GC8

West Yorkshire Police has announced that they are looking for volunteers to be equiped with laser speed detection equipment. 'Offenders' caught speeding, in areas selected by the 'community'; will initially be sent a warning letter, however; drivers will be prosecuted on their third transgression. Discuss.

MattW

24 hour manned stealth speed traps here we come.

However, I understood a police constable had to make a prior analysis that the vehicle in question is speeding before corroboration by speed gun. Some partnerships have sworn their civilian talivan operators as "Specials" to circumvent this loophole.

Interesting to see whether they swear in any 70 old biddy as a "Special" ...lol

MattW

However reading the story here, I would suggest GC8 get a job as a politician

Brun

GC8

I hadnt seen that; and I havent read it yet; but Ive written this up exactly as its been reported on the BBC local news.

When you consider the implications; I think that it is quite worrying; dont you?

Simon

GC8

I have to add that there are a number of discrepancies between the West Yorkshire Police's press release and the BBC news story.....

Simon

tiggers

Surely that bastion of honest and fair reporting the BBC aren't guilty of 'twisting the facts' are they?

LC Geezer

There is possibly occasional justification for civillian use of speed guns. I live on a 40mph road with school at the end of it and you'd be amazed at the number of people who accelerate at full bore up there, overtake, etc. Mostly bikers for some reason although I'm sad to say I see the occasional Scooby doing it too. Anyone here think it's OK to do that? But it's a rural community and no chance of the police being able to put manpower into policing speed on this road. So, willing civillians would be a good alternative in this case - maybe worried parents of the children who attend the school that so many people think it's OK to speed past at 70+ mph.

GC8

You may have a point there Geezer; but the implications are more far reaching.

Neil Smalley

Police speed equipment is supposed to confirm the suspicions of the police officer, if a civlian is using it then it's not admissable as evidence(although the powers that be may sometimes persuade the magistrate otherwise)

GC8

The Police press release states that the volunteers will be supervised; but surely that defeats the object? After all; a single police officer is able to operate the equipment, if he can be spared whats the point of recruiting the 'community volunteers'?

-there was no mention of supervision in the news story that I heard btw-

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I quite like the idea that they are using volenteers rather than people paid to do it as a job.

I also think the "written warning" for first time offenders is a very good and well thought out decision, at it is proof they are there to stop speeding and not make money.

IMO all scamera operations that are run by safety partnerships should follow this line of prosecution.

However, will this scheme fall into the hands of "little hitlers"? With the brain washing over speeding being blamed for deaths in recent years as opposed to bad driving, what they get up to maybe slightly worrying (hiding being bushes etc).

If this scheme saves money and allows funds to be diverted to help solve real crime or driving standards then I'm all for it - but that would be wishful thinking

lmsbman

In my neck of the woods, this has been going on for some time. The Police get dozens of letters from parish councils etc every week asking for speed checks to be done on their patch. Quite often, they perceive that they have a problem, when in effect, there are one or two motorists a day who speed in their patch. It is therefore just not possible for the Police to camp out on a particular stretch of road for 24/7 in order to catch these one or two. So they are empowering the community to do something about their perceived problem themselves, by giving them a basic spped gun. They feel like they are doing something and the sight of them may slow a few people down.
If, as the BBC article states, they can show that there are persistant offenders, then the Police may well go back and do some checks. Don't worry, Councillor Mr Noseyparker, wont be sending you a NIP!!!

BOB.T

Give me a go on one! I'll trail the tree hugging beardy do gooders round here that do 40 mph, regardless of where they are

Markus

So, as it won't be a copper holding the gun, does this mean we can stop, beat the **** out of the do-gooder and not get done for assulting a police officer? lol

Sorry but unless it's a copper taking a reading, I'll not take any notice of it.

ajm

They give them to blue rinses in our town. Have seen it a couple of times so far, about four OAP's standing wearing yellow tabbards, one to operate the gun, one to write down your plate, one to wave his fist at you as you go past and one to shout "hooooligan!!!"

I normally give them a bit of a show but havn't had a letter yet.... maybe all that mud on my plate is hard to make out through 2" varifocals?

cigarboy

Most officers in my borough seem to carry guns...

oh, hang on...

Echo

About 10 years ago we lived in Steeple Bumpstead in Suffolk. The locals were complaining about speeders driving through the village so the police set up a speed trap and guess what? 99% of the speeders were from the village!

Lum

When it's a manned speed measuring device, there has to be a police officer as a witness.

By getting Enid from number 23 to operate the gun, you halve the number of coppers needed to run the traps.

Jap2Scrap

Exactly the same story in West End near Southampton. Locals complained about speeding through the village, police finally put in a mobile trap for a couple of months, 99% of offenders from West End.

Nice one

Leslie

I don't agree with civilians being given speed guns, that is a job which should only be done by a properly trained police offcer.

I also however do not condone speeding in a built up or constricted area. Especially not in the area of a school or similar. If people persist in winding their cars or bikes up in such places then it is not surprising that these kinds of ideas surface.

The answer surely is to act in a less selfish and more responsible manner.

Les

speedking

I've never seen them out in the rain.