Policing Issues Discussion

[Fester]

I thought that the previous Chief Inspector of Police must have come back out of retirement when I saw this!

I have fallen victim over the years on odd occasions to the fixed cameras, and also picked up a few fixed penalty notices from the parking attendants.

I am heartily sick of them to be honest, and I see them as merely additional tax collectors.

I hasten to add that I am an unwavering supporter of the police, but I hate speed cameras, and parking attendants.

[hollins]

My own opinion of the use of speed cameras is that it is lazy policing. The report of the two vans one on either side of the road confirms that to me.
I have been caught 4 times in my 42 years of driving. All of them were in a 30 limit. The highest speed recorded was 37 and the lowest 33mph.
One of them, I saw the van, looked at the speedo and saw that I was doing 28mph. I wrote and asked for the evidence which duly appeared with the date of when the camera was last tested. and a photo of my good self. In the end I gave up and went on the course, never again.
Apart from one girl in her twenties the whole room was made up of middle aged law abiding people. All except one were caught in a 30 doing around 35mph. Only one, a van driver was caught in a 40 doing 45mph.

Another time I had just dropped my mum off at her house in Cheshire. I passed two guys at
 the side of the road, neither in uniform. One of them had a camera on a tripod. I thought, surely it can’t be a speed camera, but sure enough, 12 days later a letter duly appeared.
This one really got me because one of the blokes looked like a member of the public. He was dressed in shorts and as they took the picture they both laughed.
Again I wrote in to complain but I got a letter back which was written in very poor English and  did not even attempt to answer my query. It just said they could not comment on the actions of the officer on that day.
I later learnt that on that day they had been stopping all the locals and taking them to a portakabin to watch a safety film and then letting them off with a warning.
I ended up paying the fine as usual.

I like to think that I drive to suit the conditions. You have to use your common sense.
Speed cameras in most situations do not take into account common sense.

[Yorkie]

My last speeding charge was in 2002 on the A55 coming down the Hill past Llysfaen.  I was stopped along with other vehicles by an unmarked maroon MPV.   With flashing lights he overtook everyone and motioned them to stop on the hard shoulder.   He then proceeded to book the lot!   His manoeuver was more dangerous than anything we were doing. 

And all we were doing was keeping up with the flow of the traffic.   £60 and 3 points made no difference to my Insurance Co.    ZXZ

[Ian]

Speed cameras are surely one of the most contentious issues today.  One very significant problem is that they can actually increase risk by their very presence. A driver moving at about 30 mph becomes extremely concerned about accidentally moving to 33 - easily done, particularly if your concentration is elsewhere, such as watching every junction, hazard and other road users at the same time.  The only real options in that situation are either to slow down to a steady 25, which becomes immediately popular with those following, or glance down at the speedometer far more frequently than usual. That latter option means your attention is off the road for the second it takes to check the speedometer, and your eyes have to re-focus rapidly.

It can be argued that either option reduces the safety of other road users, so apart from angering a few otherwise decent drivers, what is the net gain, I wonder?.

[Merddin Emrys]

They seem to be revenue earners, as Ian says you have to watch the speedometer like a hawk, you should be looking for hazards on the road, children about to step out from behind parked cars and one of my pet hates dogs not on a lead at the side of the road.
The other problem with these cameras is that it turns otherwise law abiding citizens against the police, as soon as I am driving I feel like a target, yet all four cars are fully legal, taxed, insured, mot ed etc, yet once behind the wheel it feels like they are out to get me, it's all the wrong way round 

But it seems we can have drunks, druggies, wandering about the streets and these scroungers selling these fake rag mags, big issues and that's all fine and dandy, not to me it isn't! 

[Fester]

Hey Andy, at least you can't be accused of being paranoid... if they actually ARE out to get you! 

[Merddin Emrys]

  good point, they really are out to get you!

[Hugo]

My car was damaged in Morrisons Car Park by a woman who drove off without leaving her details.  The damage was estimated at between £300.00 and £500.00 pounds but there was a witness to the incident who gave me the car registration details but unfortunately the witness didn't leave their contact details for me.   The woman was interviewed by the Police but denied causing any damage even though the incident was caught on CCTV.  Paint samples were taken from my car but I have now been informed that  "There is insufficient evidence to take any action against the alleged offender"
I don't suppose that the paint samples have even been sent for analysis because of the incident being so minor in general terms so the woman has got away with it!     :rage:

Perhaps she hasn't got away completely because her insurance company has made a full and final settlement with me without making a claim and told me that my letters, photos etc will remain on her file so it will be interesting to see what happens when her insurance comes up for renewal.

[Merddin Emrys]

Glad it's sorted for you, such a shame that the Police can spend so long in their speed tax vans and not sorting out incidents like yours!

[Hugo]

Thanks ME,  I had a feeling that it would end up like that so I'm glad that I sorted it out myself prior to receiving that letter from the Police.
Just for the record you can find out the name and address of the registered keeper of the vehicle from the DVLA for a small fee of £2.50 which I did and she did not advise the DVLA of a change of address which is an offence in itself but the Police did not address that issue either.

[Merddin Emrys]

Hugo, it seems that you have done all of the Police work yourself! It would seem reasonable if you held back the Police part of your council tax!  ££$

[Hugo]

Just an add on following an e-mail to the Police voicing my dissatisfaction at their decision. This is just part of the response
"You are quite correct the paint samples were not sent off for forensic comparison, unfortunately the great expense involved in this process, precludes us from using this line of investigation. Rightly or wrongly the powers that be have deemed that this resource is not to be used for minor road traffic collisions. It would have undoubtedly settled the issue one way or the other however if we were able to use it."
I can understand that and have every sympathy with the constraints placed on the Police but it does seem to me that Justice comes at a price!
What I cannot come to terms with is the fact that the Police cannot make the woman come in for an interview under caution, apparently they do not have the powers to force her to attend for the interview although she has possibly "perverted the course of Justice"
The Police do a good job under very difficult circumstances but what I have learned from this experience is that if a similar thing happens to me again I won't  bother with the Police but will do it myself.

[norman08]

maybe if they got rid of a few cars/vans that are parked in llan police station they ,d have the money that lazy they even drive to beckey chippy ,glad u were able to get it sorted  YOURSELF bri

[Hugo]

Thanks Norman, it's been a nuisance but at least I'm not out of pocket with that settlement.    My letters are on the offenders insurance file so I would expect a hike up in premiums when her insurance comes up for renewal.

[Yorkie]

This is a quotation from the Rhos-on-Sea and Penrhyn Bay Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter just received.  The subject matter is Clean up of the public areas.

" Rubbish in any road lowers its tone and can attract the lower elements of our society who not only tend to be the culprits, but also the perpetrators of petty crime."

What a wonderful, all embracing statement, almost certainly based on prejudice and a personal feeling of utter superiority.  Who is this person who, so cleverly, can label people and decide that one element of society is responsible for the dirty and unkempt state of our highways and byways?   Have a walk down Mostyn Street and see all the shopkeepers and their staff dropping their fag ends all over the pavement, are these are the lowest element of society?   Look at the overflowing waste bins being left by the Council to explode their contents amongst us, are they the lowest elements too?   Look at the unkempt and overgrown flower beds and communal areas, the sand ridden roads around West Shore, the dirty streets full of litter, the building that are total eyesores!  According to the commentator those responsible are the petty criminals in our society.  He or she needs to get out amongst the people and learn not to make such rash statements about the inhabitants of the town.

Any resident of Rhos-on-Sea or Penrhyn Bay should take umbrage at this all embracing generalisation of the populous of the area and demand an apology from the writer and all who agreed to the publication of such rubbish.

No doubt our Councillor Ann Yates, who is the representative for Penrhyn Bay, should be the first to say something.
 :rage: