Over the last few months Neighbourhood Policing Officers, Roads Policing Unit and Police Enforcement Teams have been conducting proactive patrols to target anti-social driving and speeding on the roads across Wealden.
This activity is supported by Operation Downsway, a force level initiative which commenced in September 2020 and which has been welcomed by communities across Sussex.
Between September and December 2020 there was a significant degree of enforcement activity on Wealden roads, the majority of which was coordinated by the Neighbourhood Policing Team. Working closely with volunteers from Community Speed Watch (CSW), officers and PCSOs have been responsible for:
- 154 CSW sessions – 29 of which were supported by PCSOs. These sessions generated over 1,800 reports to Operation Crackdown.
- 11 speed and anti-social driving check points – at which 58 drivers were stopped and given advisory guidance/warnings for various road traffic matters.
- 3 vehicles were seized for being driven with no insurance.
- 2 persons arrested for drink-driving.
- 2 persons arrested for other crime matters.
- 2 Traffic Offence Reports issued to riders of motorcycles with excessively loud exhausts.
Police Sergeant Kara Tombling said: “Our road safety activity will continue to visit all parts of the district. The results achieved in the four months before Christmas have been a good start and we will continue to build on this approach. Importantly, we are speaking regularly to our Town and Parish Councils to share information about hotspot locations and move our deployments accordingly.”
Road safety has been a long held priority for police and partner agencies in Wealden, and is reflected within the priorities of the Safer Wealden Partnership.
Councillor Philip Lunn, Wealden Cabinet member for Community and Public Health, said: “Community Speed Watch Volunteers, working closely with Wealden Police, continue to play an important role in Wealden helping to reduce road accidents and save lives.
“We welcome these results which are helping to reduce speeding and anti-social driving – issues of concern to many communities across Wealden.”
For future updates about this initiative you can also follow the Wealden Neighbourhood Police Team on Facebook and Twitter.
Members of the public can report a number of anti-social driving offences to Sussex Police via the Operation Crackdown website, as well as reporting to Sussex Police online here.
Communities can also find out more about their local Community Speed Watch groups here, and read more about road safety on the Sussex Safer Roads website here.