East Lansdowne crossing guards equipped with body cameras following safety concerns

East Lansdowne crossing guards equipped with body cameras following safety concerns

Crossing guards in East Lansdowne have begun wearing body cameras after repeated safety complaints and a rise in aggressive behavior from drivers.

EAST LANSDOWNE, PA. - Five East Lansdowne crossing guards are now equipped with a new piece of backup: a body-worn camera.

For three years, Albert Gilliard has stood at the intersection of Penn Boulevard and Emerson Avenue, serving as a watchful eye for local students. But lately, his role as a crossing guard has felt increasingly dangerous, telling FOX 29 that drivers "threaten to hit" him. 

"It’s beneficial, you need it, because people don’t care," he said, speaking of the cameras. 

Rising aggression

The decision to outfit guards with cameras comes after repeated safety complaints and a troubling trend of motorist aggression, according to East Lansdowne Police Chief James Cadden. 

The urgency peaked last month after a crossing guard in nearby Darby was physically punched by a driver, Cadden said. 

What they're saying:

"What a time we are living in when we have to put body cameras on crossing guards," he said. 

The body camera program is designed to be cost-effective and integrated, plugging directly into the police department’s existing camera infrastructure, according to Cadden.

The program costs the borough approximately $1,000 to $2,000 annually and was funded in part by a state grant.

The body cameras are just one piece of a "layered" security strategy in East Lansdowne, Cadden said, which also includes:

• 41 new AI traffic cameras: Recently installed throughout the borough to monitor road activity.
• Integrated systems: Body camera footage is synced with the department's existing evidence software.
• Strict protocols: Guards are trained to activate cameras whenever they feel unsafe, though their primary priority remains the immediate protection of the children.

Chief Cadden issued a stern warning to those who might disregard the safety of student commuters and the guards who protect them.

"We are going to leverage everything we have—technology, training, teamwork, artificial intelligence—to bring them to bear," he said. "They will be identified, they will be apprehended and [they will be] introduced to the justice system."