Title
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.
Body
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 issue is not unique, given that as of early 2023, the Philadelphia Police Department faced approximately 836 vacancies in its authorized strength of 6,000 officers, with an additional 470 officers unable to perform street duty due to injuries, resulting in a significant staffing shortfall; and
WHEREAS, The City's overall municipal workforce experienced an 8% reduction from 2019 to 2022, reaching its lowest level in over a decade, adversely impacting various public services, es...
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