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Crossing-guard coordinator urges more police presence at Hamilton Elementary after near-miss incidents
Summary
A crossing-guard coordinator and longtime volunteer told council that drivers regularly fail to stop at Hamilton Elementary crosswalks and asked for coordinated enforcement from police and the safety service director.
Dominic Carian, a crossing-guard coordinator who said he has worked in Elyria for about 10–11 years and served 28 years as an auxiliary deputy with the Lorain County Sheriff's Department, urged Elyria City Council on Sept. 2 to increase law-enforcement presence at Hamilton Elementary after several near-misses.
Carian described multiple incidents in which drivers failed to stop for crossing guards and said children sometimes run into the street. “One of these days, one of them kids gonna get hit,” he told council. He asked council to coordinate a meeting with Police Chief Walsh and the safety service director to discuss enforcement and scheduling; he suggested short, visible enforcement periods around school arrival and dismissal times.
Councilmember Armstrong and others echoed the safety concern and urged coordination with the police chief and safety-service office. Armstrong noted the traffic unit has recently had staffing disruptions but supported additional enforcement at Hamilton, saying the driver behavior is “highly disrespectful to the parents and the children in that area.”
City staff said they would try to coordinate such a meeting to evaluate enforcement options and the crossing schedule; no formal motion or funding request was made at the Sept. 2 meeting.
