City needs more school crossing guards

Jacksonville looking to fill 13 positions for crossing guards in Duval County

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a little over a week, tens of thousands of students head back to school in Duval County. That means more children back on the road riding their bikes and walking to school.

School begins in Duval County on Aug. 24, and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is seeking help in keeping children safe on busy streets.

"We need crossing guards at those intersections to make sure those kids can cross safely," JSO spokeswoman Melissa Bujeda said.

JSO is looking for 13 new crossing guards. They will work one hour in the morning, one hour in the afternoon and a total of 10 hours a week for $9.56 an hour.

It can be easy for adults to push a button and wait for the light to change before crossing the street. But for children, crossing a busy intersection can be dangerous.

"It only takes that one vehicle and that one child crossing the road, and a dangerous situation can happen," Bujeda said. "We have the crossing guards in place to be the eyes and ears for those kids who might not double check or look both ways before they cross."

If the crossing guard positions are not filled, police in the area will have to step up and fill those spots. Fortunately, JSO said that won't be an issue.

"Already our community affairs office said they've received over 100 calls of people willing to step up and help the kids in the community, and we couldn't ask for a better outcome than that," Bujeda said.

All applicants must pass a background check, complete eight hours of training and pass exams. They need to be authoritative, compassionate -- and ready to make plenty of friends.

"The kids love to hug, and to talk to the crossing guards," Bujeda said. "They actually become very important people in their lives, so anyone who's interested, call."

If you think you have what it takes to be a crossing guard, email JSO community affairs at JSOCommunityAffairs@jaxsheriff.org