KINGSTON – The Kingston Common Council has placed $27,000 back in the city’s 2010 spending plan to reinstate the school crossing guards that were cut from the police department’s budget.

Common Council President James Noble said they wanted to be sure the money was in place before re-appropriating it.

City resident Maryann Parker said the crossing guards are a means of protecting children on the way to school.

“Crossing guards are for the safety of the children because they are the eyes and the ears and they keep the roadways safe so children can pass and I think without the crossing guards, you would end up having bodily injuries; the kids would end up in harms’ way.”

Noble said that the issue will continue to be discussed with the school system, possibly to reach an agreement to share the cost of implementing crossing guards, but for now making the funds available is a matter of public safety.

“We have that money in there for an emergency and if you look at it I think this was pretty much an emergency.”