COMMUNITY protection officers in the Maldon district are set to be given top of the range speed cameras to crack down on speeding drivers.

Essex Police and Maldon District Council are teaming up to give officers full use of TRUCAM equipment to use in 54 new sites in the district.

The initiative has been designed after numerous sites were identified by residents in separate communities who had growing concerns about road safety in their towns and villages.

The handheld TRUCAM collects and stores a complete chain of video evidence for both speeding and tailgating, along with a high-resolution image that identifies vehicle make, model and license plate number.

It also uses GPS (global positioning system) each time it is used to provide historical data to determine why, where, when and how officers and equipment can be used most efficiently in the future.

Maldon District Council has been accredited under the Essex Police Safety Accreditation Scheme for ten years, and it is hoped by the council and police the increased use of TRUCAM equipment will help make the district’s roads safer.

The new initiative will launch on Monday at Wickham Bishops Village Hall, where the police will give full details on how it will operate.