Petaluma police on Wednesday will hold their third crackdown this year on bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Seven traffic officers will be out on the streets from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., looking for violations involving bicyclists, pedestrians or drivers.

Police Sgt. Ken Savano said while the main focus will be on bicyclists and pedestrians, officers will respond to any violations they see.

Special attention will be paid to bicyclists under age 18 who are not wearing a helmet as required by law. He said any young bicyclists found without helmets will be offered a free one at the police station, courtesy of community donations.

An early March survey by the Police Department found that the number of young bicyclists wearing helmets in the city has grown from 31 percent last October to 56 percent this month.

In the department’s January bicycle-pedestrian enforcement operation, officers handed out mostly warnings but did give 32 tickets. In February, they issued 56 tickets in a similar operation. Savano said the department plans five more bicycle-pedestrian operations.

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