Birley Community Speed Watch, led by local councillor is the first scheme of its kind in the South East area of Sheffield.
Birley Community Speed Watch volunteer with Labour Councillor for the area, Karen McGowan, took part in a CSW session at Seagrave Crecent on Wednesday.
Councillor McGowan said: “If Police get an emergency they have to leave…by setting up our own group we are able to do it whenever we want to do it.”
The group has been given formal training by local police including a test and first hand training session.
Seagrave Crescent in particular had a high amount complaints, which led Councillor McGowan to create a speed watch group.
The initiative aims to improve road safety for everyone by working first hand with nearby communities and police.
The practice stemmed from an officer of the South East Local Area Committee trialling the concept, a group who Councillor McGowan works closely with.
From local complaints the CSW group now cover eight different locations across the Birley ward.
Councillor McGowan stressed the importance of local people coming together to combat a shared problem.
“We always need four volunteers at a time; somebody operates the speed gun, someone takes the first part of the plate, somebody does the second and those in charge of taking the plate down also try to get details about the car.
“The idea is that its not time consuming, its just once a month for an hour in an area that is considered a hot spot. That way people never know what time we’re going to be there or what day and road we’ll be on.”
A final person records the entire proceedings.
“It sounds like its easy to take a registration number but it really isn’t that’s why we have to split it up.”
After a CSW session, volunteers log the recorded details in the police system in case the details match with previous offenders.
“If it all matches, police send out a letter and it gets put on the persons record. If the person has three letters from any of the different areas the police go out and do a visit. Its a way for the people of the local community can get their community back”.
If interested in joining a CSW group, Councillor Karen McGowan can be contacted here under the contact information section.