be released at the end of each
day.
    Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death to children in the U.S.
With summer highway travel expected to set a record this year, this effort to
get children buckled up is more important than ever.

    WHAT:   * Child Safety Checkpoint to Kick Off Local Participation in
              Operation ABC '98 -- A 50-State Enforcement Effort to Buckle Up
              Children

    WH0:    * LAPD Officers
            * Arthur Anderson, Director of California Office of Traffic Safety
              and Representative of the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign

    WHERE:  * Lincoln Blvd. and Brooks Avenue (Note -- do not release to the
              public)

    WHEN:   * Monday, May 18 at 10:00 a.m.


    B-Roll Available: Feed Date: May 18.  Time: 3-3:30 p.m. EDT (c-band)
Galaxy 4, transponder 7 out of Conus downlink freq. 3840 h.; May 19. Time:
1:30-2 p.m. EDT (c-band) Galaxy 9, transponder 1 out of NY downlink freq. 3740
v.; May 20.  Time: 10:30-11 a.m. EDT (c-band) Galaxy 4, transponder 11 out of
NY downlink freq. 3920 h.

    Operation ABC '98 is sponsored by the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign,
in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the
U.S. Department of Transportation's Buckle Up America Campaign.

    CONTACT:  Susan Denzer, 202-338-8700, or John Nisbet, 213-893-8118, for
the Air Bag Safety Campaign.