Community Speed Watch

Community Speed Watch allows residents, particularly those in rural communities, to become police-trained volunteers monitoring vehicle speeds in their communities, with the aim of changing the behaviour of some road users who drive above the speed limit through small towns and villages.

The scheme was launched in 2019 and is available for Town and Parish Councils throughout the Humberside Police force area to join, subject to certain criteria. 

Our communities tell us there has always been a persistent problem with drivers speeding in all our towns and villages but particularly in rural areas. 

Communities often want to make a positive difference where they live and Community Speed Watch looks to give residents what they need. 

Similar projects have been in place up and down the country for some years so we already know what works well and not so well and have developed our own scheme accordingly. It relies on volunteers coming forward who want to make a difference in their town or village and we will work with them to make their community safer and stronger for everyone living there.

The number of trained volunteers is now over 600 and growing each month. We have Community Speed Watch teams in the following areas:

Frequently Asked Questions

What should we do first?

Individuals wanting to form a Community Speed Watch group should contact their local Parish/Town Council in the first instance and show an expression of interest in forming a group.

Is Community Speed Watch available to anyone that wants to join?

CSW is available to all communities where their council or area committee support joining. There are no vetting requirements, all we ask is for volunteers to be aged between 18 – 80 years.

What is the minimum requirements to form a team?

A CSW team needs a minimum of 6 people, this allows for holidays, illness and work commitments. Within the team there must be a designated team coordinator as a SPOC for the team, they are responsible for organising the monitoring sessions and looking after the equipment.

How much time must I commit to be part of a team?

You can complete a monitoring session for as long as you want and as often as you want. All we ask is each team member gives 2 hours a month as a minimum.

Who organises the monitoring sessions?

Every CSW monitoring session will be organised by the team coordinator. However, the coordinator does not necessarily have to take part in each session as long as 3 trained members are present.

How do I get trained and how long does it take?

Training is conducted by a Police trainer in your local area. The presentation takes approximately an hour and is provided free of charge.

Do we have a Police Officer with us when we do the monitoring?

Community Speed Watch is run entirely by volunteers, the scheme is supported by Humberside Police but they will not normally be present when you conduct your monitoring sessions.

Do I get paid for doing Community Speed Watch?

CSW is a voluntary activity and no payment will be offered or made. This includes any travel costs incurred.

How much does it cost to join Community Speed Watch?

Community Speed Watch is free to become a volunteer. The equipment required to carry out CSW will either be provided on a loan basis or details of the preferred suppliers will be available for councils to purchase their own equipment.

How is the information from Community Speed Watch recorded and used?

Whilst monitoring vehicles at the roadside, the team will record the details of speeding vehicles on a spreadsheet. This information is then inputted into a computer system and emailed to the scheme coordinator. The information is checked against the Police National Computer (PNC) for the keepers details, from which warning letters are then sent. The information is retained for a 12 month rolling period by the police.

What information can we expect to receive from our monitoring activities?

Monthly, each team coordinator can request an update on their teams’ activities from the scheme coordinator. This will include the number of first time offenders, repeat offenders and an overview of the scheme as a whole.

Qualifying criteria to establish a Community Speed Watch Team

• The Parish/Town Council must want and support the scheme.
• Each Council must have third party indemnity with a value of £10 million to cover volunteer activities.
• Individual CSW teams must have a minimum of 6 members, however smaller parishes can join together to raise enough members. Joint operations will need to be approved by all the parishes concerned.
• Should there be any enforcement activity by Safer Roads Humber in a Parish / Town, it will require an additional check of the location to confirm there is no conflict of interest.
• Community Speed Watch will only be conducted on single carriageways in 30 mph and 40 mph areas.
• Each team must have a coordinator who will be the single point of contact for the team.
• Areas with 20mph zones cannot be monitored.
• Any area to be monitored must have a footpath or hard standing, this does not include driveways to private property.
• Any location to be monitored must have a police risk assessment conducted.
• Volunteers must be aged between 18 and 80 and able to stand to perform the monitoring event.
• There needs to be a clear line of sight in both directions.

If you are interested in establishing a Community Speed Watch scheme where you live contact the Humberside Scheme Coordinator via the following email address -  CSW.admin@humberside.police.uk