Laverstock & Ford Parish Council saw their inaugural Community Speedwatch get underway this month after some initial setbacks.
Local Cllr and Parish Council vice-chair Laura Jones was determined to ‘get it done’ despite nearly a two-year hiatus in being able to get the ‘go-ahead’ for volunteers training, with paperwork and system changes proving a challenge.
As volunteers met with PCSO’s Geanina Tablet and Jenni Moss for their first trial of monitoring a stretch of road in Ford with a Speed Gun, Cllr Jones noted that “although it has been a challenge getting started, it has proved more than worth it. Local residents, who are willing to volunteer a small amount of time each week now have the chance to help monitor speeds with ‘state of the art’ speed detection equipment in their own community."
Throughout the hour-long session, drivers stopped to thank the group and comment on the speeds they witnessed as residents while cycling, walking their dogs, or waiting for the school bus with their children and grandchildren.
Laura added, "The Roman Road through Ford is one of our chosen spots for a Speed indicator Device, and last month’s figures show that one car drove through on a weekday afternoon at over one hundred miles per hour.”
Community Speedwatch (CSW) is a national initiative in which, in partnership with the police, members of communities use detection devices to monitor local vehicle speeds. The volunteers report drivers exceeding the speed limit to the police with the aim of educating drivers to slow down.
Community Speedwatch only takes place where there is an identified speeding issue in 20mph, 30mph, or 40mph speed limits.
PCSO Jenni Moss, who was there to support the group with her colleague, stated, “While Community Speedwatch is not Speed Enforcement (this can only be conducted by trained and qualified Police staff), it is the next best thing, and we have heard so many people this morning talk about how worried they are by the amount of people who are driving cars at speed through residential areas. It’s been great to chat with so many people this morning about community safety in which community speed watch plays an important role”.
If you’d like to join the community speedwatch team in Laverstock & Ford, you can contact Laura Jones, who is the team leader, via laurajones@laverstockford-pc.gov.uk, or if you live elsewhere, you can contact your nearest group, or get help setting one up in your community via the PCC website: https://www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/volunteer/community-speedwatch/
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