|
|
Speedwatch has been in place
for several years, however,
management of the scheme,
collection and processing of
data and identification of risk
drivers who are then targeted
for enforcement has
traditionally been paper based,
taken a great deal of police
officer and staff time and
effort, and has not always
been effective.
Reduction in police resources to coordinate Speedwatch volunteers and antiquated systems led to many volunteers
becoming disillusioned, officers becoming overwhelmed and schemes disbanding. This led to the possibility of
decreased public confidence amongst active citizens in communities who were willing to support the police but
felt the police were not interested in them. Community Speedwatch was crying out for modernisation, effective
technology, and coordination.
The national organisation works to establish common platform where everyone works to the same rules, standards,
follows the same procedures, and produces outcomes in identical, compatible formats. The unified national framework
collates and shares offence data from across the UK. However, it does not substitute the vital role of support and
supervision that the individual police forces play in the partnerships with the groups operating in their local policing area.
Addressing the problem of speeding effectively is a team effort. Speedwatch works together across boundaries with
local and national authorities to reinforce the message that speeding is a criminal offence, dangerous, antisocial,
and unacceptable. Local policing authorities play a vital role in this partnership. Without it, Community Speedwatch
cannot work
The tool-set used to engage law-abiding citizens make a difference
CSW Online and Community Speedwatch UK provide a gateway to the national partnership designed to make consistent volunteering
efforts worthwhile on a grand scale. A coordinated, uniform, and joined-up effort will primarily have a much greater impact
on de-normalising speeding, and secondly focus the police efforts on pursuing the minority of drivers who ignores the educational attempts.
Although automation of Speedwatch activity from roadside-to-letterbox will maximise the elimination of human errors caused by
incorrect observation and misinterpreted information, it is NOT a service to replace the highly visible community volunteers.
People standing at the roadside are the heart and soul of the scheme. Being seen by drivers speeding past the teams at the
roadside is the element that sends the message across that antisocial behaviour and dangerous driving have a severe negative
impact on other people's lives and wellbeing.
|
|
