Cumberland Council is launching a region-wide campaign to improve road safety and tackle abuse against public-facing staff, following last year’s successful initiative around road closures and works.
At the heart of this campaign is a powerful message: behind every uniform is a person. Abuse of any kind is unacceptable. The council is urging the public to show respect and compassion for the dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to serve our communities.
To reinforce this message, large posters featuring real council staff will be displayed in reception areas across our highways network and council buildings. These authentic images remind the public that council employees are part of our community, with families who deserve respect and dignity at work.
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, said:
“We want the public to understand that abuse towards our staff, whether verbal, physical or psychological, will not be tolerated. Most of our employees live right here in Cumbria. They have partners, friends, and children in the area. You wouldn’t want your loved one to go to work and feel intimidated or unsafe, and we don’t expect that for our staff either.”
The campaign will be rolled out through pop-ups, posters, digital displays, signage boards on highways, community notice boards, and updates across social media platforms.
To support staff safety and accountability:
- Bodycams will be worn by selected team members to record any abusive behaviour or breaches of traffic management.
- Footage of incidents will be handed to the police for potential prosecution.
- Surveillance technology, including mobile CCTV and signage cameras, will monitor high-risk areas and help deter misconduct.
This campaign begins with the Highways and Transport teams but will expand to cover all council departments in the coming weeks.
