Author Topic: Duty or Pleasure?  (Read 18394 times)

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Offline Yorkie

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Duty or Pleasure?
« on: December 21, 2012, 05:15:18 pm »
I have been having a look at Twitter and am surprised (well not really) at the number of Twits that are being made by Police Officers whilst on duty.   Some of these are at the scene of random breath testing and they seem to take great delight in "scoring" their hits.   I am against drink driving but abhor the fact that the Police should use their time in such a way.

Policemen and Women should devote their time fulfilling their proper duties not twittering on Twitter.
 :rage:
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Offline SDQ

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2012, 07:46:12 pm »
I have been having a look at Twitter and am surprised (well not really) at the number of Twits that are being made by Police Officers whilst on duty.   Some of these are at the scene of random breath testing and they seem to take great delight in "scoring" their hits.   I am against drink driving but abhor the fact that the Police should use their time in such a way.

Policemen and Women should devote their time fulfilling their proper duties not twittering on Twitter.
 :rage:


Is it possible their gloating could be a way of encouraging people not to drink & drive as they could be the next statistic?
Valar Morghulis


Offline Yorkie

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2012, 08:18:08 pm »

Is it possible their gloating could be a way of encouraging people not to drink & drive as they could be the next statistic?

Gloating in such a situation would tend to indicate a prejudiced attitude.

Also some are tending to presume guilt based purely on the roadside test and before trial!  That isn't British justice.   

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Offline SDQ

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2012, 08:59:59 pm »

Is it possible their gloating could be a way of encouraging people not to drink & drive as they could be the next statistic?

Gloating in such a situation would tend to indicate a prejudiced attitude.

Also some are tending to presume guilt based purely on the roadside test and before trial!  That isn't British justice.   

 ?{}?


Gloating was my words not the police & surely the failure of a roadside breath test is a bit more than presumed guilt, the person has obviously been drinking and driving & the only thing left to establish is the correct level of alcohol in their system which will be done back at the station on a more accurate & calibrated machine. Even if they are then lucky enough to scrape through this test hopefully the ordeal will make them be more responsible in the future.
If the Tweets of these police officers makes just one idiot not drink & drive then I'm all for it.
Valar Morghulis

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2012, 09:46:08 pm »
If you are happy to pay the Police to spend their time tweeting then that is fine.   After all that is now apparently part of their training!

Why however, must they concentrate all this effort just at this time of the year?  The habitual drinker, and most likely to d and d, is out and about all through the year.   And also why are they specifically targeting morning drivers when the most dangerous time is the evening and night before when the pubs and bars empty?

Finally the system of testing drivers and providing the evidence is not always straight forward and in certain circumstances some drivers do not receive fair treatment or justice.   Z**
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Offline SDQ

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2012, 10:42:43 pm »
They concentrate more effort at this time of year because with the run up to Christmas there are a lot of works parties so there is obviously more chance that some people may decide to drive home instead of using public transport or walking. The same reason is behind the targeting of morning after drivers who may drive to work whilst still over the limit from last night's party. We're not talking rocket science here, these are obvious reasons.
Can you provide the evidence for drivers not receiving fair treatment or justice? For whatever reason you're questioning the integrity of the police in carrying out their duties, maybe you have an axe to grind? Only you know the answer to that.
Valar Morghulis

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2012, 11:10:03 pm »
I was in a bad accident back in 1987 when a drunk driver went into the back of my Triumph Herald at high speed and fled the scene, he was caught and I escaped with amazingly little injury, so I'm all for catching drunk drivers, however what good it does for Police putting it on Twitter (which I can make no sense off!) I am at a loss to understand? will a drunk look at twitter and think ''I'm not driving after seeing that?'' I thought the Police were overloaded with paperwork etc?
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Offline Fester

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2012, 01:01:50 am »
Twitter itself is largely a waste of time, that is a conclusion I have come to after spending quite some time on it this year.

If the Police are using it whilst on duty, it smacks of unprofessionalism.

Now, more controversially, I am very much against breathalysing people in the morning.
I have known people (myself included), who leave the car overnight for fear of being over the limit.
That is a very responsible attitude take.

But, it has been known quite often, for people to FAIL the breath test the next day, despite going to great lengths to not drink and drive the night before.
Being hungover, and being intoxicated are two very different things, and I think it is a very unfair outcome if anyone gets a ban for that.


Fester...
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Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2012, 08:29:17 am »
If they are still over the limit then they should not be driving, seems easy really, don't drink too much the night before!
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Offline DaveR

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2012, 08:33:16 am »
I believe Police officers are encouraged to tweet, as a means of interacting with the community.

Fester doesn't understand Twitter.  &shake&

Offline Ian

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2012, 08:33:40 am »
Quote
Being hungover, and being intoxicated are two very different things, and I think it is a very unfair outcome if anyone gets a ban for that

Well, the Police don't make the law;  they simply enforce it, and Parliament has determined the alcohol level in the blood to be the statutory factor in determining guilt. But I suspect you're right, in that people's reactions are probably far less affected by a hangover than the initial inebriation.  However, Parliament has a long and undistinguished track record of failing to listen to sense, and certainly failing to listen to experts when it might be deemed politically risky because of the DFM's reaction.  For their absurd and patently cowardly attitude to Drugs, for instance, simply  look at the travesty that was the Government's treatment of him and the  Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in 2007.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

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Offline Yorkie

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2012, 11:22:21 am »
We're not talking rocket science here, these are obvious reasons.
Can you provide the evidence for drivers not receiving fair treatment or justice? For whatever reason you're questioning the integrity of the police in carrying out their duties, maybe you have an axe to grind? Only you know the answer to that.

I am not questioning the integrity of the Police, I am questioning the integrity of the system!

The legal limit is an arbitrary figure set by Law at 35.  Some people are quite able to drive safely at a higher reading and some unable to drive safely at a lower figure.  But why do the Police not Prosecute when the reading is 40 or under?   The answer is simple - the system is unreliable!   The best scheme would be to have a ZERO limit as in Scandinavia and a few other countries, and if you are caught you serve your time in the forests chopping wood or some other constructive labour!

There is ample evidence of miscarriages of justice and you do not need me to rattle off case history, it is available on the internet.   Also if a person with a proven reading of 39 is not prosecuted is that not a reverse miscarriage for failing to protect other citizens?  Or at least discrimination?

I have no personal axe to grind as I am teetotal and therefore unlikely to have to make any plea to a DD charge!   And finally as an ex Metropolitan Police Officer I have plenty of knowledge of the inside workings of the Police Force and accordingly have many a story I could tell.
 $drink1$ $drink1$ $drink1$

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Offline snowcap

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2012, 02:38:35 pm »
I,m  not a twit myself but if the twitting makes someone think twice about drinking and driving then carry on constable and twit to your hearts content

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2012, 03:45:37 pm »
I,m  not a twit myself but if the twitting makes someone think twice about drinking and driving then carry on constable and twit to your hearts content

There is nothing wrong with Twitting, my concern is that it is being done whilst on duty, and making reference to incidents that are happening or have just happened.   If there was an emergency then any method of seeking help or passing on important information is acceptable, even twitting.  However, just to "gloat" (using another's word) is not an essential aspect of policing.
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Offline DaveR

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Re: Duty or Pleasure?
« Reply #14 on: December 22, 2012, 04:16:33 pm »
Just to say....it's 'tweeting', not 'twitting'.