DeKALB | Adam Mohebbi jaywalks all the time.

“I jaywalk like three times a minute, and I’ve never gotten a ticket,” said the freshman history major. “As long as you do it safely, it’s all good.”

Though the University Police does not endorse the act, jaywalking seems to be a common act across campus. Sometimes, being caught in the act could result in a ticket.

This semester, the UP has not given out many jaywalking tickets.

“We haven’t given one out in a while,” said Lt. Matthew Kiederlen, acting chief of the University Police. “We did a larger enforcement action on it last year.”

The UP placed a stronger emphasis on enforcing the jaywalking laws last year by positioning officers at designated crosswalks at all times.

“We issued citations in an attempt to curb that type of behavior,” Kiederlen said.

The measures were met with successful results, Kiederlen said.

“We received solid compliance for months,” he said. “The reality now is that people tend not to pay attention to the crosswalk signals. The number of jaywalkers has numerically gone up, though the frequency of us issuing tickets has not.”

When facing a situation where someone has jaywalked, officers usually will prefer to simply admonish the individual rather than write them up.

“Tickets only get written when there is an obvious refusal to comply on the part of the offender,” Kiederlen said. “The vast majority of the time, we’ll just speak with them.”

Though the regulations are still enforced, the odds of actually receiving a ticket are slim.

“It really depends on the situation and the parties involved,” Kiederlen said. “Is it likely that we’re going to write a ticket? No, probably not.”

The cost of a jaywalking ticket can vary. “The cost can depend on what type of citation is given,” Kiederlen said.

The UP has the option of giving out two kinds of jaywalking tickets. The lesser citation costs about $20, about the same as a parking ticket. The more costly state citation can cost more than $100, along the lines of a traffic ticket.

The decision to issue a citation is in the hands of the officer.

“It can depend on a variety of factors, including the number of people involved [and] their willingness to comply,” Kiederlen said.

“If an individual is obviously aware that they made a mistake, we’ll let them off with a warning. However, if talking to them won’t change their behavior, we may have to give them a ticket. It’s up to the officer’s discretion.”

Officers concentrate more on higher areas of traffic as it pertains to preventing jaywalking.

“Our biggest concerns are on Annie Glidden Road and Lucinda Avenue, because of the high vehicle and pedestrian flow,” Kiederlen said.

Freshman political science major Joe Babula understands why the rules are in place.

“I usually stay inside the lines, especially at Annie Glidden and Lucinda,” he said. “It’s a safety thing.”