100th car off the road as crackdown continues
Date Published: 12/04/2012
A POLICE crackdown on illegal road users in Skewen has seen its 100th car taken off the road.
Operation Crystal is an ongoing blitz launched by the area's neighbourhood policing team after residents raised concerns about speeding and road safety in and around the village.
The first exercise took place two years ago last month and successive operations have seen dozens of spot-checks carried out, drivers fined and prosecuted — and in some cases left without their vehicles.
PCSO Dominic Edgell said the latest exercise took place this week and saw officers reach a landmark.
"We took our 100th vehicle off the road," he said.
"It was a Ford car and the driver was disqualified and had no tax or insurance."
Operation Crystal is targeting all road safety issues — from speeding to dangerous parking outside schools.
It was set up after residents spoke out at Pact meetings and spoke to officers directly.
Initially it was going to run for six weeks, but it was considered such a success it has continued and shows no sign of ending.
As well as the spot-checks, which have involved the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, police have carried out more targeted exercises.
For example, late last year they carried out seatbelt and child seat checks outside one of the local schools. This led to seven warnings being issued to parents who did not have the correct seats fitted.
Mr Edgell said: "We set up Operation Crystal because we were concerned that speeding, illegal parking and the illegal use of vehicles in the area was harming public safety.
"Because it its success I hope the people of Skewen have seen a noticeable improvement in the manner of driving in the area."