73 Years Old Alun Thomas From Neath Port Talbot Views Being A Speedwatch Volunteer As A Fantastic Opportunity
Community SpeedWatch is a scheme to help people reduce speeding traffic through their local community. The scheme enables volunteers to work within their community and with the police to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and to help control the problem locally.
Community SpeedWatch is a scheme to help people reduce speeding traffic through their local community. The scheme enables volunteers to work within their community and with the police to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and to help control the problem locally.
Alun Thomas is a 73 years old Community SpeedWatch Volunteer in the Neath Port Talbot area who retired early from his day job as a senior manager in the consultancy field due to ill-health and began volunteering as he wanted to continue to do something of value within his local community – and keep himself busy.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me,” Alun said, “ Not only is it great to be with a different group of people – usually I am an old codger among the youngsters,” he chuckles, “But the officers make me feel I am a valued member of the team, and tell me I make a difference. When I see the impact we have as people slow down when they see you, I feel I may have prevented an accident from happening, and so I feel I am helping to keep people safe – that means a lot to me.”
Officers across the force such as PCSO James O’Neale, University Liaison Officer for the Community Safety Department and community SpeedWatch project lead in Western, oversee the vetting, ensures risk assessments are carried out to keep our volunteers safe and makes sure the volunteers have sufficient training and the right equipment and information to do the job.
How the initiative works:
– SpeedWatch can only operate in areas up to a 40 miles per hour speed limit. Community volunteers work alongside South Wales Police officers to identify vehicles which break the speed limit.
– Registration numbers are entered onto a database which produces a letter informing the registered owner that their vehicle has been noted to have exceeded the speed limit and asking them not to do so in the future.
– If the same registration number is logged in another SpeedWatch anywhere within South Wales Police, the owner will receive another letter advising them that if they are caught a third time, the information will be passed on to Roads Policing, who may take further action.
Alun finishes by offering some advice, ” Regardless of the weather, cars commuting through Afan Tawe Nedd will regularly see me with student Special Constable volunteers and PCSOs in our high visibility jackets, standing by the side of the road keeping watch over the speed of the traffic – so make sure you slow down, and stay safe.”
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