Staffordshire Commissioner Matthew Ellis has praised the work of the Roads Policing Unit in addressing criminality across Staffordshire and making our roads safer for everyone.
The unit, which was established in May 2019, is one of a number of new opportunities made possible by extra money paid by local people in taxes.
It allows Staffordshire Police to adopt a ‘whole force’ approach to roads policing through Operation Lightning, reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads, as well as disrupting and deterring criminals’ use of the roads to reduce crime and harm.
The dedicated road safety operation focuses on the ‘fatal four’ motoring offences that are major causes of death and serious injury on the roads – speeding, mobile phone use, drink and drug use and not wearing a seatbelt.
Between November 2019 and August 2020, the Roads Policing Unit carried out:
- 314 arrests
- 266 drug tests
- 147 breath tests
- 228 vehicle seizures
- 203 stop searches
- 2,466 traffic offence reports
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime, Matthew Ellis said: ‘The Roads Policing Unit plays a big part in tackling crime and keeping us all safe, and comes as a direct result of extra money made available through local taxes.
‘Asking people for extra money is always a difficult decision and not one to be taken lightly, but the success of the Roads Policing Unit shows the real difference additional investment can make to people’s lives across Staffordshire.
‘The latest national figures show that despite the challenges of Covid, crime in our region is down 10 percent – compared to an average of five percent across the rest of the country.
‘This is the result of proactive policing, continued investment in the force locally and the hard work of officers and staff, and I’d like to thank everyone for their commitment and dedication.’
