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In 1829, Robert Peel formulated
nine policing principles of law
enforcement. Today, modern
policing rests upon his notion
that the police are the public,
and the public are the police.
It is therefore not contradictive
to suggest that cooperation
between civilian volunteers and
salaried police officers comes as a
natural consequence of shared
interests based on his ethical
guidelines, especially - as is the
case with Speedwatch, the voluntary work is entirely focused on early intervention by means of proactive education before anything else
Police enforcement, on the other hand, should only be focused on areas where it is needed, when it is needed, if it is necessary, and only when other means of preventative intervention are exhausted without success. And, enforcement should ONLY be conducted by police officers, and NEVER in the presence of Speedwatch volunteers.
Integrity rules
There is no direct enforcement involved with the efforts contributed by Speedwatch volunteers. They do not substitute low prioritised enforcement issues with 'policing-on-cheap' solutions. Neither are they "waging war on motorists", nor "retired people with nothing better to do!". Volunteers are recruited from a wide demographic representation of concerned citizens who contribute with their time to make local roads safer for everyone to use. And, by doing just that, they participate selflessly in a noble effort to save lives by raising awareness of the dangers of speeding.
Checks and balances
Every effort is continuously made to safeguard the interests and safety of ALL road users. The benefit of doubt is always on the side of drivers/riders.
Vigilantism amongst Speedwatch volunteers is not tolerated; code-of-conduct is maintained as a highly prioritised, integral part of what is expected of the volunteers' involvement. The online platform automatically manages both groups, offence records, and the supervisory/supportive involvement of the police. This human error-free methodology safeguards the overruling principle that any measurable or suspected inaccuracy is instantly and continuously reported until addressed.
Speedwatch conducted under the national initiative is synonymous with the highest possible level of integrity, honesty, noble intentions, and quality of observational data.
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