Many of the roads in Forest Hill (London SE23) and in the rest of Lewisham are now 20mph. This move is certainly very welcome as the risk of serious injury and death increases dramatically as traffic speeds approach 30 mph and above.
Unfortunately, although some adhere to the new speed limit, too many drivers don't and at the same time some, a minority, drive recklessly putting both themselves and other road users in danger.
Given stretched resources for the Police, this new initiative – Lewisham Community Road Watch scheme – looks to be well worth supporting.
Letter from Michael Hill of the Forest Hill section of the Met outlining the new scheme:
'PL -
Lewisham Borough PL - Forest Hill SNT
Catford
Hill Police Station
128
Catford Hill
Catford
London
SE6 4PS
Tel; 0208
721 2723
7th March
2017
Dear
Resident,
I am
writing to inform you of a new initiative that I feel you may wish to
participate in. This is the Lewisham Community Road Watch scheme, a joint
initiative between Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police. It is
designed to address community concerns of speeding in the local area. It allows
volunteers from the community to work with the police using speed monitoring
equipment to identify and educate drivers found exceeding the speed limit.
How it works:
· Volunteer(s) join a Safer
Transport Police Community Support officer at a specified location.
· The volunteer uses the speed
detection device to check the speed of vehicles. · Any vehicle exceeding the speed
limit has its Vehicle Registration Mark and speed recorded and a warning letter
is sent to the registered keeper by Transport for London. · Volunteers are provided with a
high visibility vest and are required to sign a disclaimer which will be
explained fully to those wishing to participate.
· All sites are risk assessed in
advance.
· The sessions would run for one to
two hours.
The
events are run by a Safer Transport Police Community Support Officer. A Police
Officer cannot be present as they would be expected to stop the vehicles and
report offences at the scene. Volunteers cannot participate on the road they
live on as this could lead to a dispute with neighbours. However, you can
suggest locations where these actions will take place. The speed gun can not be
loaned out to residents without the attendance of a Safer Transport PCSO as the
equipment is supplied to the Safer Transport Teams to run the events for
Transport for London.
Yours sincerely,
Michael 195PL, Michael Hill PC 195PL (DWPC)
Follow us on Twitter at - @MPSForestHill MetSec'
