FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — A new traffic enforcement push in St. Lucie County led to more than 500 stops in just one week, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Richard Del Toro announced on Thursday that the sheriff’s office implemented the proactive traffic initiative to target dangerous driving behaviors in chronic problem areas across the county.

According to the sheriff’s office, four dedicated deputies conducted targeted enforcement during the first week of the operation, resulting in 536 written warnings and citations.

The violations included speeding, distracted driving, aggressive driving and other hazardous behaviors that deputies say put drivers, pedestrians and families at risk.

“Our deputies work every day to keep the roads of St. Lucie County safe, and this initiative adds another layer of dedicated enforcement focused on the areas where dangerous driving is most prevalent,” Del Toro said. “This initiative strengthens the outstanding work our patrol deputies are already doing and sends a clear message: dangerous driving will not be tolerated in St. Lucie County.”

The announcement comes after a series of serious crash and impaired-driving cases across the county.

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In May, the Port St. Lucie police filed DUI manslaughter charges after completing an investigation into a fatal Thanksgiving crash involving an off-road vehicle. Investigators said alcohol impairment and a high-speed turn were factors in that case.

In March, St. Lucie County deputies arrested a West Palm Beach man accused of riding a motorized bicycle while intoxicated with a child on the back. Deputies said the child suffered minor injuries when the bike fell.

Iin February, a fatal Fort Pierce crash that left one passenger dead and two drivers seriously injured near Virginia Avenue and South 35th Street. Police said one of the vehicles involved was traveling at a high rate of speed.

The sheriff’s office says the goal of the new initiative is to reduce dangerous driving before it leads to more crashes, injuries or deaths.