Officers gear up for fortnight of action against speeding

Living Magazines police car

Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) officers in Dacorum are geared up to support the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s fortnight of action against speeding which began today.

This operation comes as motorists make a gradual return to the county’s roads following the Government’s relaxation of travel restrictions, so officers will be reminding drivers to slow down and save lives.

As of Monday 25 May, the Dacorum SNT will be stepping up their speed enforcement activity and focusing on known hotspots in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and the surrounding villages.

These locations have been identified with the help of residents who engaged with a number of recent online chats via the community messaging service, Online Watch Link (OWL).

Inspector Jeffrey Scott, who leads the four Safer Neighbourhood Teams in Dacorum, said: ‘During lockdown, the county’s roads were considerably quieter as everyone began to work from home, meaning less cars on the roads – especially at either end of the day. Unfortunately it has also led to instances of speeding, which we are in the process of addressing.

‘With some people returning to work and the Government making it clear we are able to drive to a location to exercise, it’s very important that everyone takes extra care when travelling on the roads.

‘The easiest way to do this is to reduce your speed, consider others and adjust your driving to the circumstances. Driving at an appropriate speed means you have more time to react to potential dangers and more vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians crossing the road. It could be the difference in saving a life. Please, drive to arrive.’

If you would like to report an incident of anti-social driving, you can do so by using the online portal here.

If you are contacting police to report a COVID-19 related crime, such as a mass gathering, please ensure that you use the online methods of reporting where possible as this will free up telephone lines for urgent 999 calls.

You can tell the Constabulary what matters most to you about policing, crime or anti-social behaviour in Dacorum using echo. Go to bit.ly/police-dacorum and have your say.