Pittsburgh faces shortage of crossing guards for schools

Pittsburgh faces shortage of crossing guards for schools

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

The western Pennsylvania city of Pittsburgh is dealing with a shortage of crossing guards who help schoolchildren and others get safely across the street.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says a recent spate of departures of crossing guards due to illness, injury or other opportunities has depleted their ranks.

The city’s budget this year allows for 132 guards to work 109 crossings, but the actual number on the job has dwindled to around 115, including four substitutes.

The shortage is “concerning because a lot of times, (guards) are the first people to notice something’s wrong in the community ... and of course, they are trusted with the safety of our children,” said Theresa Kail-Smith, chairwoman of the Pittsburgh City Council public safety committee.

The shortage prompted the police chief last week to reinstate an order to have patrol officers provide backup if needed, but that has left some police supervisors worried that they also might be left short-handed.

“They have bigger fish to fry than we do,” said Cathy Gamble, who works two hours a day, five days a week at an intersection in Lawrenceville.