Parents At Lower Manhattan School Still Waiting For Crossing Guards

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Parents at a Lower Manhattan school who have been asking for crossing guards claim the city placed a temporary guard there after CBS2 coverage for one day, but then the guard disappeared.

As CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, the intersection at Peck Slip and Pearl Street is bustling with young children and parents at dismissal time.

And though there are pedestrian crosswalk lights, "My son and I almost got hit by a bus, MTA bus, and we actually were watching the light but it ran the light twice," said Stephanie Adams.

Adams said it's a very busy roadway.

"We have the FDR Drive, we have the Brooklyn Bridge," she said.

An NYPD traffic officer was stationed one street up from the school, closer to the Brooklyn Bridge entrance, but no one at Peck Slip and Pearl, Gainer reported.

"We had a guard one day. We didn't have a guard another day," said Megan Malvern, who is on the PTA executive board.

Following CBS2's report on the lack of crossing guards two weeks ago, parents said there was a temporary guard placed at the intersection -- but for just one day.

After signing hundreds of petitions to get guards at several schools in the Financial District, they're frustrated, Gainer reported.

Two weeks ago, the NYPD said there was money in the budget to add crossing guards, but they just hadn't found qualified applicants to fill the positions.

Now, the department said they're still working on it, and that it's a process that involves screening and takes time.

"In a city of 8 million people with retired police officers, paramedics, servicemen, I find it strange that we can't find someone who would want the job that comes with benefits," said Malvern.

Thursday night, many parents will be making their voices heard at an NYPD community meeting. The NYPD said it's happy to answer questions at the community meeting.