Safety Partnership funds laser speed camera for district

Rother Safety Partnership has funded the purchase of a laser speed camera for used in the district.

Rother commander Inspector Steve Brookman said: "For some time now Sussex Police Roads Policing Department, formerly Traffic, have concentrated their limited resources in terms of speed enforcement at sites where speed can be shown to have been a contributory factor in the serious injury or fatal accident rate.

"On Rother district these sites are limited and so, in terms of speed enforcement the district has not received the attention that some other areas of the county have received.

"Not withstanding the fact that there are few sites where serious accidents happen on a regular basis I have received a steady string of letters concerning speeding vehicles across the district, Bexhill and the rural areas.

"Rother safer partnership carried out some measurement of the problem using voulnteers to guage the size of the problem. It was found that some of the speeds measured were twice or more the national limit.

"I am convinced that this is a social issue. Driving at high speed and expecting other people to deal with your selfishness is as much a case of anti social behaviour as coming out of the pub drunk and singing loudly on a Friday night. It all amounts to a lack of respect for other people.

"The equipment will be used sparingly and only at sites where it can be shown that traffic either moves too quickly generally or where the speed of the traffic at certain times causes anxiety amongst the community as a whole, for example around schools or other dangerous pinch points.

"Moreover, officers operating this equipment will be local neighbourhood specialist team officers and not from the roads policing department. As a consequence in every case they will be expected to balance community opinion against the need for enforcement.

"This is not simply a case of the police drumming up revenue for the government an accusation which is some times levelled at this type of enforcement. Quite frankly my officers are very busy people. They have got a whole host of other matters to deal with. In effect I am asking them to do more during their working day by undertaking this work and there will be no drop off in performance in other areas of business as a result.

"The message is clear. Drive sensibly and safely and this enforcement activity will not affect you."