A lack of crossing guards in the city is forcing some Toronto police officers into double duty helping schoolchildren cross streets rather than leaving the job to private citizens or city workers.

As many as 50 officers a day are being asked to fill in as crossing guards, CBC News has learned.

It's happening even as a task force appointed by the mayor has called for the job to be taken off the hands of officers to save about $7 million. That's part of a proposed $100 million cut to the force's operating budget in the next three years.

"The best use of a highly trained police officer's time is not on things like crossing guards, as much as we want to make absolutely sure our children are safe," Mayor Tory said Thursday.

Downloading crossing guard duties to the city or the private sector was just one of 24 recommendations announced in June as part of an effort to modernize the Toronto Police Service. Other measures included a freeze on hiring new officers, downloading life guard and parking enforcement services, as well as the closure of six police stations across the city.

'A tough sell'

Sgt. Jeff Zammit of 14 Division has been filling in at the intersection of Dufferin Street and Gordon Street because of a shortage of crossing guards in his area. He's there about three times a day.

"I make over $100,000 a year to be doing a school crossing that I shouldn't be doing," he said. "An hour in the morning, about an hour and a half to two hours at lunchtime and about an hour to an hour and a half after school," he said.

Crossing guards, meanwhile, make $13.81 per hour and are only paid for the time they work on the street, even though those hours are spread across an entire day. (Martin Trainor/CBC)

The extra responsibility makes it difficult for Zammit and other officers to complete other duties they are responsible for in a 10-hour shift.

Crossing guards, meanwhile, make $13.81 per hour and are only paid for the hours they spend on the street working, even though they are spread across an entire day.

Zammit says that's one of the reasons they are having so much trouble finding people willing to do the job.

"It's almost like a full time job but you're only getting paid for 3-hours, so it's tough, it's a tough sell."

'You can't just have no one there watching'

The shortage is so dire near Niagara Street Junior Public School that there aren't any crossing guards employed to patrol the streets there. Parents there are happy police are picking up the slack.

Ming Lau's daughter is a student at Niagara Street Junior Public School, where there aren't any crossing guards right now. She's happy police are picking up the slack. (Martin Trainor/CBC)

"It's a necessity… you do need the cops to fill in… you can't just have no one there watching." said Ming Lau, whose daughter is a student at the school.

Zammit says his division is so desperate for help with the job that it even took an ad out on Kijiji in late August ahead of the start of the school year, looking for people to fill the job.

"We're eight short for our area alone," he said, despite that measure.

If the TPS gets its way, the crossing guard program, along with it's $7-million budget will be somebody else's problem before the start of the next school year.