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11/7/84 Page -14- <br />CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT Councilmembers had a copy of a memo from <br />FUNDING CROSSING GUARDS Director of Public Safety Leesman relating <br />to this item. <br />Councilman Cussen Commented when the program came before Council <br />previously, the primary concern was for the <br />safety of the school children. He now ex- <br />pressed some concerns about the Crossing <br />Guard Program and wished to suggest some <br />alternatives to the paid crossing guard <br />program as recommended. Suggestions made <br />by Councilman Cussen were that we solicit <br />volunteer crossing guards; that we look to <br />some part-time F.T.'s that would be a part <br />of -the Police Dept, to act as Crossing Guards <br />and could possibly serve other functions with- <br />in the Police Dept. He had contacted other <br />cities and talked with them about the effec- <br />tivE~ness of the .guard programs. Due to <br />somf, recent law suits many of the schools <br />are very concerned about their crossing <br />guard programs and many of them have been <br />discontinued. Cities that do have paid crossing <br />guard programs are Boulder, Lakewood and <br />Denver. Arvada has a volunteer adult program <br />where the Police Dept. provides the training <br />and are given the necessary equipment, i.e. <br />vesi~, sign, helmet, etc. then are put out <br />in designated areas. He suggested that the <br />monies may be better utilized elsewhere than <br />in a paid Crossing Guard Program. During <br />his research, Councilman .Cussen stated that <br />the absenteeism was less under the volunteer <br />program and the enthusiasm, level of commit- <br />ment=, and dependability was greater as well. <br />Lakewood which has a paid program was best <br />where it was under a volunteer program. He <br />felt: that if we started the program by paying <br />crossing guards we would set a precedent. <br />He :suggested that the schools be contacted to <br />see if they can recruit volunteer parents who <br />wou]Ld be crossing guards and the City provide <br />the training but for the remainder of this <br />school year that these be volunteers. <br />Councilwoman Morris Commented that she was open to looking for <br />volunteer crossing guards or other possible <br />uses for crossing guards; but she was not <br />wil]_ing to wait until the end of the school <br />year- to make a decision on it ,because there <br />