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Southwell Community Speedwatch volunteers hope for more collaboration with police to better target speeding motorists




A town’s speedwatch volunteers completed more than 30 patrols in 2024 — and going forward hope for a more collaborative approach with police.

Southwell Community Speedwatch gave an update into their activities at a meeting of the town’s Safer Neighbourhood Group on January 23.

In 2024 the group — which has seven active members — carried out 31 patrols at eight locations, totalling 28 hours and 37 minutes.

Southwell’s Speedwatch Group clocked motorists driving at up to 46mph in 30mph zones.
Southwell’s Speedwatch Group clocked motorists driving at up to 46mph in 30mph zones.

This was one more patrol than they’d carried out in 2023, but two hours 30 minutes less.

A total of 258 drivers were issued with warning letters throughout the year, as they were travelling at speeds of 33mph or above in 30mph zones.

“We’re grateful to PCSO Richard Dunn for consistently and promptly sending out the letters,” Paul Mackintosh, of the speedwatch group, said.

“It equated to a case every seven minutes in 2024… there’s no evidence to suggest patrols at any locations should cease. Our public feedback strongly advocates for action.”

The highest speed recorded by the group was 46mph — 16mph over the limit — which was described as “worryingly high”.

At the meeting, the group also raised concerns over police data and policy which they had not been able to access — and asked questions of Inspector Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, who had been invited to attend.

The group queried how community speedwatch groups’ data was factored in to police action, and what the metrics were for the police deploying the radar van.

The group had previously submitted FOI requests to the force requesting warning letter data — which had come back with figures which were obviously too low — and radar van deployment in the Southwell area — to which they were told the information was not available.

Paul Mackintosh added that the group were currently “unable to programme their activity around police activity” and that a collective effort would be able to better use the resources they’ve got.

Inspector Ellam confirmed data was held for the van deployments and she would provide this to the speedwatch group, and that while data for warning letters was “not readily available as an all-force number” it was held individually by area and would provide this to the group.

She explained a new system was in the early stages of development for collating force data, which will hopefully improve issues with the group accessing and using the force’s data going forwards.

On request of the group, the Inspector will also raise the possibility of a feedback function within the system.



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