The School Crossing Patrol
| Published date | 01 April 1958 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X5803100209 |
| Author | W. H. Lamb |
| Date | 01 April 1958 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
116
THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
the name of the school being altered as appropriate. and transmission
began one minute after the motor cyclist had told Control Room that
he had received the signal to start from where he had been concealed.
Humour helped the demonstration along; when the motor cyclist
returned from searching for the man mentioned in the message, he
pointed to the pannier bag on his machine and said the man was in
there. Unsophisticated. but so were the children. The success of the
demonstration was largely due to the willing co-operation of the school
teachers and the motor cycle patrolman. It will obviously have no
immediate effect but if repeated at two-year intervals it could lead to
increased use of the 999 system and better co-operation with the
public.
It
also acted as a reminder to the children that there is more
to the police force than the policeman they see pedalling his cycle
every day, as many had never seen a police car or motor cycle.
One question had the demonstrators baffled; after staring in silence
at the radio one small boy solemnly asked where the wires were that
led to the sky?
The School
Crossing
Patrol
By SERGEANT W. H. LAMB
Nottinghamshire Special
Constabulary
DURING
a recent business trip to Holland. I was very impressed
to see in Amsterdam that pedestrian crossings are controlled by
senior schoolboys when school-children are using the crossings. These
boys, equipped with a white "Sam Browne" belt. lapel badge and
small baton. were doing the job so well that one could not help com-
paring this original and economical method with our own school cross-
ing patrol and its attendant staffing problems.
The
scheme interested
me so much that I contacted the Chief Commissioner of Police of
Amsterdam, who very kindly gave me the following information.
The
practice of employing senior schoolboys in this work was first
adopted in 1947 following a visit by an Amsterdam Police Officer to
Grand Rapids, U.S.A.. when he saw this type of control in operation.
As in other countries. following the considerable post-war increase
in road traffic, it was necessary to introduce school crossing wardens
in Amsterdam. and it was suggested that the American idea be
adopted. In the first instance. however. there was a good deal of
opposition from school authorities and school teachers, who feared
that the responsibility would be too great for the children to undertake.
but eventually the Headmaster of a private elementary school took
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