HOUSTON, Texas — A father in Fort Bend County is breathing a sigh of relief after years of fighting for beefed-up patrols in his son's school zone.
For years, Cass Mattison took the law into his own hands -- catching people speeding with his own speed gun.
He did it several days a week, 30 minutes at a time for five years.
The result is a cache of videos of drivers speeding by. He says it was worth it because his son’s school zone is now a little safer than before.
Mattison said it started while walking his son to Kindergarten at Hutchinson Elementary School five years ago. He grew concerned as he watched drivers speed by.
“Not looking out for the best interest of the children. Constant speeding, cell phone usage in school zones, (it) sparked an interest to try to get something done for the community," Mattison said.
So he kept watching, now on a weekly basis.
“There were times I'd try to get out there three or four times a week," Mattison said.
He’d stand on the sidewalk, speed gun in hand, even gaining himself a nickname.
“Radar dad," Mattison said.
Mattison captured it all: Drivers using cell phones, putting on makeup, he said he even saw officers breaking the law.
“People going to and from 59. It was definitely out of control," Mattison said.
But finally, after five years, someone’s noticed.
“He was one of many factors in our decision-making process to try to do something for the community and make it a little bit safer," Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constables Office Chief Deputy Frank Cempa Jr. said.
Cempa said they’ve had a number of traffic complaints, including Mattison’s, so they’ve worked over the past few months to find a way to help.
“We came up with the idea of having reserve deputies on motorcycles come in at no cost to the taxpayer, high visibility, rapid response and patrol the areas of the roadway, making the roadway a little safer," Cempa said.
The two reserve officers will volunteer their time to patrol so Mattison can give less of his.
“You don’t want to see your child get hurt or anyone else's get hurt so we have to do the right thing for the kids that are out there," Mattison said.