Pepper, Melissa ORCID: 0000-0002-7211-2349 and Bullock, Karen (2023) Safer roads through citizen partnerships: enhancing road safety with community speedwatch volunteers. In: British Society of Criminology (BSC), 27th - 30th June 2023, University of Central Lancashire. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Community Speedwatch (CSW) is a scheme in which the police service provides citizen volunteers with training and equipment to monitor vehicle speeds in their local areas. Research examining the operation of CSW is sparse. Limited studies available point to successful outcomes in improving driver behaviour and road safety, when schemes are conducted under ‘optimal conditions’ and when volunteers are managed effectively (CSW Online, 2020). However, little is known about the form such conditions might take or what effective management of volunteers looks like. This paper presents early findings from a Road Safety Trust funded study into the motivations, experiences, and contribution of CSW volunteers in Surrey and Sussex including an online survey and focus groups with over 350 CSW volunteers and interviews with stakeholders involved in the oversight and delivery of CSW schemes. The paper considers the opportunities and challenges of involving volunteers in CSW pointing to themes around the importance of valuing volunteers, recognising and communicating the contribution that they make, and dedicated management and co-ordination. The research offers learning for involving volunteers in road safety and broader policing and community safety initiatives, and the implications of this, at a time when public services are looking to maximise limited resources.

Item Type:	Conference or Conference Paper (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	community speedwatch; road safety; volunteers
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare K Law > KD England and Wales
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences > School of Law & Criminology (LAC)
Last Modified:	11 Jul 2023 16:30
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/43165

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