AAA teamed up with Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office to teach a group of police officers new skills to better enforce pedestrian laws.

More than 20 officers took part in the training Thursday morning in Ocean Township.

The officers learned about programs to help educate the public about pedestrian safety laws and also reminded them how to safely enforce these laws.

“You want to wear something bright,” AAA’s Frank Neary told the officers.

The training comes at deadly accidents involving pedestrians are on the rise in New Jersey. Officials say that 39 pedestrians have been killed statewide since the start of 2019.

“We’ve seen an increase in pedestrian fatalities each year,” says Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Kristian Devito. “A lot of times pedestrian fault is part of the problem. Today we are actually going and educating drivers as well as any pedestrians we have out here.”

The officers will take what they learned at the training and bring the knowledge back to their departments.

“Each department will take the information and use it as they see fit. Generally, they will conduct an education program and/or an enforcement program in their own towns,” says Neary.

Monmouth County officials say that of the 12 deadly accidents in the county since 2019 began, six of those deaths have been pedestrians.

AAA says that the organization plans on doing a similar training program in Union County next month.