Speedwatch

Speedwatch report by Tony Harris - since our last report, I have met again with the Herts Police Neighbourhood Policing Team, this time at Royston Police Station. They have taken my Police Volunteer Vetting Application which is currently being processed. During my visit I was introduced to an established Police Volunteer who has kindly agreed to work with our group and assist in some of the administrative work. This is of great advantage to us as we will not have to wait for database training, as this person can undertake this side of the work for us. The next step for the group is to meet again, hand over each member's completed Police Vetting Application and then run a few workshops. The meeting is arranged for 15th November in The Church Room at 7.00 pm. The workshops will decide who will form each team of 3 Speedwatch volunteers, the locations to be used and the dates and times of monitoring sessions. The idea is to have as much input in the organisation of the group's activities, from the group members themselves - democracy rules! It takes time to organise meeting with our friends at Herts Police as we have to fit in with their working shifts. This means waiting until one of the officers is working evenings so they can be at our group meetings. Clearly, I have to arrange the group's meetings in the evenings allowing enough time for members to get home from work etc. At our next meeting, the officer concerned is actually giving up some of his own time to be with us after his shift ends. Having recently spoken with the people at Herts Police responsible for forwarding our applications for Police Vetting, it transpires that this process often takes 2 - 3 months to complete. This is a great disappointment and causes us a considerable delay in getting started. Help from the Parish Council enabling the Group to utilise its bank account for our Herts In Trust grant application has saved considerable effort, time and cost. The Parish Council's bank details have been included in our application for grant and if we are successful, then the funds will be deposited here. I am led to believe from Herts In Trust that our grant application has been completed to a suitable standard with all information required being provided. I also understand that the Herts In Trust board meets some time during November to consider applications and make their awards. Work commitments and the poor health of two of our volunteers, means that effectively we now have 13 members, so more volunteers are required. I will be seeking the assistance of the group to drive up membership. An interesting development was the opportunity to use the Speedwatch group to work alongside the Neighbourhood Watch initiative. A couple of calls from Councillor Vince Styles regarding for example suspicious vehicles in the village, has meant that their description has been circulated to all members of the Speedwatch group. They are now all aware of these vehicles and of course, if we were actively operating monitoring sessions, then there would be a good chance of spotting such vehicles if they were driving along the High Street.

14.11.11	Having collected a considerable amount of data on speeding vehicles, our group and the Herts Police worked together to target those persistent speeding drivers who have chosen to ignore their previous warning letters. Knowing the locations, times and directions of repeated speeding vehicles, our local Safer Neighbourhood Police Team set up a conventional speed control session using a speed gun. Three Police officers manned the session and speeding offenders were stopped and ticketed with fixed penalties and points on their licences. It's seems strange that some drivers chose to totally ignore the warning letters sent previously and continue to drive at such excessive speed through our village. But, they can't say they weren't politely advised to curb their speed. We are confident that those drivers caught by the Police, will in future drive through Barkway with more consideration for the safety of others. The Speedwatch team at Barley have further developed the Speedwatch software, making it so much easier and faster to record data on the police systems and for the warning letters to be produced. Whilst it is still in trial mode, we are looking forward to it's full adoption across the whole of Hertfordshire. The Herts Police Team continue to provide our group with excellent support and despite the colder weather, our teams continue to operate.

12.08.11	It seems ages ago since the first Barkway Speedwatch monitoring session took place, in March this year. The aim has always been to reduce the number of speeding vehicles in our village, thereby improving the safety and quality of life for everyone. We have always known that the project would not eradicate speeding altogether. But the plan was to reduce speeding noticeably and create a more peaceful living environment. The months have rolled by and the number of sessions has grown. We do not operate everyday. But we do operate at every opportunity. Thanks to our growing team of volunteers, we have been able to run countless sessions and hopefully educate dozens of speeding drivers. So what is the impact? When a speeding vehicle is recorded, the registration is identified, logged and the registered keeper is written to. There are no fines and no points on licences. The project relies on drivers behaving responsibly. From the information collected so far, it seems that the first warning letter, in most cases, seems to work, as the number of times the same vehicles are recorded at excessive speeds for a second time is low. Those vehicles that are recorded for a second time are sent a final warning letter. These vehicles demand a more focussed attention by the Police. The sessions tell the Police the date and time these vehicles are recorded as speeding, giving the Police the opportunity to target those vehicles with their own enforcement activities. These activities of course do involve fines and points on the licences, but they were warned. However, the number of speeding vehicles is falling. Initially, the volume of speeding vehicles soon filled a page of data. More recently the sessions have been run for an hour and a half yet only a similar number of vehicles have been recorded. As mentioned, the first warning letter seems to be working and although we cannot educate every driver who happens to pass through our village, we are having a positive impact. So who are these speeders? No it's not residents of Barkway. There are some, but surprisingly not that many. Most of the vehicles pass through from neighbouring areas. Many vans are recorded as some of the drivers seem oblivious to what is going on around them. Some are too busy on their mobile phone to notice the speed warning sign. Even buses have been recorded. The Barkway Speedwatch Group has worked well with our local Police, who have been supportive and fun to work with. They have provided all the help asked for and without their help the project would never have started or have been sustained. We have to thank our local Councillors who have given us great support and many other people who have also contributed. Thanks to all the Speedwatch volunteers who give generously of their time and efforts, the project continues. We would love more people to join us - the more the merrier . Just call Tony Harris on 01763 848771.

16.06.11	Royston Crow article

09.06.11	Yesterday, the unveiling of a large banner designed by children of Barkway VA First School took place at the north end of the village. The event, organised in conjunction with the Police and Barkway Parish Council as part of the Speedwatch project was attended by Councillors Bob Davidson and Jo Cockerton, PC Nic Musto, Christopher Greening and Lucy Cockerton, Annie Jordan and Oscar Berry - the three children whose designs were incorporated in to the banner. In addition to the banner at the north end, banners are also in place at the south end by Barkway Service Station and at the entrance to the village in Royston Road. The cost of producing the banners was met by Barkway Parish Council as part of its support to Tony Harris and the Speedwatch volunteers.


06.06.11	The Speedwatch team has been carrying regular checks of vehicle speeds in Barkway and the results of the last session carried out on 3rd June are: Location: London Road Direction: North Time:17.30 - 19.00. Results: 23 vehicles recorded. Highest: 55 mph Average: 41.7 mph. Whilst it is still early to gain a full impression of the impact of the project, the indications are that few drivers reported for speeding are being reported for a second occasion. It is hoped that this means the message is getting through. General feedback from residents is positive and there is a feeling that speeds have reduced - not to an acceptable level yet, but reduced nonetheless. Continued thanks go to Tony Harris and his team of volunteers - more volunteers would be welcome and can become involved by contacting Tony Harris through this website

21.04.11	The Speedwatch project, under the guidance of Tony Harris, has now been operating in the village for nearly six weeks and whilst it is probably too early to draw any significant conclusions from the 10 sessions so far, the figures produced by the group are very interesting. A total of 157 vehicles have been recorded as exceeding the speed limit - with a highest speed of 65mph being recorded. The average speed of those vehicles recorded was in the region of 41mph - far too high for village like Barkway. The team remain committed to this project and are convinced that this process of education and persuasion will in the long run have a major benefit to life in Barkway.

	Today six of the volunteer team met at The Tally Ho with our police colleagues Nic Musto and Paul Marina. We were joined by representatives from the Royston Crow and Hertfordshire Mercury who were interested to hear about our project and see us in action. Also supporting the project today were councillors Bob Davidson, Gordon Baker and Steve Alsop. The team set up the monitoring equipment close to Barkway Service Station in London Road at 11.30 am. Luckily for us the police provided us with two sets of equipment, so we were able to monitor traffic in both directions simultaneously. Having spent some time at this location and with help from Bob Davidson we moved the equipment to Royston Road, again monitoring traffic in both directions. We finished monitoring just after 2.30 pm, so we gave the session quite a bit of time. In all we recorded 26 vehicles travelling at excessive speed. The highest speed recorded was registered at 54 mph! The average speed recorded for all the vehicles was just over 40 mph. The list of vehicle registrations has been sent to our co-volunteer at Royston Police station, Bill Davidson, who will now be sending out the police letters to the registered owners of the speeding vehicles. My sincere thanks to everyone involved today, it was a great team effort! Tony Harris - Speedwatch Coordinator 15th March 2011

03.03.11	Barkway Speedwatch under the direction of Tony Harris and the Police commenced operations in the centre of Barkway High Street at midday today. A group of 6 volunteers, with equipment provided by the Police, monitored the speeds of vehicles for about an hour and had the desired effect of slowing down the traffic. One car had a recorded speed of 41mph - much too fast for this part of the village. Funding is now being sought to purchase equipment so that Tony Harris and his team can carry out frequent speed checks in the village at agreed times and places. In the meantime, equipment provided by the Police will be used. The media is very interested in this project as it is believed to be the first of its kind in this County. A publicity day is being organised in order to obtain as much local interest as possible, with the press and perhaps Anglia TV expected to be involved, It is also hoped to enlist the support of our local MP, Oliver Heald. The Parish Council would like to, once again, acknowledge the hard work that has been put in by Tony Harris and his team and, as with all voluntary exercises, help is always needed. So, if anyone would like to become involved in Barkway Speedwatch, contact may be made through this website.

25.02.11	The Parish Council is pleased to report that within days, Barkway Speedwatch, will begin monitoring speed within the village. Barkway will be the first Speedwatch Group in Hertfordshire, with groups in Royston and Ashwell coming shortly, and thereafter across the whole County The Speed Watch Volunteers, under the co-ordination of Tony Harris, will begin checking traffic speeds at different times of the day, at different points in the village. The objective is to educate drivers to reduce their speed, not catch those who choose to ignore speed limits. Speeding vehicles will be logged and reported to the Police, and letters of caution issued. Persistent offenders will be identified by the police for prosecution. A central Cross-County record will allow the Police to identify if a vehicle has been recorded speeding elsewhere in the county and take appropriate action. The Parish Council wish to thank Tony Harris and Sgt Jon Vine of Royston Police for their hard work in getting the group together, the commitment of Royston Police and of course the stalwart members of the Speedwatch Group, who have come forward to pursue proactively reducing vehicle speeds through the village.
22.11.10 The Barkway Speedwatch group met again with the Herts Police on Monday 15th November. All members have submitted their Police Volunteer applications, which are now being processed by Herts Constabulary. During the meeting, the group also agreed upon the best locations for the monitoring devices to be sited, along with days of the week and times of day that the monitoring sessions will be run. The application for a grant to purchase the equipment required has been submitted and we are currently awaiting the outcome. An item about the Speedwatch initiative was broadcast recently on National TV News. The Wiltshire Police, along with their local Speedwatch group of volunteers, gave an insight and answered questions about their activities. Although Barkway will not be the first in the country, we will hopefully be the first in the county

01.11.10 Speedwatch report by Tony Harris - since our last report, I have met again with the Herts Police Neighbourhood Policing Team, this time at Royston Police Station. They have taken my Police Volunteer Vetting Application which is currently being processed. During my visit I was introduced to an established Police Volunteer who has kindly agreed to work with our group and assist in some of the administrative work. This is of great advantage to us as we will not have to wait for database training, as this person can undertake this side of the work for us. The next step for the group is to meet again, hand over each member's completed Police Vetting Application and then run a few workshops. The meeting is arranged for 15th November in The Church Room at 7.00 pm. The workshops will decide who will form each team of 3 Speedwatch volunteers, the locations to be used and the dates and times of monitoring sessions. The idea is to have as much input in the organisation of the group's activities, from the group members themselves - democracy rules! It takes time to organise meeting with our friends at Herts Police as we have to fit in with their working shifts. This means waiting until one of the officers is working evenings so they can be at our group meetings. Clearly, I have to arrange the group's meetings in the evenings allowing enough time for members to get home from work etc. At our next meeting, the officer concerned is actually giving up some of his own time to be with us after his shift ends. Having recently spoken with the people at Herts Police responsible for forwarding our applications for Police Vetting, it transpires that this process often takes 2 - 3 months to complete. This is a great disappointment and causes us a considerable delay in getting started. Help from the Parish Council enabling the Group to utilise its bank account for our Herts In Trust grant application has saved considerable effort, time and cost. The Parish Council's bank details have been included in our application for grant and if we are successful, then the funds will be deposited here. I am led to believe from Herts In Trust that our grant application has been completed to a suitable standard with all information required being provided. I also understand that the Herts In Trust board meets some time during November to consider applications and make their awards. Work commitments and the poor health of two of our volunteers, means that effectively we now have 13 members, so more volunteers are required. I will be seeking the assistance of the group to drive up membership. An interesting development was the opportunity to use the Speedwatch group to work alongside the Neighbourhood Watch initiative. A couple of calls from Councillor Vince Styles regarding for example suspicious vehicles in the village, has meant that their description has been circulated to all members of the Speedwatch group. They are now all aware of these vehicles and of course, if we were actively operating monitoring sessions, then there would be a good chance of spotting such vehicles if they were driving along the High Street.

24.09.10 The number of Barkway Speedwatch volunteers has now increased to 15. On Monday 20th September, 12 of the volunteers met with our local police officers to listen to a presentation and to watch a demonstration of the equipment. A speed monitoring device was set up in the High Street at the junction with Church Lane. Volunteers were shown how to set it up, monitor and record speeds of vehicles. Whether it was the device or the high visibility vests of the Police that had the impact, vehicle speeds dramatically reduced the moment drivers became aware of their presence. The device can register speeds of vehicles from a considerable distance and it was amusing to see the speeds of vehicles rapidly reduce as the drivers became aware of the situation. This was just a demonstration, so the drivers can relax on this occasion as no details were kept. The volunteers are now to be registered with the Police and as soon as this is completed we plan to launch Barkway Speedwatch in earnest.
11.08.10 Speedwatch Vehicles travelling at excessive speeds through Barkway have been causing real concern for the community for some time. So it’s good news that a team of 11 Barkway volunteers, working with Hertfordshire Police, is to take part in a new initiative called Speedwatch. The volunteers will work in groups of three to monitor speeding vehicles and to record their registration details. Police advisory letters are then sent to speeders, but relax, no fines or points. Persuasion by education is the emphasis of this initiative. However, the Police will follow up with other action if there are repeat offenders. The next step is to organise a meeting with all the volunteers and the police team involved. The volunteers will then be registered with the police and trained. At the same time we need to purchase the equipment and decide upon the locations to site it. More volunteers are needed. If you feel you would like to be involved, please call the Barkway Speedwatch co-ordinator Tony Harris on 01763 848771

13.06.10 If you would like to get involved with Community Speed Monitoring, would like more information, have any fundraising suggestions or wish to pledge a donation towards the purchase of the equipment, please use our "contact us" page.

21.05.10 This month Herts Police rolled out Community Speed Monitoring in our area. This involves the community purchasing and operating speed monitoring equipment using volunteers and the Police issuing warning letters to those caught speeding. Repeat offenders will be investigated by the Police. The Police and the Parish Council believe that this could be a major step in reducing speed in our village and may enable us to minimise the implementation of permanent traffic calming measures. The community would need to raise £2500 to purchase the equipment, which is operated in a non-confrontational manner by a minimum of 3 volunteers. We would therefore need a pool of approximately 12 volunteers willing to be trained to implement, manage and operate Speedwatch in Barkway.