Chatham-Kent Civic Centre, July 23, 2015. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)Chatham-Kent Civic Centre, July 23, 2015. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)
Chatham

Crosswalk Volunteers Not Associated With Municipality

Chatham-Kent officials want to make it clear: volunteer crossing guards won't necessarily have the same training as they have in the past.

"We aren't certain what process would be followed by the private sector in terms of that specific screening," says Customer Service Director Leanne Segeren-Swayze.

As of December 1, the municipality no longer employs crossing guards near area schools. It's working to replace the crossing guards with "Pedestrian Crossover Signal Devices," but they aren't set to roll out until May 2017.

To bridge the gap, some private groups have enlisted the help of former crossing guards, while others are reportedly seeking out volunteers to help children cross the street.

In Dresden, a former crossing guard is resuming his role until the devices are installed, but Segeren-Swayze says the rules are different now.

"This particular individual would now be similar to a safety patrol officer. The only difference is this individual cannot stop traffic in Dresden," says Segeren-Swayze.

She adds the volunteers will have no association with the municipality, and there's no guarantee they will have proper training or police clearance.

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