TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Tom Kisela, City Manager
FROM: Dan Adams, Chief of Police
1. SUBJECT
title
School Crossing Guard Program Discussion and Update.
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2. SUMMARY
As a part of the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget process, the City Council requested that each department bring back potential service reductions for City Council consideration. The Orange Police Department, among other service reductions, included the School Crossing Guard Program as a potential service reduction which was approved by the City Council on June 11, 2024. Per the City Council's direction on August 27, 2024, this item is being brought back for City Council discussion and direction.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Provide direction to staff on reinstituting funding of the School Crossing Guard Program and consider contracting services for hiring, staffing, and management of the program.
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4. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Goal 1: Provide for a safe community.
a: Provide staffing and resources to deliver services that ensure public safety.
6. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
Due to current budget constraints, the Orange Police Department was asked to make a 10% budget reduction for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. These reductions included the School Crossing Guard Program (Program) in the amount of $425,000. During the June 11, 2024 City Council meeting, the Council voted (5-2) to eliminate the Program from the City budget effective July 1, 2024. Notifications to the affected employees and Orange Unified School District (OUSD) began immediately.
The Program has been in effect since December 21, 1971, when the City Administrative Manual, General, and Miscellaneous Section, Number V-B-1 (Section), described the criteria for school crossing guards. The Section explains how the responsibility for the safety of school children walking to and from school rests with parents; however, an adult crossing guard supervised by the O...
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