THE WAR against dangerous drivers has stepped up after The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner secured £1million government funding.
The PCC, Simon Foster, says the new trench of Home Office funding to buy extra speed vans, employ more staff to view videos of dangerous drivers – and to tackle anti-social behaviour on the streets.
The government has confirmed that the PCC will receive the funding as part of the Safer Streets project, which will also see him continue to tackle violence against women and girls.
He will use the funding to hire six members of staff who will view dashcam footage sent in by members of the public of driver behaviour; buy three speed camera vans; and boost the community speedwatch scheme.
He will also target violence against women and girls in public spaces by educating children and young people and encouraging upstander behaviour in adults.
Mr Foster, said: “This funding will help me and West Midlands Police make our roads safer for all by expanding community speed watch schemes; boosting third party reporting, with six new staff to oversee submitted video footage and three new speed camera vans.
“Ending male violence against women and girls has also been a core priority for me from day one. It was a central part of my manifesto in 2021 and it is a top priority in my Police and Crime Plan.
“We’ve been able to take some great strides already but there’s so much work to be done in achieving community-wide change and having more open conversations about what we can all do. This important funding will help us to do just that.”
According to the PCC road collisions and casualties have started to rise since 2013 in the region, with 1,051 people seriously injured in road traffic collisions in the last financial year, including 55 fatalities.
