A trial of the use of body worn cameras for school crossing patrols is to be extended, councillors have decided.

A trial of body worn cameras in the county has already had to be suspended twice, because of Covid restrictions.

At a meeting of the county council's highways and environment cabinet panel on Friday (February 5), councillors agreed that the ongoing trial should be extended beyond the summer, should the return of schools was 'unduly delayed'.

They also agreed that the trial could be extended to include a second crossing patrol site elsewhere in the county.

At the end of the trial a review will be undertaken 'to consider whether a wider roll out is proportionate and warranted'.

The issue was discussed by the panel in response to a motion submitted to an earlier meeting of full council by Liberal Democrat Cllr Steve Jarvis.

Speaking at the panel meeting, councillor Jarvis highlighted instances where car drivers have failed to stop for crossing patrols – and instances where they have stopped but returned to abuse them.

And he said: "Presently school crossing patrols are instructed to write all this down in a notebook.

"But – for reasons that are fairly easy to imagine – they find it rather difficult to do that in these trying circumstances, when they are also needing to try and ensure that they continue to keep the children who are waiting to cross the road safe.

"So it seemed appropriate to look at ways that this could be made easier."

According to a report prepared for the panel, the trial 'body cam' was issued to a crossing patrol in Hemel Hempstead in February last year (2020) – following reports of three 'drive throughs'.

One further incident was reported by the patrol later that month, but footage of the 'perpetrator' was not captured on camera.

And councillors were told that the data during the trial had not proved conclusive.

At the meeting panel chair councillor Phil Bibby – executive member for highways and environment – put forward an amendment to extend the period of the trial and to investigate the inclusion of a second site. And this was agreed by the panel.

Road safety programme manager Simon Brown reported that there were 150 crossing patrols across the county – responsible for around 60,000 'duties' a year.

And typically he said they received 15 or 16 reports a year of 'drive-throughs' or verbal abuse.

According to a report presented to the panel, the use of the camera made the 'patrol' in Hemel Hempstead "feel safe".

But it said she was also concerned that it may upset members of the public or change the relationship she had with parents and children.

The report also suggested feedback from other crossing patrols is "not conclusive" – with some welcoming the move and others expressing concerns that it would change their relationships with parents and children.

During the meeting it was suggested that the cost of issuing every school crossing patrol with a camera would be around £105,000.

But Stephen Giles-Medhurst suggested that body cameras with a similar specification could be found online at a lower price.

A number of other local authorities – including Suffolk, Sussex and Essex – are reported to use body worn cameras.

But, according to the report, the county council is not aware of any council that issues the cameras to every patrol.

Body worn cameras can already be issued in an 'emergency' in Hertfordshire, says the report, at sites reporting 'fail to stop' incidents or verbal abuse.