Opinion: Why school crossing patrol officers are so important

It is a sight that we all see and take for granted - a school crossing patrol officer stepping calmly into the road, holding up that familiar round sign and children cross a busy road in safety.

Most motorists happily play their part, but not all – which is why Suffolk County Council’s new campaign, Lollipops Aren’t Just For Children, is so important.

From Monday March 2, we are reminding drivers across the county that when a patrol officer steps into the road and raises that sign, it is not a suggestion. It is the law.

We have seen incidents that are as disappointing as they are alarming.

In Ipswich, an officer was verbally abused by a teenage cyclist on two consecutive afternoons after she politely asked him to dismount and walk his bike across so she could safely hold traffic. In Lowestoft, a man not only shouted abuse but spat on the footpath towards a patrol officer. Outside a school on Maidstone Road in Felixstowe, an officer who had stopped traffic to allow families to cross was subjected to abuse alongside a couple in a small red car who were simply complying with the law.

This sort of behaviour is as ludicrous as it is unacceptable. No-one should have to face this sort of behaviour while just doing their job.

Legally, under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, motorists who fail to stop can face a fine of up to £1,000 and three penalty points while in more serious cases, a driving ban is possible.

The Highway Code is equally clear: drivers must stop and allow pedestrians to cross safely.

These officers – more than 55 of them across Suffolk – are there in all weathers to protect children, parents, grandparents and, crucially, any pedestrian who needs to cross safely.

That is something many people forget: their powers are not limited to pupils travelling to and from school. They can stop traffic for anyone.

After trialling a small number of body-worn cameras we are now rolling them out across the county.

Over the next six weeks, you will see and hear the campaign – on the backs of buses in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, and Lowestoft, on Heart Suffolk radio, and across social media.

You can also watch videos on the Suffolk County Council YouTube page of crossing patrol officers themselves explaining why they value their role.

But this campaign is about more than enforcement. It is about respect and patience, recognising that a few seconds spent waiting at a raised stop sign are a small price to pay for someone else’s safety.

It also connects directly to our wider ambition for Suffolk: to make it easier and safer for people to walk, wheel and cycle.

We are investing in that wider vision through schemes such as Active Travel Woodbridge, improvements along Princes Street and Nacton Road in Ipswich, the Elmswell to Woolpit connection, and Quietways routes including Barnby to Carlton Colville and Onehouse to Woolpit. Each project is about giving residents genuine choice in how they travel.

We are also building on the success of our active travel social prescribing pilot in Ipswich and Lowestoft by rolling out free walking and cycling activities across Suffolk.

That includes guided walks for beginners, family-friendly cycle sessions, bike confidence training, and opportunities for those returning to cycling after years away from the saddle. For some, it is about physical health. For others, it is about mental wellbeing or tackling isolation. For many, it is about rediscovering their local area at a human pace.

As spring arrives, there is no better time to step outside and consider leaving the car at home for shorter trips. Choosing to walk, wheel or cycle is not about forcing change; it is about offering options.

But those options only work if people feel safe, which is why this campaign matters so much.

When drivers slow down, stop and show respect, they are not just obeying the law – they are helping to build the safer, more active Suffolk we all want to see.