Devon and Cornwall Operation Snap

This service has been put in place to facilitate submissions of video and photographic evidence relating to driving incidents that members of the public have witnessed.

Operation Snap Frequently asked questions

How will my footage be stored?
The footage which you submit along with your statement will be stored securely on a cloud server.

How long will the footage be stored for?
All material associated with an offence or prosecution will be retained in line with the police force retention policies. If your submission is not progressed your footage and any associated files will be deleted.

You’re asking the public to do the police’s job here. Why can’t you catch all these people breaking the law?
The police have been receiving complaints from members of the public about dangerous and anti-social driving for some time. Operation Snap allows us to effectively deal with the footage in a safe and secure way, whilst making the investigation process simple and straight forward for the police and members of the public. Devon and Cornwall Police has a determined and robust approach to policing the roads and will take every opportunity to make them safer for everyone. Operation Snap is not asking you to go out and detect offences for us, but we will deal with any you find. All roads policing cars, marked and unmarked, are fitted with video recording equipment. The police make use of this all the time. They capture offences and deal with them as appropriate. The police work in partnership with local authorities, other police forces, and Highways England.

What about cyclists and close passes – will you deal with them?
Yes. Operation Snap is designed to improve road safety and to prosecute those that place others at risk. We wish to support individuals choosing a sustainable form of transport such as cycling, and recognise they are one of our more vulnerable road users. We will hold drivers to account on every occasion it is identified that the standard of driving falls below that of a careful and competent driver.

What about the cyclists breaking the law? If you’re going to process people for careless driving by putting cyclists at risk, what about the cyclists who ignore red lights and cause risk with their riding?
The police will deal with all matters such as careless or dangerous riding if the identity of the rider is known. Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists are at much greater risk of serious injury and death than those in vehicles. Our priority is to protect those most vulnerable.

If the police and everyone else is going to start taking action over all these people caught on camera, can the police cope?
Yes. It’s easy for people to engage in Operation Snap and processes have been designed to run smoothly. Operation Snap has one desired outcome: making our roads safer.

I think I’ve been reported by someone using Operation SNAP. What should I do?
Engage with us. We seek only one thing – that is, if we can, to influence your future driving behaviour so that our roads are safer. If you wish to speak to us further then contact Devon and Cornwall Collisions and Tickets Section on 01752 488004 between 0930hrs and 1530hrs Monday to Friday.

Will my footage be used for any other purposes?
Footage submitted to Devon and Cornwall Police Operation Snap may be used for media/training/publication purposes.