Wilson County police departments issued 36 citations for school zone violations on the first day of classes for public schools Aug. 3.
Mt. Juliet police officers issued 21 of those citations. Fifteen of those violations were for unlawful handheld cellphone use while driving, which Chief of Police Tyler Chandler described as a "frequent issue," on roads.
City officers also issued 50 warnings on Aug. 3 that did not end in tickets. Roughly 70% of all traffic stops by Mt. Juliet officers result in warnings, Chandler said.
"With the first-week safety blitz underway, our enforcement activity is intentionally heightened," Chandler said. "Our goal is to keep school zones safe throughout the entire year. While our teams will continue monitoring school zones regularly,
it won’t be at the same saturation level as what we’re doing during this initial blitz."
Two Mt. Juliet school-zone stops led to arrests, one for an active Wilson County warrant for failure to be booked and driving on a revoked license. The other was for possession of methamphetamine.
Lebanon police issued 14 citations that included improper cell phone use, speeding and failure to stop for a school bus, department spokesman Zach Patton said.
Lebanon assigned 25 patrols to greet students at schools, bus stops and crosswalks, monitor for speeding and distracted drivers, and direct traffic.
The Wilson County Sheriff's Office issued one citation near the new Central Pike Elementary, Capt. Scott Moore said.
Watertown did not issue any school zone tickets.
Wilson County Schools and the Lebanon Special School District both started the 2026-27 academic year on Aug. 3.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Cellphone use tops Wilson County school zone violations on first day of school
