School Safety Patrols

School safety patrols appeared along with the rise of automobile ownership. They are the most ubiquitous of the various types of youth organizations directly impacting public safety. Students as young as 9 years old were routinely assigned to traffic and crossing guard duty on the streets adjacent to their elementary schools. In addition to safeguarding children on their way to and from school no matter the weather, their duties might include: keeping the peace on school buses; assisting younger children getting on and off school buses; and maintaining decorum along school hallways. In his boyhood, former President Jimmy Carter was a member of his school’s safety patrol and assigned to bus safety and decorum activities. This chapter explores these topics through illustrations and the availability of various resources for the protection of pedestrians and motorists.