Recently another group attended the Castle Sports Complex for the Community Speed Watch Training Session.
Leading the initiative in South Holland as the Community Speed Watch Police Support Volunteer for South Holland, this initiative is certainly working.
It gives volunteers the power to track speeding motorists, Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Marc Jones thought this would be a great idea for Lincolnshire.
Many villages can now see their efforts are already showing, the team have concentrated on areas given to them and feel they have now started to achieve the aim which they set out to do.
Many have said how pleased they are in the way the teams have grown and how amazed they are of their achievements to date.
Parish clerks have expressed their interest from the beginning in this initiative and immediately got involved thinking it will be a fantastic opportunity to encourage drivers passing through villages to keep within the statutory speed limits.
Within days of them launching many residents have come forward, offering to give up their time to attend the training session to volunteer.
All volunteers who are interested in carrying out the speed checks working as a team are being encouraged to get in touch and will be invited to another training session on April 29.
Once volunteers have attended the training session, three volunteers at a time will be able to take readings in places designated by the Community Speed Watch co-ordinator.
Volunteers will be able to move around different locations in the community and work closely together.
The data recorded by the guns is sent to Lincolnshire Police who immediately send out letters to those found to be breaking the speed limit. A third letter to a particular driver is hand delivered to the door by a police officer. In South Holland we are already seeing the changes, a small percentage of first letters have been sent to speeders, as yet no third letters have been given.
It is a well known fact, here in South Holland, the majority of those found speeding in speed watch schemes are those that live in that area.
This is about educating drivers and challenging their behaviour.
We are working with the council to help get teams for Spalding town centre and hope people will come forward to work together in teams in areas they are concerned about.
We are still encouraging volunteers to come together to work with speed guns which Lincs Road Safety Partnership and the police feel will improve safety in built up areas around South Holland.
If you would like to get involved call me on 07779895388 or email [email protected]
Jan Whitbourn
