Recognizing the critical need for the City of Philadelphia to address vacancies in public safety positions, especially school crossing guards, to protect the well-being of its residents and uphold the City's commitment to community security.

Recognizing the critical need for the City of Philadelphia to address vacancies in public safety positions, especially school crossing guards, to protect the well-being of its residents and uphold the City's commitment to community security. WHEREAS, On October 21, 2024, a 65-year-old woman was fatally struck by a vehicle outside Catharine Elementary School in Southwest Philadelphia as a reckless driver attempted to reverse down a one-way street and lost control; and WHEREAS, This incident, which occurred in a school zone where three crossing guards were assigned, happened because there was a critical gap in coverage and thus underscores the importance of not only traffic mitigating measures, but also the presence of school crossing guards to monitor and manage traffic in and around school zones; and WHEREAS, The successful execution of Philadelphia's Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries by 2030, is inclusive of safe school zones and therefore requires an effective, fully staffed School Crossing Guards Program that is currently only 85% staffed according to the Department of Streets; and WHEREAS, The chronic vacancies within the School Crossing Guards Program are informed by persistent recruitment difficulties in certain neighborhoods, which themselves bear the brunt of a lack in crossing guard coverage the most, exacerbating an already dangerous situation; and WHEREAS, The School Crossing Guards Program’s vacancy issu…