By Walter Elliott
ESSEX – The 11 public school districts – despite “School Day 100” around Feb. 7 and Feb. 10’s “School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day” – can still use more school crossing guards.
The West Orange Police Department, on Jan. 28 for example, said it is short 16 crossing guards. The shortage means that some township police officers either have their shifts extended or are called from home to cover key crossings at or near the public, religious and/or private schools.
The Newark Police Division, on Oct. 14, reported that only 97 of its Newark Public School and 13 charter school crossing guards are at their stations. Full staffing would be at a respective 170 and 30.
NPD top brass, like their West Orange colleagues, find themselves with a tough choice: pull active police officers to cover crossings or leave the crossings unstaffed.
The East Orange Police Department, as late as Jan. 6, is among those posting Crossing Guards Wanted notices online and in print.
Crossing guards, who are under municipal police department supervision, have the responsibility to manage and direct pedestrian and vehicular traffic at or near schools.
Guard positions are part-time: two-to-four hours daily, five days a week. They cover the morning and late afternoon rush hours and, in Nutley, lunch hours.
The said guards work in all kinds of weather so long as the school district remains open. They are to respond when a school district calls an early day.
The usually September-to-June work season comes without accruing sick or personal days although parts of the job are starting to change.
South Orange’s Police Department, as of Jan. 5, is offering $23 per hour for those who have been successfully trained. Successful guards, after a time, may gain paid sick and personal days.
WOPD, for comparison, offers $13 to $20 per hour based on experience.
Some departments, responding to offering hiring incentives and inflation, have raised their hourly pay. Union County’s City of Summit is offering $50 per diem.
Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark) has been drafting legislation to lower some of the barriers to hiring more crossing guards. Newark Community Street Team director Solomon Williams, in October, suggested eliminating the prior conviction restriction that keeps some prospective guards from being hired.
NCST members have also been monitoring student commutes to and from South Ward schools as part of its Safe Passage Program. The state has enacted a Safe Streets program that includes pedestrian students.
Westfield, in Union County, has contracted All City Management Services for private crossing guards since 2019. This year’s controversy, however, revolved around ACMS, of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., dropping five crossing sites from its 40-site map.
Police Departments are looking for applicants who are U.S. citizens without a felony record who can also work in all kinds of weather. There will be a background check.
Some departments may ask for a medical checkup. Most will ask for a valid driver’s license, car and a cell phone so guards can be quickly deployed.
All departments will provide training and equipment like stop signs. Some departments’ training period will include supervision by a senior guard or an officer before full deployment.
Prospective crossing guards are to contact their local police departments for details.
