A new campaign is seeking to combat the rising levels of abuse and aggression faced by school crossing patrols in Buckinghamshire.
‘Respect Me’ has been launched by Buckinghamshire County Council on the back of an increase in the number of incidents reported in 2019.
In December alone, 12 cases were recorded – including drivers refusing to stop, or experiences of aggression or abuse.
As part of the campaign, the council’s 60 lollipop men and women are wearing new orange tabards bearing the ‘respect me’ slogan.
Meanwhile, residents are being encouraged to support their local patroller by reporting any incidents they witness.
Buckinghamshire County Council says its patrollers are valuable members of their communities.
Mark Shaw, deputy leader and cabinet member for transportation, said: “It’s important to not only raise the awareness about the fantastic work done by our school crossing patrollers, but also talk about the difficulties they face.
“Any case of abuse or aggression is one too many in my book, so I’m firmly behind the new campaign.
“We hope that communities will continue to support their local patroller and that more people will want to help ensure everyone crosses safely.”
Details of how Buckinghamshire residents can report incidents are available on the county council website.
What happened to the SCPs’ ‘STOP’ signs which had discreet cameras on them to detect and prosecute offenders?
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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