Children walking to school have the help of Alton “Ruth” Reese, a school crossing guard with the Gastonia Police Department for 27 years.
The GPD currently only has seven school crossing guards who provide an invaluable service to the community. Some GPD police officers have school traffic safety duties and the crossing guards fill important gaps at various intersections in the mornings and afternoons while school is in session.
“You have to be there - they are counting on you,” Mrs. Reese said.
In the past she’s worked as a school crossing guard at York Chester Jr. High, but she’s currently helping with traffic safety at Pleasant Ridge Elementary. “It’s a new school, and we’ve got a lot of traffic,” she said, explaining that an officer handles one location and she handles the Spencer Avenue and Floyd Lane intersection.
A typical day for her is to get up, go to the school, eat lunch with her grandson, Jordan, then go back to the school crossing in the afternoon. Her grandsons Ben and Jordan Reese, are both Gastonia Police Officers. “I’m really proud of them,” she said.
She wears a brace after a knee injury that prevented her from working for about six months, and stays seated in her car until she sees kids and traffic. “Most parents take their kids to school so you have to wait and see how many kids will need your help crossing the street. I just live about a block from the school crossing.”