Last month, at the busy intersection of Thomas and Alma School roads was an eye-catching traffic sign on the side of the road: “No Cali Rolls in AZ.” No, the sign is not referring to a popular type of sushi—it’s referring to a traffic violation. A “California Roll,” also called a “California stop” or “rolling stop,” occurs when a driver rolls through a stop sign, failing to come to a complete stop.

According to Salt River Police Department Off. Joseph Orozco, who serves as the department’s Community-based policing and public information officer, the negligence of drivers who fail to make a complete stop is a huge problem within the Community. The digital traffic sign at the intersection of Thomas and Alma School was placed by the SRPD’s Traffic Enforcement Bureau. Its purpose is to remind drivers to come to a complete stop and to help ease congestion in high-traffic areas within the Community. 

SRPD currently has three other traffic signs in different locations within the Community. These signs alert drivers to the speed limit and encourage them to slow down. SRPD plans on relocating the signs as needed to various Community locations with high volumes of traffic.