Suffolk school crossing officer feels “more reassured” after safety campaign rollout
The “Lollipops Aren’t Just for Children” campaign has been in place for two weeks
A Suffolk school crossing officer says she feels “more reassured” after the introduction of safety measures aimed at protecting staff on busy roads.
Lyn Gorrara, who works in Ipswich, has been speaking two weeks after the launch of Suffolk County Council’s “Lollipops Aren’t Just for Children” campaign.
The campaign, which reminds drivers they must stop when instructed, has also seen the rollout of body-worn cameras for crossing patrol staff.
Ms Gorrara said the changes are already having an impact.
“I’m more reassured because if we do have a particular bad incident, we can report it,” she said.
“It’s definitely slowed down a bit… I would say it’s calmed down somewhat.”
"I’ve had swearing, shouting, driving through almost…"
She said the introduction of body cameras follows years of concern from staff on busy crossings.
“I asked for body cams about a couple of years ago because where we cross in Ipswich, it’s incredibly busy,” she said.
But despite the improvement, she described how crossing patrol staff have faced abuse while carrying out their duties.
“I’ve had swearing, shouting, driving through almost… I’ve been in the road, and they’ve (the driver) continued coming. So yeah, it’s scary at times,” she said.
Drivers can also become frustrated when they are stopped without seeing children crossing immediately.
She said some of the comments thrown her way have included “Where are the children, why are you stopping me?”, adding incidents often involve “a lot of hand gestures as well”.
School crossing officers are required to stop traffic for all pedestrians, not just children and they're there for everyone's safety, a message Ms Gorrara wanted to get across.
Ms Gorrara, who has worked on crossings near Broke Hall Primary School for nine years, said dangerous behaviour is often driven by impatience.
“All we’re doing is stopping you for a few seconds of your time,” she said.
She added that in some cases she has had to warn pedestrians not to cross when drivers fail to stop.
“Sometimes there’s been children involved, and I just put my arm out and say, wait, they’re not going to stop.”
Despite the challenges, she said the role remains an important part of the community.
“The children… are really lovely… it’s like a little community,” she said.
Her message to drivers is simple: “Just be kind… we all have to use the road.”