1 Overview
School crossing patrol officers are better known as a 'lollipop' person. They are employed by West Sussex County Council to help children and other pedestrians cross the road safely when walking to and from school.
2 Becoming a school crossing patrol officer
School crossing patrols play an important part in the life of the community. There is often a need in the area for patrols or for reserves to cover absence.
At 125 sites in West Sussex, school crossing patrol officers are employed at the start and finish of each school day. Although exact times vary from site to site, the commitment is usually 30-40 minutes each morning and afternoon when children are walking to and from school.
The rate of pay is £12.65 per hour. They only work in term time, so the salary is spread equally over 12 months. This ensures that the pay is the same each month, even over the summer holiday and half terms with public holidays included.
Uniforms and training are provided and there is no upper age limit.
3 Requesting a new crossing
If you have a concern about a road and would like to request a school crossing patrol, email us the location where pupils find difficulty crossing.
We will carry out an assessment taking into account the number of pupils crossing, the volume of traffic and any special site characteristics.
The school crossing patrol team will recruit a patrol officer if the results of the assessment meet the national criteria for new sites.
4 Body worn cameras
School crossing patrol officers help children and other pedestrians cross the road safely on their way to and from school. Recently, patrols have faced more problems, including:
- dangerous driving
- drivers ignoring crossings
- verbal abuse
- injuries while carrying out their duties
We tested the use of cameras to help manage these types of incidents at several sites and had positive feedback.
To help keep children, pedestrians and school crossing patrol officers safe, some patrols in West Sussex now wear body worn cameras while they work.
We have chosen the patrol sites that use the cameras based on reports of incidents. This helps us use our resources where they will do the most good. We will review the locations every year and may move the cameras if we need to.
The school crossing patrol officer wears the camera on a holder across their chest, so you can see it easily. We also display clear signs at patrol sites to tell people that we may use body worn cameras.
The cameras can help prevent problems from happening. If an incident does take place, the recordings can give video and sound evidence for the police.
The cameras are only there to improve safety. They are not used to monitor children or school staff.
The school crossing patrol officer cannot watch, access, edit or delete any recordings. The camera is a sealed unit, which means people cannot view footage on the device.
At the end of each shift, the recordings upload automatically to a secure cloud system. Only authorised managers can access the system.
We automatically delete recordings after 28 days unless they show evidence of an incident. We can provide a recording to the police if they request it from us.
If we need to keep footage as evidence, authorised staff will only view the part they need. They will search for it by the date and time of the recording. The Transport Provision team notes when people access footage so we can check and audit this.
We handle all recordings in line with data protection laws and West Sussex County Council policies.
Find out more about how we use data.
5 Advice for parents and guardians
The responsibility for ensuring children are safe when walking between home and school always rests with parents, even where school crossing patrols are employed.
Please remember that a patrol officer might be absent at short notice. A reserve might be able to cover the duty but it is not always possible.
You can help the patrol officer by:
- teaching your child to wait on the pavement and follow instructions
- teaching your child to cross in front of the officer
- making sure your child behaves sensibly and does not distract the officer
- asking your child to dismount from bikes and scooters before they cross the road
- setting a good example yourself
Sites are kept under periodic review and may be closed following consultation and reasonable notice if they are no longer considered to be justified. This might be following the installation of a light-controlled crossing.
6 Advice for pedestrians
School crossing patrols can help anyone cross the road, as long as they are at a designated site and operating at the approved times.
When crossing with a patrol officer, pedestrians are asked to:
- stand well back while waiting to cross the road
- not follow the patrol officer into the road - wait for instructions to cross
- cross in front of the patrol officer
- never play or run near a patrol officer
- dismount before crossing the road if using a bicycle or scooter
7 Advice for motorists
Please give our school crossing patrols consideration and assistance. They are there to help vulnerable children and other pedestrians to use our roads safely in all weathers.
Remember to:
- park well away from the crossing site, so that the patrol can see clearly in all directions
- reduce speed and be prepared to stop
- obey instructions
- stop your vehicle when asked to do so and do not roll forward
- wait until the patrol has returned to the pavement before moving off