Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership

The Customer

Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership (WRCRP) was established in 2009 following the merger of
North Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership and Mid & South Wales Camera Partnership.

WRCRP operates across the whole of Wales and comprises four police forces – North Wales, South Wales, Dyfed Powys and Gwent.

The Challenge

WRCRP aims to reduce road casualties in Wales. To reduce costs, increase efficiencies and ensure
consistency, WRCRP needed one back-office system for the processing of camera-generated traffic
offences (speeding and red light offences) across Wales. Jim Moore, manager of WRCRP said: “In a climate of cuts it was crucial to implement one system in an attempt to ensure a consistent approach, improve effectiveness and efficiency”

North Wales Police had, since 2004 worked with StarTraq, the UK’s leading traffic offence management specialist. An approach to collaborative working already existed as South Wales Police handled the processing of camera offences for Dyfed Powys and Gwent Police.

WRCRP sought to standardise enforcement throughout Wales by adopting the Association of Chief Police Officers threshold, resulting in an increased number of offences to process. It was crucial that this increase could be managed. It was envisioned that investing in latest technology would improve efficiency.

Jim Moore says: “It was important for local needs that any system worked for each force. For example, offences issued needed to be associated with the relevant police force, and we needed to be able to process enforcement in both Welsh and English.”

The Solution

WRCRP chose to implement a system developed by StarTraq to handle offences across Wales. This allowed economies of scale as North Wales police were already using the system. This was used as a basis for the new system.

Jim Moore said: “StarTraq worked to develop a flexible system appropriate for the unique environment in Wales, including amending workflow to incorporate elements like the different language and crest requirements.”

Information from cameras is inputted to the system, which then goes through processes including
automatic number plate recognition. Once verified, offences are processed and documents archived. The efficiency of the automated system increases the number of offences that can be handled and improves the accuracy, reducing the number of offences not ultimately resolved (the so-called “justice gap” where offenders escape prosecution).

Although the technology would allow for one fully centralised hub spanning all of Wales, it was more practical to have two databases due to issues of geography and travelling time of staff attending court.

To read this Case Study in full, please view Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership Case Study

 

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