Council signs contract for crossing‑guard backup, launches AAA school‑patrol pilots and directs outreach

The Redondo Beach City Council approved an on‑call contract to continue supplementing city crossing guards and asked the council—s crossing‑guard subcommittee to work with the Redondo Beach Unified School District to pilot AAA (school safety patrol) student patrollers at selected locations.

Council unanimously approved a services agreement with All City Management Services (ACMS) for as‑needed crossing‑guard staffing for the 2025–26 school year. The contract is hourly and not‑to‑exceed $138,001.58 for the term 08/19/2025–06/30/2026; staff said charges will reflect actual hours worked and that the city will use ACMS only to cover absences and short‑term gaps.

Background and options considered: the city currently staffs 27 crossing‑guard locations; 22 are city employees and five are contract‑supplied. A council subcommittee reviewed traffic counts, pedestrian/bicycle volumes, lane approaches, traffic control and other safety criteria and identified 12 locations that staff considered good candidates for the AAA school patrol program. AAA (fifth–eighth grade students supervised by an adult advisor) is a long‑established national program that trains young volunteers to assist classmates at crossings while an adult monitors the posting and safety.

Council directed staff to pursue a phased approach and public engagement rather than immediately removing guards. Staff presented four options: (1) test AAA at one or two sites in 2026; (2) pilot five sites in 2026–27; (3) phase half the 12 candidate sites in 2026–27 and the rest in 2027–28; or (4) if funding is constrained, reduce city‑staffed locations beginning in 2026. Council asked the subcommittee and staff to: engage the school district on a bridal a/school‑patrol partnership, identify pilot locations and schedule, and return with a recommended implementation plan and community outreach strategy.

Police Captain Michael Martinez said code enforcement and police will continue to cover unstaffed intersections as needed and that the department will support undercover buys and enforcement actions when required. Councilmembers emphasized that the AAA patrol is not a cost‑cutting substitute for careful safety review; they framed it as a community partnership that could reduce long‑term program costs while providing students with leadership opportunities.

Formal vote: Council approved the ACMS contract and the staff recommendations to pursue AAA pilots and outreach, 5–0.