HADLEY, Mass. - The Hadley Police Department wants people to know driving by school buses with stop signs out is against the law and doing so will lead to serious consequences.

"Earlier this year, we started getting some concerned parents, sending us some videos of school bus violations," said Hadley Police Lt. Mitch Kuc. "So we stepped up our enforcement even more just to get the word out to the community. We just want to make sure that we're keeping the school kids safe."

Kuc said driving by a stopped school bus is a fine of at least $250. He said the department has given out around a dozen tickets for traffic violations since the start of the fall school year.

Kuc said the ongoing construction along Route 9 has also played a factor, but the number of incidents have decreased of late with more police escorts around school buses.

"For the most part, when we've come across folks who didn't stop for the school bus, they're embarrassed," he said, "A lot of times, we see their faces after they go by the bus and they know they made a mistake, and usually that's enough for them remember the next time they see the yellow lights on the bus go on, they should be getting ready to stop."

On Thursday afternoon, Kuc escorted buses at Hopkins Academy and Hadley Elementary School through class dismissal. He said the police department will typically escort buses during the early parts of the school year to remind drivers to be cautious during school hours.

"I equate it to that first snow," Kuc said. "A lot of people forget how to drive in the snow when you haven't driven in it through most of the spring, summer and fall. Same thing with the buses. You haven't seen them all summer. So you get back to school, we're back out there doing the enforcement heavily and then, as time goes on, we're seeing less and less violations."