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Derbyshire PCC to fund dashcam evidence staff role
PCC Angelique Foster has announced she will be funding a new staff role to manage dashcam footage sent into the force.
The civilian role will come under Derbyshire’s Operation Capture and will enable the Roads Policing Constable who currently runs the scheme to return to frontline working.
Operation Capture is a national scheme which encourages members of the public to upload dashcam footage of dangerous driving or other traffic offences for officers to review. It was launched in 2019.
Where there is clear evidence of an offence, a report will be generated and allocated to an officer for review to see whether an investigation, FPN or an offer of a driver improvement course would be appropriate.
In cases where no offences are evident, an educational warning letter is sent to the vehicle’s registered keeper.
In Derbyshire in 2021, 905 submissions were received, and positive outcome rates have risen from 42 per cent in 2020 to 56 per cent in 2021. 122 driver improvement courses were issued, 47 fixed penalty notices or other out of court disposals delivered and five court prosecutions.
Over the past two years, various forces have launched footage portals allowing members of the public to submit the videos.
Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster said: "Keeping Derbyshire's roads safe is one of my key priorities. This new post recognises the important work of Operation Capture to educate and prosecute motorists who break the law and pose a risk to other road users. It will also boost the capacity of our roads policing team by returning an officer to the frontline for proactive enforcement.
"Residents consistently tell me that dangerous driving, particularly speeding, is a worry to our communities. Operation Capture is one of the ways we can help tackle this and I know that it has been a very popular option with members of the public. Working alongside our partners, I want to make sure the force has the resources it needs to tackle these problems effectively and to give the public the peace of mind and reassurance they deserve."
