Parents Get Crossing Guard at PS 54 By HEATHER HADDON PS 54 parents are on a winning streak. As of last week, the Webster Avenue school now has a crossing guard to help kids navigate traffic on Decatur Avenue at 195th Street. “I went to take my daughter to school one day and she [the guard] was there,” said Alexis Brummell, one of the local parents involved in the successful campaign. Brummell and other concerned parents got their first taste of victory recently when they helped secure a speed bump on Decatur right in front of the school’s entrance. A week or two after bringing up the issue with the Department of Transportation (DOT), the bump was installed. But parents still felt that more measures were needed to protect their children — some of whom had witnessed kids nearly being hit by cars, and in one case a couple of years ago, actually being hit. Miriannette Cruz and other PS 54 parents took it upon themselves to act as guards during the morning and afternoons. “About a month ago we decided we needed help,” Cruz said. After consulting with the Fordham Bedford Organizing Project, Cruz went to the 52nd Precinct to request a crossing guard. “We got all the documents together, and a couple of days later, the crossing guard was there,” she said. Since the guard was installed last Monday, Brummell has seen results. “The kids aren’t running out into the street as much, and the cars are stopping,” she said. “She’s really doing the job.” While Cruz too is relieved, she’s not finished yet. She and other parents want another speed bump installed on Decatur, near the busy intersection with the crossing guard, and will be contacting DOT about it soon. In the meantime, the parents have been basking in the rewards of their hard work. “People are asking me, ‘How can you do all this?’” Cruz said. “I hope it’s an inspiration to other parents.”
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