By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



If you’re willing to help children by standing in the middle of the road during rush hour in rain, heat, snow and even some nice weather, the Gardendale Police Department (GPD) has the job for you.

With school starting back in 18 days, the department is in dire need of two additional safety officers.

“You have to have a big heart to do the job,” said GPD Lt. Marty Brown, who oversees the traffic guards. “We’re asking them to bring a little bit of order into the chaos.”

School traffic can certainly be chaotic, especially in Gardendale where school construction and road work will still be in full swing when school starts back Aug. 12.

Gardendale High School is under construction and workers are still working on the project to widen Mt. Olive Road, which affects the entrances to Gardendale Elementary and Bragg Middle schools.

Gardendale safety officers were formerly called crossing guards. However, Brown said, there are few children who walk to school in the area, so Gardendale’s safety officers don’t actually help very many children cross the street.

“We demand more out of ours,” Brown said. “They do more traffic control than most crossing guards.”

The safety officers control traffic at Snow Rogers and Gardendale elementary, Bragg Middle and Gardendale High schools. They also work special events in Gardendale like the Christmas parade, football games and Magnolia Festival.

“Our main goal is to get traffic in and out as quickly as possible,” said Hazel Butts, head crossing guard. She has worked traffic in Gardendale since 1965. “You have to love kids to do this job.”

Brown acknowledged the dangerous aspect of the job. He knows of at least three safety officers who have been hit by cars, although none were seriously injured.

Although safety officers have no police authority, they can report offenses to the police department.

“There are some traffic offenses if not criminal offenses” for disobeying safety officers, Brown said.

Butts said working as a Gardendale safety officer is ideal for retirees or for stay-at-home parents who have children in school.

There are two shifts Monday through Friday: Approximately 7:15-8:10 a.m., and approximately 2:40-3:40 p.m.

The guards get paid for two hours each shift, even if they do not work that long. The pay is $9.70 per hour. They are employees of the Gardendale Police Department.

The city provides all uniforms, weather gear and safety gear. Safety guards get eight to 10 weeks of training before they handle traffic on their own.

To learn more, call Lt. Marty Brown or Hazel Butts at 631-8787.