St. Cloud facing crossing guard shortage

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — It’s three months into the school year and the St. Cloud Police Department said it still doesn’t have all the crossing guards it needs to help students get to school safely.

The department said it still needs seven more crossing guards to be fully staffed. Sgt. Frankie De La Rosa said the department has been filling the void with police officers.

“We had to pull from different units and departments,” he said.

He said the department is already stretched thin, with the growing population of St. Cloud and new laws that require a school resource officer at every school.

The city approved a new budget to hire 11 more officers, and De La Rosa said that will help. But the department still needs to fill the crossing guard positions.

"In order to keep up with the curve we are trying to be ahead of it and continue to provide the best quality of service," De La Rosa said.

To become a part-time crossing guard, candidates have to take part in an eight-hour Department of Transportation course that outlines training and safety requirements.

Cox Media Group