Volunteer guards help keep PS 307 kids safe

Every Monday though Friday, rain or shine, volunteer crossing guards Carmelo Velasquez and William DeJesus are out on Eames Place helping students and parents at the Luisa Piñeiro Fuentes School of Science and Discovery (P.S. 307) safely cross the street during the morning drop off and afternoon dismissal.

Following the death of Rylee Ramos on Oct. 24, 2014, the community wanted to take action to prevent another tragedy. Rylee, a P.S. 307 third-grader, was killed when a car hit and pinned her to a “No Parking” sign pole near the school. The accident, which injured nine other people, prompted police to put barricades on the street to block it off during school drop off and dismissal times.

With the support of fellow P.S. 307 parents, Mr. Velasquez first began volunteering, and was originally joined by a second person. When that person could no longer donate his time, Mr. DeJesus, also a P.S. 307 parent, started as a volunteer this fall.

“If I could save a life, I would do it and I would do it from my heart,” Mr. Velasquez said. “These cars speeding on Webb [Avenue], they don’t really care who’s coming across. So, I volunteer my time to give it to them because they deserve it.”

What the volunteers do, could be one of the most important roles at the school.

“The parents trust their child with us,” Mr. DeJesus said, as he stood with Mr. Velasquez in front of P.S. 307 after volunteering during dismissal. “To have that trust, that says a lot …They know what we are doing here. It speaks volumes.”

Mr. Velasquez added that another resident wanted to arrange for him and Mr. DeJesus to get paid for their work. “I really don’t want [any] money…I’m happy to volunteer and take care of these kids and take care of everybody,” said Mr. Velasquez.

Mr. DeJesus nodded in agreement. “You know how I get paid? When the parents and friends come by and say, ‘Hey, good morning’ and they conversate. That’s more of a pay than just money,” he said. “We ensure that kids are safe coming and going home. That’s why we do it.”

Mr. Velasquez works at night as a doorman and Mr. DeJesus works at a nearby shelter, so both are available to help at the school.

Parents and community leaders praised both men for working to keep the children safe. Community activists added that the city needs to do a better job of regulating the traffic.

“Every time a car is coming by, they yell, ‘Watch out. Look out. Watch your back,’” said Pedro Paulino, whose 5-year-old stepdaughter attends P.S. 307. “Every time any official car might come by, like a cop, they tell you to move to the sidewalk, so you won’t be in the street and avoid any bad incidents.”

Annie Reyes, who has a second grader and kindergartener at P.S. 307, said both men are doing a great job at protecting the children. Ms. Reyes said that drivers “pay no mind” to the kids and adults crossing the street. “These cars are like crazy,” she added.

“If they weren’t here, I would have to worry. Maybe I would be worried about a car hitting my son or [somebody] else’s kid, you know. But now, they are got everything under control,” said Jose Maldonado. His 7-year-old son attends the school.

Ms. Thompson, who praised the work of Mr. Velazquez and Mr. DeJesus, said that the city needs to do more to make the area safer for pedestrians. Cars, she said, continue to speed through the area. She added that the speed bumps, which the Transportation Department installed in 2015, should be raised and signs should be located further back on Webb Avenue to alert drivers that they are approaching a school.

“We asked for a crossing guard for the school. But it seems like the smaller schools … they don’t acknowledge, and not just P.S. 307. I think that all the small schools in a small area need crossing guards,” said community activist Lenora Croft.

This will be Mr. Velasquez’s last school year as a crossing guard. His daughter graduates from P.S. 307 next spring and he said that he will volunteer his time at his daughter’s new school.

Since the accident that killed Rylee, the city installed speed bumps on Eames Place and Webb Avenue, posted pedestrian signs and installed sidewalk ramps in 2015, which the Transportation Department listed in a March 2016 presentation to Community Board 8’s Traffic and Transportation Committee.

The Transportation Department forwarded a copy to The Press. The information in the presentation was based on department’s traffic study of the area.

Eames Place and Webb Avenue met the criteria for its “Enhanced Crossing” policy. Some of the criteria included low vehicle volume, one-way streets and sitting adjacent to a school and a library. At the peak hours of 8-9 a.m., Transportation Department researchers counted 132 pedestrians from Webb Avenue to Eames Place and another 102 from Claflin Avenue to Eames Place, according to the presentation.

The plan also called for daylighting to improve visibility for crossing pedestrians and the removal of six parking spots.

According to a spokesperson, the department anticipates making four enhanced crosswalks in January, weather permitting. Two will be located on Webb Avenue to Eames Place and the other two will be on Claflin Avenue to Eames Place.

“We need more guys like them,” Mr. Maldonado said of the two volunteeer guards.