Police to recruit army of villagers to crackdown on speeding cars (From The Northern Echo)

Police to recruit army of villagers to crackdown on speeding cars

12:33pm Wednesday 25th August 2010 in

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A CAMPAIGN giving people the chance to help police crackdown on speeding motorists is being rolled out across County Durham.

Community Speed Watch - a scheme that gives villagers the power to take the law into their own hands by catching speeding drivers - has been hailed a major success since it started last summer.

Anyone "caught" speeding cannot be prosecuted, but offenders usually receive a letter from the police warning them to ease off the accelerator in future.

Durham Police say the scheme is designed to address public concerns while educating and encouraging drivers to change their behaviour.

Speed Watch only operates in areas subject to a 30mph or 40mph speed limit and the community volunteers operate under the supervision of a police officer or Police Community Support Officer.

Equipped with a Speed Indication Display (SID) unit - which uses a camera to catch speeding cars - the volunteers monitor traffic from the roadside and collate details of any vehicles travelling at excess speed. Offending drivers cannot be prosecuted on the basis of results obtained under Speedwatch, but may receive warning letters advising them they were found to be driving too fast.

Chief Inspector Andy Huddleston said: "Local people are telling us this is an initiative which works very well, and that they want to play a greater part in how this equipment can be used.

"We are now rolling out training to so that volunteers can perform additional checks."

The data from the operation is then assessed by the force's traffic management specialists, who then decide if any further action is required.

The necessary equipment is now in place and available for use across every sector of the force area, with the most recent campaign launched in Lanchester.

The project has been part-funded by Durham County Council, through the Co Durham and Darlington Road Casualty Reduction Forum.

Dave Wafer, the council's traffic manager, said: "Our communities continue to raise concerns about vehicle speeds and this initiative is showing some excellent early results.

Anyone interested in taking part in Community Speedwatch should do so via their local PACT meeting, details of which are available on the force website www.durham.police.uk