Neither snow nor sleet nor dark of night will keep them from their appointed rounds. You will find them standing on duty in all types of weather, protecting their charges. They keep a diligent eye and a trained ear for anything suspicious. Are we talking about postal employees or the National Guard? No, we're talking about our school crossing guards. They sometimes literally put their lives in jeopardy protecting our little ones.

Every year when our little people go back to school we look for the familiar, friendly faces of the crossing guards. And every year the crossing guards step out in front of traffic to allow those little people to cross the street without getting run over. According to Alliance Police Department Detective Greg Anderson, crossing guards have been hit and seriously injured by errant motorists. One such guard was off work for a month. Most are just "clipped or nicked" by cars, according to Detective Anderson.

Before going out to dodge traffic, the crossing guards are sworn in each year by the mayor. They are employees of the city who earn $18.05 per day. They don't receive any benefits except for inclusion in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). There are 16 full time guards who work about an hour each day and 3 part-time guards who fill in when needed. Most come back year after year, with the average age being 60-62 years old. The same crew has been around for several years now. According to Detective Anderson, they keep coming back because they love the job and the kids. Detective Anderson believes they are a "swell group" that does an excellent job. Why? He attributes their work ethic to their love and respect for the community and their desire to give back.

They are charged with not only helping the little ones across the street, but also being on the lookout for strangers lurking around school grounds, or a car that keeps circling around the area. The guards start to work in the mornings about 40 minutes before school starts, then work about 20 minutes in the afternoon when school lets out. This year the guards are posted near Northside Elementary, North Lincoln, South Lincoln, Morgan Elementary, and the Middle School. There are no guards at the high school. Presumably, by the time you reach high school you should be able to cross the street by yourself.

The crossing guards do not have the power to arrest anyone. They do however, have the ability to write down a license plate number and turn that into the Police Department. To apply for a position of a crossing guard, you must obtain an application from the mayor's office. Once the application is returned, it is then given to the Police Department who does a complete background check of the applicant. There isn't much turnover in the ranks of the crossing guards, so don't expect to get hired immediately. And the full time positions are offered first to those who have served as part-time guards.

Detective Anderson has been in charge of the crossing guard program for about five years. If you have any questions about the program, he can be reached at 330-821-9140.