Community Speedwatch Schemes
Date of request: 14 February 2021
Reference: 201/21
Request
I request information regarding Community SpeedWatch
- In what year was the first Community SpeedWatch Schemes established within the Avon & Somerset Constabulary area as it is now known?
- How many Community SpeedWatch schemes are registered within the Avon & Somerset Constabulary area and how many of those submitted data in 2018, 2019 & 2020 respectively?
- How many Community SpeedWatch members are registered within Avon & Somerset Constabulary.
- Who is responsible for managing Community SpeedWatch volunteers and schemes?
- How are Community SpeedWatch schemes set up and what is the training process for volunteers?
- How often is training required to be undertaken?
- Please supply the rules and codes of practice that Community SpeedWatch volunteers are required to comply with.
- How are vehicle details recorded, processed and stored when identified as exceeding the speed limit by Community SpeedWatch members?
- How many Community SpeedWatch warning letters were sent out in 2018, 2019 and 2020? I request a breakdown for each year respectively.
- Community SpeedWatch letters have offered free course funded by Avon & Somerset Constabulary, which can be booked online at www.roadsmart.org How many people signed up for courses, how many attended a session and how many sessions ran in 2018, 2019 & 2020? I request information for each year and the locations of those sessions.
I am specifically interested in the Community SpeedWatch scheme at Weston-in-Gordano and request the following information.
- When was this Community SpeedWatch group set up, is it still active and if not when did it end? How many members have there been in that group and on what dates did they submit data for sessions in 2018, 2019 and 2020?
- What number of vehicles were recorded speeding during each sessions?
- Google street view shows two signs in Weston-in-Gordano, one near Church Close and the other near Gordano Motor Services. Both signs display the Avon & Somerset Constabulary Crest, the words “Avon & Somerset Constabulary SPEED WATCH” a number and below that the words “Drivers reported this week”. During 2018 and 2019 the signs displayed various numbers most weeks. Where were these totals obtained from and how do they compare to the data submitted by the Community SpeedWatch scheme / group?
Response
The first Community SpeedWatch (CSW) set up was in the village of Ash, Somerset in 2001. Please find below a breakdown of the schemes which were active in the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| 104 | 113 | 110 |
We currently have around 1200 volunteers registered with us and the CSW is currently managed by the Road Safety Department Unit. Training is required when you start and then is refreshed every couple of years or as required.
Please find below the number of CSW warning letters sent for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| 36,092 | 38,839 | 32,026 |
Avon and Somerset Constabulary does not hold any information in relation to question 10 of your request as this is ran and managed by an external partner.
The Community SpeedWatch scheme at Weston-in-Gordano was set up in 2016.
There has not been a session report submitted since 2018 however they have not informed us they no longer wish to operate. The last date that data was submitted to us was 1st January 2018. The number of volunteers at that time was not recorded and on this occasion no vehicles details were submitted as driving at excess speed at that time.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary have no record of what numbers were displayed and the board situated in this area as this is not owned by the constabulary. This board was erected by the residents within the area.
Information regarding questions five, seven and eight can be found in the attached handbook. Please be aware that the attached document contains a number of redactions as we have identified personal information contained within.
The exemption applicable to this is;
- Section 40(2), third party personal information.
This is an Absolute exemption so therefore there is no requirement to conduct a harm or public interest test. Any information is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act if it relates to or is supplied by another individual and disclosure of that information would contravene any of the principles the principles set out in Article 5(1) of the GDPR and section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.
In assessing whether employees have a reasonable expectation that their names will not be disclosed, their level of seniority and responsibility has been considered. Additionally we have reviewed whether there is a legitimate interest in the disclosure of these names. The names that have been removed relate to individuals carrying out administrative duties and there is no legitimate interest in the disclosure of their personal information.