To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOE HOFFMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE JANE CHUNG, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
TITLE
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CITY’S CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM
APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH ALL CITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC. FOR CROSSING GUARD SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $138,158 AND THE TERM AUGUST 19, 2025 TO JUNE 30, 2026
RECEIVE AND FILE INFORMATION REGARDING THE LOCATIONS IN THE CITY THAT RECEIVE CROSSING GUARD SERVICES AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROGRAMMED IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR AND BEYOND
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The proposed Agreement with All City Management Services, Inc. (ACMS) would provide supplemental crossing guard services in the City of Redondo Beach for the coming school year. Specifically, the Agreement would provide contract staffing, each day, for five of the 27 funded crossing guard locations in the City. Crossing guards provide a valuable service in the community by helping ensure safety for the pedestrian community and students who walk to and from Redondo Beach schools. The previous Agreement with ACMS expired on June 30, 2025.
The proposed Agreement was initially presented at the City Council meeting on August 12, 2025 as part of a discussion regarding the contractor’s proposed modifications to the City standard indemnity language. Following the discussion, the City Council directed staff to reject the contractor's proposed indemnity language and require the contractor to accept the City’s Standard Indemnity Provision. Additionally, staff was instructed to prepare a recommendation identifying potential crossing guard locations to be vacated in the event the contractor declined to agree to the City’s agreement terms.
ACMS ultimately agreed to the City’s indemnity requirements, however they noted that their request for changes to the indemnity provision would persist into the future. As such, this report includes staff’s assessment of current crossing guard locations and presents options for the City Council to consider for the coming school year and beyond.
BACKGROUND
On August 3, 2021, the City Council approved a pilot program to utilize ACMS for supplemental crossing guard services. The Agreement enhanced the Police Department’s Crossing Guard program by adding ACMS crossing guards to supplement the City-employed crossing guards.
The Crossing Guard Program is managed by the Special Operations Bureau of the Police Department. Twenty-seven crossing guard locations have been funded in the City’s budget to assist in guiding community members and students across streets, which can become highly trafficked by motorists and bicyclists during peak travel times. Twenty-two of the 27 locations are staffed by City-employed crossing guards. The remaining five locations are covered by ACMS personnel.
The proposed Agreement with ACMS includes an hourly rate for crossing guards that has increased year-over-year from $36.78 per hour in FY 2024-25 to $37.81 per hour in FY 2025-26. ACMS has indicated that there may be times when they are unable to provide staffing for all five locations. On those occasions, the City would only be charged for the crossing guards that are provided, which would result in savings against the estimated annual cost of $138,158. Locations that cannot be staffed by ACMS would be filled using available Police Department resources on a temporary basis.
At the August 12, 2025, City Council Meeting, the City Attorney’s Office advised the City Council on ACMS’s proposed modifications to the indemnity language, specifically concerning the allocation of shared liability between the City and the contractor. Following the discussion, the City Council directed staff to reject the proposed indemnity language and require ACMS to accept the City’s Standard Indemnity Provision. Ultimately, ACMS agreed to the City’s indemnity requirements.
On August 13, 2025, the Crossing Guard Subcommittee (Subcommittee), comprised of two Councilmembers and representatives from the Police Department, Traffic Engineering, and the City Manager’s Office, met to discuss and identify potential crossing guard locations that could be vacated in the event ACMS declined.
The Subcommittee utilized a data-driven approach to assess the City’s existing crossing guard locations. The assessment considered the following criteria:
A. Combined bicycle and pedestrian volume
B. Vehicular volumes
C. Total number of formal, and de facto, lanes that enter the intersection
D. If any approaching street has a speed limit above 25 mph
E. If any approaching street has more than one through lane in each direction
F. If the intersection is signalized or contains an uncontrolled crosswalk (no stop sign or signal)
G. California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD) conditions, which outline standards that may warrant an adult crossing guard at intersections with higher vehicular volumes
H. Engineering assessment in the context of local conditions
Vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian volumes were collected by the Police Department at each crossing guard location during a 90-minute window in the morning school drop-off period. By cross-referencing the Police Department’s traffic analysis with the criteria listed above, 12 locations were identified as having the lowest need. The Subcommittee also noted that, in the event reductions in the crossing guard program become necessary, it would be important to maintain at least one crossing guard at each school site.
The twelve locations identified by the analysis are listed below, in no particular order:
• Flagler and Havemeyer (Jefferson Elementary School)
• Flagler and Morgan (Jefferson Elementary School)
• Harkness and Carlson (Jefferson Elementary School)
• Harkness and Morgan (Jefferson Elementary School)
• Julia and Serpentine (Alta Vista Elementary School)
• Julia and Knob Hill (Alta Vista Elementary School)
• Rindge and Plant (Lincoln Elementary School)
• Robinson and Vail (Lincoln Elementary School)
• Mackay and Nelson (Madison Elementary School)
• Emerald and Lucia (Parras Middle School)
• Vincent and Lucia (Parras Middle School and Redondo Union High School)
• Ralston and Lilienthal (Washington Elementary School and Adams Middle School)
Additionally, the Subcommittee discussed alternative traffic safety measures and initiatives aimed at enhancing student safety, in particular, the AAA School Safety Patrol Program (AAA Program). This program was established in 1920 and is a nationally recognized initiative that promotes pedestrian safety and student leadership. Students, typically fifth to eigth graders, serve as patrollers and assist their classmates to safely navigate school zones.
Patrollers are supervised by Patrol Advisors, typically a school staff member or volunteer, who oversees the daily operations of the program. They also provide training and guidance, coordinate schedules, oversee shifts, and serve as the primary liaison between the school and AAA. During patrol shifts, patrollers are always accompanied by either a Patrol Advisor or an adult volunteer. AAA supports participating schools with all necessary equipment and materials at no cost. The AAA Program has been credited with improving safety around schools and cultivating civic engagement among students. The Subcommittee plans to formally engage the Redondo Beach Unified School District (School District) to propose a collaborative partnership and explore opportunities to implement this program.
The 12 locations listed above could be designated as pilot sites for the AAA School Safety Patrol Program or considered for future removal due to insufficient funding in the City’s Budget. Staff have prepared the following options (three of which would require support from the School District) for City Council consideration:
• Option 1: Limited School Safety Patrol Pilot at 1 or 2 Sites by Early 2026
o The City and School District would partner to implement a pilot program at one to two sites from the 12 locations identified as having the lowest need, with implementation targeted by early 2026.
o If the pilot is deemed successful by the end of the academic year, responsibility for the site(s) would transition from the City to the school(s).
o This would reduce the number of City-funded crossing guard locations from 27 to 26 or 25.
• Option 2: Moderate School Safety Patrol Pilot at 5 Sites in the 2026-2027 Academic Year
o The City and School District would partner to implement a pilot program at five of the 12 locations identified as having the lowest need, beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.
o If the pilot is deemed successful by the end of the academic year, responsibility for the sites would transition from the City to the schools.
o This would reduce the number of City-funded crossing guard locations from 27 to 22, aligning with the number of City-employed crossing guards.
• Option 3: Phased and Expanded School Safety Patrol Program at up to 12 Sites
o The initial program would begin at half of the 12 locations identified as having the lowest need, beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.
o If the six sites are deemed successful by the end of the academic year, the responsibility for the sites would transition from the City to the schools.
o In the following year, the program would expand to include additional sites from the remaining list of 12 locations.
o If both phases are successful, the number of City-funded crossing guard locations could be reduced to as few as 15.
• Option 4: Phased Program Reduction
o If City funding remains limited going into the 2026-27 Fiscal Year, the City Council could consider reducing the number of staffed crossing guard locations in the City and focus on the locations identified in this report as having the lowest need.
COORDINATION
The Police Department coordinated preparation of this report with the City Manager’s Office and the City Traffic Engineer. The City Attorney’s Office approved the Agreement as to form. The Council Subcommittee continues to meet and discuss the crossing guard program and evaluate the feasibility of the AAA School Safety Patrol Program.
FISCAL IMPACT
Preparation of this report is part of the Departments’ annual work plan. Transitioning currently staffed crossing guard locations to a volunteer-based program could save the City roughly $20,000 per location, per year.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Agmt - All City Management Services, Inc.
• Insurance - All City Management Services, Inc.
• Traffic Analysis - Police Department
• Traffic Analysis - Public Works Engineering Division
• Table - Cost Comparison Matrix