Delaware County crossing guard resigns after attack in Darby Borough, Pennsylvania
Outrage is growing after a school crossing guard was punched and knocked unconscious in front of children earlier this week in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Darby Borough police said the guard was chased and attacked Monday afternoon while helping students cross the street after school. A driver got out of his car and targeted her after he became angry about having to wait, officials said.
The victim worked for Safe Corridors, a volunteer-driven nonprofit founded in 2012 that provides school support and mentoring. Risa DeSilva-King, the nonprofit's chief of operations, said Safe Corridors employs about 60 crossing guards across the city of Chester, the borough of Darby and the borough of Sharon Hill.
DeSilva-King said the victim is traumatized and has resigned because she no longer feels safe.
"This is the first time we've had a crossing guard intentionally assaulted by a member of the community," DeSilva-King said. "We were completely shocked, disgusted and dismayed."
Now, the person stepping into that role said the job feels more dangerous than ever.
"I gotta be visual," Larry Cottrell, the new crossing guard at the intersection, said. "I gotta constantly look around, my surroundings."
He's now working at the same Darby Borough intersection, South 6th and Walnut streets, where the attack happened. Cottrell said the attack is troubling.
"It wasn't right for the kids to see something like that," he said.
In response to the attack, Safe Corridors is now working with state Sen. Anthony Williams' office on proposed legislation that would classify crossing guards as first responders and require a minimum sentence for anyone who assaults them.
"I think the job of a crossing guard can be pretty dangerous, especially depending on the community where that crossing guard is working," DeSilva-King said.
The organization is also reevaluating safety measures.
"One of the things I learned is that supplying the crossing guards with walkie talkies would be a great start, so they can call in for help," Jonathan Abdur-Rahim King, the founder of Safe Corridors, said.
DeSilva-King said Safe Corridors provides monthly professional development to its crossing guards and safety advocates.
"I have always instructed our crossing guards to maintain their professionalism," DeSilva-King said. "That includes not going back and forth verbally with aggressive drivers because that can escalate a situation. Based on my interactions with this crossing guard, as well as my review of the video, this crossing guard was not aggressive with the driver verbally or otherwise. And so this attack was totally unprovoked."
After school dismissal on Thursday, people in Darby showed support with kind words and appreciation.
"Crossing guards are very valuable to the community," Tiffany Spisak from Colwyn said. "Not a lot of people respect stop signs, so it's very important to have crossing guards out there just to make sure the kids are safe."
Cottrell said he's prepared if the suspect returns.
"I'll be waiting for him," Cottrell said. "If he comes at me like that, I'm going to defend myself."
Police are asking for the public's help identifying the suspect. Sen. Williams' office is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
"Increasingly in our society standards of respect and dignity are collapsing, for a man to hit a woman who is at least six to seven inches shorter and probably close to 100 pounds lighter," Williams said. "I thought the suspect was cowardly in how he ran away. We need to send a message to a generation that possibly thinks it's OK to do that, that they need to rethink how they handle their frustrations and how they approach people they have difference of opinions with."