Duties
School crossing guards play an important role in the lives of children who walk or bicycle to school, which is of utmost importance to the Rowlett Police Department. The primary responsibility of a school crossing guard is to help children safely cross the street as they walk or bicycle to and from school. A well-trained school crossing guard can help to accomplish the following goals:
- Discourage children from behaving unsafely near traffic, such as darting into the street without looking or crossing against a traffic signal. A guard can encourage safe behavior by all pedestrians at the school crossing.
- Use existing gaps in traffic to help students cross safely. When the natural traffic flow does not allow enough time for children to safely cross a street, a guard may need to create gaps by stopping traffic temporarily. The guard stops traffic with hand signals or a STOP paddle, then verbally directs children to cross the street. A guard is always the first person in the street and the last person out of the street.
- Alert motorists that pedestrians are in the process of using the school crossing.
- Observe and report any incidents or conditions that present a potential safety hazard to the school children or the guard.
As such, the Rowlett Police Department provides several crossing guards at school intersections before and after school to keep your children safe.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Sergeant Greg Baldwin at 972-412-6119.