COLUMBIA, S.C. — We're on your side answering questions about school crossing guards. WLTX received an email from a viewer claiming Richland One School District would not have crossing guards this year.
In years past, the City of Columbia along with the Columbia Police Department contracted third parties to work as crossing guards in the area. This will no longer be the case and Richland One will now be in charge of the hiring process.
As we head into the school year, parents are getting ready to pick their kids up from school, an essential part of that is crossing guards.
WLTX wants to remind parents of the rules and responsibilities when it comes to crossing guards.
“They may stop traffic to cross children at a school crossing location such as this, however they’re not vested with the authority to direct traffic for say congestion,” Sgt Robert Uhall, said.
Sgt Uhall is with the traffic safety unit for the Columbia Police Department, he says crossings guards are tasked with ensuring the safety of students.
“They should be focused solely on the children. If their attention is diverted, directing congestion traffic, they're gonna miss the child that may not cross where they're supposed to be crossing because that's their purpose, they're directing the children the cross walk, to cross the children, so they're really there for the children not in the general traffic,” he said.
Richland One has open applications for crossing guard positions, they are required to “have some knowledge of traffic laws and the ability to use sound judgment,” amongst other things.
To ensure the safety of students, Sgt. Uhall recommends the following.
"Most schools have a designated pickup and drop off spot that I'm aware of. I would suggest parents focus on those spots to pick up and drop off their children at the designated spots because those have been chosen by the school districts because they're designated safe locations. When people start just picking up in random locations, it may get in the way of the traffic, the adult school crossing guards duties and make it more difficult for them or create a hazard," he said.
