Six people in San Diego have been fatally hit by cars while crossing the street since the start of 2013. In an attempt to reduce the number of fatal accidents in the future, the San Diego Police Department recently launched a campaign urging pedestrians and residents to be as safe and not jaywalk, according to Fox affiliate KSWB. San Diego Police Department Lt. Steve Hutchinson told the source the department will have 42 of its units patrolling the city to enforce the anti-jaywalking campaign. In addition, officers will be arresting and citing any jaywalkers who are flagrant in their actions.

According to ABC affiliate KGTV, in 2012, there were 20 pedestrian deaths in San Diego, eight of which were caused by a pedestrian. Of the six deaths in February, the source reported about five of them were the fault of the pedestrian.

One of the reasons there might be a spike in the accidents could also be due to the increased use of smartphones, according to Hutchinson. He said since a lot of people who are walking and texting or browsing the internet while they are walking around, it is easier for them to get hit by cars since their attention is focused on the mobile device.

The department's anti-jaywalking campaign was funded through a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety, in conjunction with the National Traffic Safety Administration. With the funding, the sheriff's department will place 25 to 30 officers on motorcycles and additional officers in 10 patrol units to enforce jaywalking laws. Much of the focus of the campaign has been placed on the the Hillcrest-University Avenue corridor and the downtown and Gaslamp areas, according to KGTV.