School crossing patrol service celebrates platinum jubilee
The School Crossing Patrol (SCP) service celebrates its Platinum Jubilee in 2023 – and Road Safety GB has commissioned a special commemorative badge, logo and certificate to mark this impressive milestone.
The resources have been designed to support SCP Services to celebrate and mark the 70th anniversary of the service. The idea for SCPs came in the late 1940s when two of the newly created road safety officers in the London Boroughs of Dagenham and Barking (Jock Brining and Dorothy Pummell) recognised a growing problem with the safety of child pedestrians given the increasing volume of traffic on roads.
At that time around 90% of children walked to school unaccompanied, and also played out on the streets. Children were advised to ask an adult to see them across busy roads, but Jock Brining had the idea of ‘official’ adults to help children on their way to school at points where traffic was at its worst.
Jock and Dorothy persuaded their councils to agree to the idea and went on to employ ‘active retired gentlemen’ as ‘traffic wardens’, who wore white coats and peaked hats – as worn by park keepers at the time. The idea proved very popular and soon spread to other London boroughs, and as more wardens were appointed the Met Police took over responsibility for the new service.
The SCP service was born when the Government recognised the value of having a service that crossed children at busy and difficult locations…
