City and Newark Public Safety Offcials welcomed 28 new school crossing guards into service today.
According to Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, school crossing guards assist parents and children in safely crossing streets as they arrive to and leave from school each day.
They are also authorized to direct drivers on when to stop and when to continue along roadways near schools where students cross Director Ambrose said.
Since 2010, approximately 60 crossing guards were lost to lay-offs and attrition.
The addition of this new group of guards, with more to be hired this year, will replenish this deficit.
The Metro Unit of the Newark Police Division, which is responsible for traffic enforcement, trains and supervises school crossing guards.
Currently, the city has 163 school crossing guard posts.
With the hiring of the 28 new guards, 95 of these positions are filled and an additional 40 people will be hired in 2017.
"The safety of our children is paramount," said Mayor Baraka.
“At our Town Hall meetings throughout the city, residents voiced concerns about no longer having school crossing guards. The number of crossing guards had dwindled through the years because of budgetary restrictions. The level of vacancies was unacceptable. Not hiring additional crossing guards needlessly put children at risk, so we made it a priority to bring the crossing guards back."
“The mayor and I responded when parents said more crossing guards were needed,” Director Ambrose said.
“This group of public safety personnel serves Newark’s most precious resource, our children. No matter the weather, no matter the traffic conditions, they dutifully work to safeguard the next generation and I proudly welcome them into service.”