La Crosse police “desperate” to fill crossing guard positions ahead of school year

Police call the need “desperate.”

La Crosse Police Captain Jason Melby said that’s accurate in relation to filling crossing guard positions in the city ahead of the upcoming school year — a sometimes a hard job to fill.

“It’s a position that, you’ve got a couple hours in the morning, you’ve got a couple hours in the afternoon — and it breaks up the day,” Melby said. “So, it’s kind of hard to find somebody to commit to a position like that.”

Police are looking to fill a position at the George and Gillette street intersection, plus some substitute crossing guard positions.

There are six remaining crossing guard positions in the city.

The number of crossing guards in the city has been whittled down to just a half dozen over the years.

Absent a guard, the city’s Civilian Service Employees are pulled from parking and other responsibilities to handle crossing duties.