LUBBOCK, Texas — After forming a friendship with a special-needs student, a police chief here is helping to prevent illegal passing of that student's school bus by following the bus on its route, KLBK reports.

Ralls Police Chief Steven Longoria told the news source that starting at around the middle or end of the last school year, the mother of a special-needs student who rides the bus, as well as the bus driver, told him that many motorists were not stopping for the bus’ red lights, and asked him to keep an eye out for them.

Longoria had made friends with one of the special-needs students who rides the bus last year when the student called 911 to report that his brother was picking on him. His mother explained the appropriate use of the service to him and set up a meeting with her son and the police chief, so he could establish trust in the police, according to KLBK. The boy’s mother told the news source that since her son is on the autism spectrum, he needs help with building relationships with and trusting people.

Since Longoria started following the bus, he said, motorists no longer speed past it, and he has only had to stop one car. He added that quite a few motorists “thought they were going to pass the bus, but saw me and made a wise decision not to,” according to KLBK.