ST. LOUIS — It's another day for Brandon Rash and his team with the Metropolitan Urban League of St. Louis to pound the pavement, knock on homeowners' doors and ask if they may put a sign in their front yards.
"We spend at least three hours a day in the community. We're trying to get one sign in everybody's yard on every street, highways. We need it everywhere, " said Rash, the organization's Lead Urban Engagement Specialist.
Not just any sign, but one with an important message: "Slow Down St. Louis — our main goal is just trying to get everybody aware that we do have a speeding problem in St. Louis," added Rash.
In March, the Urban League kicked off its Slow Down Public Awareness Campaign.
Five days a week, its Urban Engagement Specialists walk through neighborhoods in St. Louis city and County and post these yard signs, in hopes of putting the brakes on what they call "vehicular violence."
"It's extremely bad. The police can't do it alone, so we have to put our best feet forward to help address this," said Rash.
In addition to slowing down fast drivers, they want those drivers to obey the law.
"We see so many innocent people either being injured or killed on the roads. We want those speeding drivers to take precautions and care about another person's life, " said Rash.
St. Louis police told 5 On Your Side in the last 60 days, they have issued 600 speeding tickets and 451 violating traffic signals tickets.
Since the Slow Down Program took off, the Urban League team estimates it's put out more than 5,000 of the yard signs in the city and county.
"We need safer streets. What the Urban League is doing is right," said Dr. Candice Carter-Oliver, Chief Executive Officer for Confluence Academies.
The school district partnered with the Urban League to get the yard signs outside three of its charter schools.
"We want our kids to be safe. We want them to be able to get off the buses safe, get in schools safe and we want families to be able to walk their kids to and from school safely," said Dr. Carter-Oliver.
Back in south city? "I think it's awesome," said south city neighbor Daniel Szyman.
This Friday, Szyman saw the Slow Down Specialists on the move and the signs, and had to get one for his yard.
"I love what they're do. It's so needed. Anything that makes our neighborhood safer is a good thing," said Szyman.
"We are making a difference. If we can get a hold on St. Louis, other major cities will see that this campaign is effective," said Rash.
The Urban League said it can always use volunteers to help out with its Slow Down Campaign.
For more information, just give them a call at (314) 615-3600.