The school safety patrol system using older elementary school children to help younger children navigate the streets was created much earlier than one would expect. The program dates to 1920, a time when there were relatively few cars on the roads.
The children were taught to role model safety on the streets and share safe practices with younger children. From the beginning, safety patrols learned to direct children as to when it was safe to cross the streets; they were never to try to direct traffic.
Today some communities still have a Junior Safety Patrol program, but school districts have generally turned to hiring adult guards who can have authority over the children as well as the traffic.
Patrol Solves an Early Safety Problem
There were relatively few cars on the road during the third decade of the twentieth century, but because there were no systematic rules for traffic it created chaos on the streets.
People learned to drive through trial-and-error, and states did not yet require driver’s licenses. (By 1935, only 39 states required drivers to have licenses, and most did not require testing to qualify for a license.)
There were also few ways to control traffic. Some communities erected “stop” signs, but the first traffic signal was not even invented until 1915. Most communities did not see the need for the electronic devices initially, so the signals appeared slowly, mainly in major population centers.
Pedestrians were also part of the problem. People on foot were accustomed to crossing wherever it was convenient. Children were particularly prone to this, darting into traffic without thinking of the consequences.
The First Junior Safety Patrol
More than one location claims to have been first with a safety patrol program, but St. Paul, Minnesota’s program gains credibility because there is full documentation of the process they went through to create the program.
To begin, the city council assigned a full-time staff person to oversee it. Frank Hetznecker was appointed to serve as head of the St. Paul School Police. He spent several months working with school principals to create what the program should be. He also worked with students in refining the way they could be trained to safely help others while also protecting themselves.
Street crossings were to occur at specific street corners where patrols were stationed. The patrol then checked for cars and waited for them to pass before starting the younger children across the street.
While both public schools and parochial schools use school safety patrols, one of Hetznecker’s biggest advocates was Sister Carmela Hanggi, principal of the Cathedral School in St. Paul. She was an early proponent of the program and was very helpful in providing suggestions and input. As a result, Hetznecker set up the first monitored crossing (February of 1921) at the biggest intersection near the Cathedral School.
That first year, the St. Paul school police signed up 750 students to participate. The program was deemed a success and was adopted city wide.
St. Paul made a big commitment to the program, assigning Hetznecker to it full time. He invested a lot in his work and arranged for picnics and parades for the patrol boys (and eventually girls) who served.
Other cities that were early in this movement were Omaha (1923) and Seattle (1928).
Becoming a National Program
By the 1930s, the American Automobile Association took over sponsorship of the program and created a unified program that could be used throughout the country. They also sponsored rallies and parades to build enthusiasm for the program. For many years, an annual parade was held in the nation’s capital.
As the program standardized, a pledge was added:
“I pledge to report for duty on time, perform my duties faithfully, strive to prevent accidents, always setting a good example myself, obey my teachers and officers of the patrol, report dangerous student practices, strive to earn the respect of followers.”
Initially, only boys could become safety patrols, but this changed over time. Starting in the late 1940s, girls seem to have been added on a community-by-community basis. In Davenport, Iowa, a school principal is quoted in the local paper The Daily Times (May 20, 1952): “We have found that the girls seem to take more interest in their duties,” said Sister Edigna, principal of the St. Joseph School. “They remain at their post and they don’t play while on duty.”
The Sister said that the girls have only one complaint: “When meetings are held for the school patrols, the boys dominate the sessions.”
The Sam Browne Belt
If you ever served as safety patrol, then you well remember the patrol belt. Initially they were off-white, and the straps were made of webbing. The belt section went around the waist, and there was a shoulder strap that went over the right shoulder. A silver Junior Safety Patrol badge was worn on the shoulder strap.
The belts were named for British General Sir Samuel Browne (1824-1901) who lost his left arm in battle. This disability made it difficult for him to draw his sword, because in the late 19th century, a soldier would use one hand (usually the left) to steady the scabbard while the right hand withdrew the sword.
With only one arm, Browne couldn’t do this, but he wanted to remain in the military. After testing different systems, he added a belt that crossed over his shoulder to anchor the scabbard so it was steady enough that he could remove the sword with only one hand. This gave him an additional idea. He had D-rings added for a holster for his pistol and a small leather case for binoculars. They were attached in such a way that he could remove either using only his right hand.
Soldiers saw the merit of Browne’s system, and they began copying it.
Belts for Students
From early on, the Junior Safety Patrol program issued the belts to students for the duration of their assignment. Student patrols took great pride in having the belts. Part of their duty was keeping the belt clean and the badge polished. Some patrol groups also used garrison caps for the patrols. These, however, were difficult to keep on one’s head, and students were required to wear them folded over their belt when not being worn.
At the end of the assignment, all patrol items were turned in and passed on to the new group of volunteers.
Today the belts are in the same design but they differ in color. Most are made of lime green straps that are reflective. (Some districts still use a reflective orange.) Districts that issue hats now hand out baseball caps. Some cities where the weather is often inclement make certain that the students are issued reflective waterproof ponchos.
Despite these changes, one aspect of the program remains the same: Students do not direct traffic, they help other students understand when it is safe to enter roadways.
Today there are 654,000 children serving as safety patrols in 34,500 schools throughout the United States, according to a AAA spokesperson.
To read about how car seat belts eventually came about, read The Crusaders who Campaigned for Car Safety.
For more stories about schools in the past, read Remember Duck & Cover?
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Great story, Kate! I wanted to be captain of our safety patrol because it had a shiny blue badge… Thanks for posting!
When we think back to what motivates us when we’re young! Thanks for commenting.
has any children ever gotten hurt as a safety patrol?
That’s a very good question. I will look into it later, but now I will open the question to other readers.
Oh, I just started a blog post about being a patrol girl during the 1950s. How I wish there were a photo of some of us with our patrol belts on from those days. I remember a meeting about it where where we not only got instructions, but we were given ice cream sandwiches as a treat. I’d never had one before. Our duty was to guard kids from the traffic on busy White Pole Road in the tiny town of Dexter, Iowa. (I’ll include a link to your delightful story on my blog post.)
Instructions and ice cream sandwiches! They knew the way to get the attention of 11- and 12-year-olds!
Thanks for linking…
Kate
When I was in 6th grade in MN in 1962-3, I was selected to be the “girl” school patrol captain. We had the white belts and badges but also had flags on poles that were used to help stop traffic. The summer before 6th grade I was sent to school patrol camp for a week at no cost. It was Camp Legionville in Brainerd MN, which was great, and still exists.
I had not heard about the flags…that owuld have been a huge help! Great that there was a training camp.
Kate
Interesting. Our mother, who went to school at the Cathedral School, told us she had some responsibility for the beginning of a school patrol there when she was ten years old. Somehow she got a broken clavicle from being knocked down. I can’t remember if it was a car or a boy on a bicycle. It happened in 1910. The incident, probably one of multiple incidents, inspired a nun with authority to put things in motion.
Wow….thank you for posting. The details your mother shared with you totally fit with this history. I’m so glad to hear her story.
When we think about traffic today, I marvel at the fact that it was dangerous then, too. So amazing!
WOW I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT WHEN I WAS A PATROL BOY IN 5TH, AND 6TH GRADE I BELIEVE 1974, 1975 SAN DIEGO CA. SHERMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IT AN AWESOME MEMORY FOR ME FOR A FEW REASONS, MY OLDER BROTHER WAS A PATROL BOY A YEARS BEFORE I BECAME ONE, SO I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO JOINING HIM, BUT I THINK HE DROPPED OUT BEFORE WE COULD PATROL TOGETHER, BUT MY FIRST YEAR THE SD POLICE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF TRAINING US ORGANIZED ROLLS OF THREE FOLDING CHAIRS, THE FIRST CHAIR ON THE LEFT WAS FOR A SERGEANT, THE SECOND SEAT IN THE MIDDLE WAS FOR A CORPORAL, AND THE LAST SEAT ON THE FAR RIGHT, WAS FOR A PRIVATE, BUT I WAS ABANDONED AT BIRTH BY BOTH PARENTS, AND RAISED IN A BRUTAL, VIOLENT FOSTER HOME, AND MY FOSTER PARENTS, NEVER HAD A PLAN FOR MY FUTURE, OR ANY DESIRE TO TEACH ME ANYTHING, THEY ONLY ATTEMPTED TO BREAK MY SPIRIT IN ONE WAY, OR ANOTHER, SO COMPARED TO OTHER STUDENTS, I WAS SLOW, AND VERY LATE TO BLOOM, SO I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS WHAT, I WAS JUST EXCITED TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING EXCITING, AND AWESOME, SO WHEN THIS SAN DIEGO POLICE OFFICERS IN CHARGE PLACE US IN OUR PERSPECTIVE SEATS, IN MY ROLL HE SAT MY BIG BROTHERS FRIEND HUGO IN THE FIRST SEAT, THE SERGEANT SEAT, THEN HE PLACED ME IN THE SECOND, AND MIDDLE CORPORAL SEAT, AND THEN HE PLACE POPULAR BLOND HAIR BLUE EYED BOY MY GRADE JERRY GARBER IN THE FAR RIGHT PRIVATES SEAT, KEEP IN MIND I WAS KIND OF A SHY KID, WITH A FALSE SENSE OF INFERIORITY, BLUE GREEN EYE’S LIGHT BROWN SKIN, AND JUST WANTED FRIENDS, BUT JERRY GARBER, WHO WAS PLACED IN THE PRIVATE SEAT KEPT ON BUGGING ME TO SWITCH SEATS WITH HIM, AND I WOULD HAVE SWITCHED SEATS WITH HIM THE FIRST TIME HE ASKED, BUT I WAS VERY INNOCENT, AND FELT A LITTLE GUILTY SWITCHING SEATS AFTER THE POLICE OFFICER ASKED ME TO SIT THERE, PLUS I FELT KIND OF SECURE SITTING NEXT TO MY OLDEST BROTHER’S FRIEND, BUT JERRY GARBER KEPT ON NAGGING ME, SAYING HE WANT’S TO TALK WITH HUGO, AND AS IT WAS, HE WASN’T EVEN FRIENDS WITH HUGO, MY BROTHER WAS, BUT TO THIS DAY, IVE ALWAYS BEEN A SUCKER GOING OUT IF MY WAY FOR EVERYBODY, BUT MY SELF, NOT SO MUCH TODAY, AS MUCH AS BACK THEN, BUT NEVER THE LESS I GAVE IN, AND SWITCHED CHAIRS WITH JERRY GARBER, BUT KEEP IN MIND, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN’T WANT TO SWITCH SEATS, DUE TO I FELT A SENSE OF SECURITY SITTING NEXT TO MY OLDEST BROTHER’S FRIEND, BUT I ALSO FELT A SENSE OF STRUCTURE BEING PLACED IN A DESIGNATED SPOT BY SAID POLICE OFFICER, BUT STILL HAD NO IDEA, I WAS SWITCHING FROM A CORPORAL’S POSITION TO A PRIVATE’S POSITION, I ADMIT, I WASN’T SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, THAT SAID, IF JERRY GARBER WAS NICE ENOUGH TO ME, EVEN IF I DID KNOW I WAS DEMOTING MY SELF, I WOULD HAVE STILL SWITCHED SEATS WITH HIM, ANYWAYS TO MY SURPRISE, THAT POLICE OFFICER IN CHARGERS WAS SO SHARP, WHEN HE CAME BACK TO CHECK ON US, HE NOTICE JERRY GARBER, AND I SWITCHED SEATS, AND ASKED JERRY GARBER: DID I PLACE YOU IN THE CENTER SEAT, JERRY GARBER STUTTERED A BIT TRYING TO MAKE EXCUSES, BUT THE POLICE OFFICER FIRMLY ORDERED US TO SWITCH BACK, AND TOLD JERRY GARBER, THAT HE DIDN’T WANT TO SEE HIM DISOBEY ORDERS AGAIN, AND EXPLAIN HE CHOSE HUGO AS THE SERGEANT, ME AS CORPORAL, AND JERRY AS PRIVATE, THAT’S NOT ONLY WHEN I CAUGHT ON, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HAD MY FIRST SENSE OF JUSTICE, AND EVEN THOUGH, IT WAS AN AWKWARD MOMENT, AND I FELT BAD FOR JERRY GARBER, IT TOOK YEARS LATER TO REALIZE HOW COLD, AND CALCULATING OF A KID JERRY GARBER WAS, AND AS I THOUGH EVEN DEEPER, MY OLDEST BROTHER HUGO WASN’T ANY BETTER FOR NOT HAVING MY BACK, OVER JERRY GARBER ATTEMPT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME. WHEN I TURNED 13 I JUMPED ON A GREYHOUND BUS, AND RAN AWAY FROM MY BRUTAL FOSTER HOME, STRAIGHT TO HOLLYWOOD, AFTER A FEW YEARS IN HOLLYWOOD, I MET THE MOST INCREDIBLY, AWESOME GIRL IN THE WORLD, HAD A SON, AND DAUGHTER, FOCUSED A 100% ON RAISING THEM DESPITE MY BEST FRIEND CONSTANTLY NAGGING ME TO GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT I NEVER RELENTED, BUT WHEN MY BEST FRIEND PASSED AWAY, I WAS SO DEPRESSED THAT MY LONG LOST LITTLE SISTER SET THIS FACE BOOK PROFILE FOR ME, I IGNORED IT, AND NEVER LOGGED ONTO IT FOR OVER A YEAR, BUT MY KIDS MOVED OUT, GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, AND ON THEIR OWN, SO I GOT CURIOUS ONE DAY, AND TOOK A PEEK, AND NOTICE A FEW KIDS FROM MY CHILDHOOD SHERMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SAN DIEGO WERE SEARCHING FOR ME, WHERE HUGO FRIENDED ME, A FEW YEARS LATER I FOUND JERRY GARBER, WHERE I FRIENDED HIM, AND SENT HIM A PRIVATE MESSAGE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, BUT STILL NEVER GOT A RESPONSE FROM HIM, IT LOOK’S LIKE HE BECAME A CITY BUS DRIVER, MY OKDER, MIDDLE BROTHER BRIAN, AND I USED TO RUN INTO JERRY GARBER, AND HIS BIG BROTHER AT JACK MURPHEY STADIUM WHEN ATTENDING PADRE GAMES, BUT THEY WERE NEVER FRIENDLY WITH US. SO AFTER MY FIRST YEAR, I BECAME A STAFF SERGEANT, AND THIS FEMALE CLASS MATE OF MINE HORTENCIA GALVEZ THAT HAD A CRUSH ON ME BECAME THE TOP RANK OF LIEUTENANT, SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND I LOOKED UP TO HER, BUT ONE DAY IN OUR PATROL ROOM, THIS PATROL GIRL, SUSAN SCARBOROUGH, A BEAUTIFUL HAWAIIAN GIRL, I ALWAYS LOOKED AT AS A GOOD FRIEND, OR ONE OF THE GUYS, PUSHED ME AGAINST THE WALL, AND STARTED MAKING OUT WITH ME, I ENDED UP FINDING HER ON FACEBOOK, AND FRIENDING HER, I ALSO ENDED UP FINDING HORTENCIA GALVEZ, BUT UNFORTUNATELY NOT IN TIME CAUSE SHE PASSED AWAY, BUT IT WAS NICE TO HEAR SHE WAS ALSO VERY SUCCESSFUL IN HER ADUALT LIFE. ANYWAYS, I’LL NEVER FORGET, HOW AWESOME IT FELT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING SO COOL, I’LL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST FEELING OF FRINDS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME, BUT MOSTLY I WILK NEVER FORGET THAT POLICE OFFICER CARING ENOUGH TO KNOW, I WAS GETTING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, AND JUSTIFYING THE SITUATION, EVEN THOUGH JERRY GARBER WAS WHITE, AND THE OFFICER WAS WHITE, AT THE TIME I DIDN’T KNOW ANY BETTER, AND WOULD HAVE BEEN OK WITH THE OFFICER NOT HAVING MY BACK, BUT IM GLAD HE DID, CAUSE IT’S WAS AN AWESOME INSTANCE OF HOW I WANTED TO RAISE MY KIDS TO BE. I’LL NEVER FORGET, I CARRIED A LONG STAFF, THE OTHER TWO KHDS I LED, CARRIED STAFF’S WITH THE OCTAGON SHAPE STOP SIGN ON THE END, WE WOULD MARCH A COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY FROM SCHOOL, I WOULD BLOW THE WHISTLE AROUND MY NECK ONCE, AND ONE KID WOULD LOWER THE SIGN STOPPING TRAFFIC, WHILE THE OTHER KID WOULD CROSS THE STREET KITTY CORNER, AND POST UP ON THAT CORNER, WHEN I BLOW THE WHISTLE TWICE, THE KIDS PULLED THEIR SIGNS UP, ALLOWING TRAFFIC TO PASS. I WAS ALSO IN CHARGE OF GETTING TO SCHOOL EARLY, SOMETIMES WHEN THE SUN WASN’T EVEN UP, TO GET THE AMERICAN FLAGG OUT OF THE OFFICE, AND RAISE IT ON THE FLAG POLE, AND AFTER SCHOOL LOWER, REMOVE, FOLD IT PROPERLY, PUT IT AWAY, I WAS EXTRA PROUD OF THAT. CHEERS TO ALL YOU PATROL BOYS, AND GIRLS, THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIENDS, I THOUGHT THEY’D NEVER END ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Thank you for telling what happened to you. You deserve so much credit for all you’ve done. You got out of a bad situation and made a good life for yourself…Raising two kids who went to college? Congratulations. That’s a lot.
I’m so glad the officer had your back. You deserved to have someone watching out for you… And what’s more, it sounds like your patrol group had a lot of responsibility. You were obviously helping kids cross a very busy street. My own experience was at a school where there wasn’t too much traffic. As a patrol, we needed to be vigilant but it wasn’t as busy as what you describe.
Thank you for posting….and I send all good wishes to you.