Reacting to residents’ concerns voiced in the Herne Hill Ward Safer Neighbourhood Team panel meetings, the police have proposed holding some more Community Road Watch exercises this summer. They will focus principally on Milkwood Road and Herne Hill Road, both of which are particularly notorious for badly driven vehicles, often exceeding the 20 mph speed limit and putting pedestrians, cyclists and other road users at risk. Both roads of course have schools on or very close.
The Community Road Watch exercise involves a Police Officer or Community Officer standing alongside local neighbours who operate a handheld speed camera. Photographic evidence of dangerous driving does not automatically result in a prosecution, but does provide evidence for the police to send a serious warning letter to the driver concerned. The programme requires a member of the public to hold the camera alongside the Metropolitan Police representative. I think we all recognise (the police certainly do) that an immediate speeding fine would be a stronger deterrent, but the law does not apparently permit this at present.
The Safer Neighbourhood Team for this Council ward (I am one of several local members) would like to find some local volunteers to allow this project to take place this summer. For Herne Hill Road it might make sense to look for support among parents whose children attend Saint Saviour’s School. For Milkwood Road, I am looking for volunteers who live perhaps in Fawnbrake Avenue or maybe on Milkwood Road itself, although I have no contact details for that particular community.
When?
The police have proposed the following dates. Note that they are not expecting people to volunteer for all of these dates! This is just a start to find people who might be available for one or two dates – which might need to be adjusted depending on police rosters nearer the time.
Dates proposed by the police:
Friday 14th July – between the hours of 14:00 – 18:30
Monday 17th July – between the hours of 14:00 – 18:30
Tuesday 18th July – between the hours of 14:00 – 18:30
Wednesday 19th July – between the hours of 14:00 – 18:30
Monday 24th July – between the hours of 08:00 – 15:00
Tuesday 25th July – between the hours of 08:00 – 15:00
Wednesday 26th July – between the hours of 08:00 – 15:00
Thursday 27th July – between the hours of 14:00 – 18:30
Friday 28th July – between the hours of 14:00 – 18:30
Can you help?
Thank you for anything you can do to circulate this request or mention the project to people that you think might be interested.
It would be great if anyone seeing this message who may be interested and available could please to get in touch direct with me at cognispr@gmail.com or mobile number 07774 424 410. I appreciate that we are not giving people much notice.