Police to protect parking wardens
Discussion
www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/18510700?source=Evening%20Standard&ct=5#
evening standard said:Reap what you sow...
Police to protect wardens
By David Williams, Evening Standard, Motoring Editor
10 May 2005
Police are to guard parking attendants in London after a wave of attacks.
Wardens are being subjected to violence by motorists, some armed with baseball bats and knives. Three attendants a day are attacked in the capital.
For the first time uniformed officers will join wardens on some of the most dangerous beats to provide protection.
In return attendants will become the "eyes and ears" of the Met - tipping off police about street crime and suspicious vehicles.
Attendants will also provide back-up for Met traffic operations such as crackdowns on illegal minicabs.
The move comes after the Standard revealed a "significant" rise in violence against parking attendants in February.
Figures from the Association of London Government show wardens have been shot at and driven over by irate motorists in the past year.
It followed anger from motorists who claimed parking attendants were being "over-zealous". They were accused of issuing unfair £100 tickets, pouncing on drivers within seconds of parking meters running out, and issuing record numbers of penalties to compete for bonuses. Westminster council said the Met will mount daily, high-visibility motorised and foot patrols. Police will also be on hand when attendants summon tow trucks to deal with illegallyparked vehicles.
"We are very concerned about the level of attacks on our attendants who are simply carrying out their job," said a council spokesman.
"Police will not be with every attendant every minute of the day, but it will prove a deterrent to motorists who believe they can take the law into their own hands."
Alastair Gilchrist, Westminster's parking director, said: "This will increase the benefits to our communities of having parking attendants on the street.
"Although they clearly have a primary role in enforcing parking it is definitely the case that as a uniformed presence on the street they can play a part in creating well-run and orderly civic spaces.
"Attendants can be the eyes and ears of police and in return the police can help them with some of the more difficult challenges they face."
Bob Macnaughton, chief executive of parking contractor NCP, said: "It will help us to further reduce the level of assaults and abuse our parking wardens receive while carrying out their duties.
"We hope we will be able to give something back to the police by providing more formal support in terms of observing and recording street crime and disorder."
Westminster declined to pinpoint key trouble spots or say how many police officers will be involved.
One area known to be feared by attendants is Soho, where illegally- parked minicab drivers frequently resort to violence when attendants attempt to ticket their cars.
In February the wave of attacks was condemned in an official report.
It said: "Parking attendants work in difficult circumstances, frequently on their own.
"While the outcome of their work is beneficial to London, those receiving penalties are rarely appreciative of this and many are abusive. On average more than three attendants are assaulted every day in London, a shocking statistic."
Westminster recently published full details of its parking rules to demonstrate it was being fair to motorists.
It told attendants that drivers could park on double yellow lines when dropping off children at school and that they had three minutes' grace if they stayed too long at a meter.
Evening Standard said:
For the first time uniformed officers will join wardens on some of the most dangerous beats to provide protection.
In return attendants will become the "eyes and ears" of the Met - tipping off police about street crime and suspicious vehicles.
Attendants will also provide back-up for Met traffic operations such as crackdowns on illegal minicabs.
Great, so now everytime a TW wants to play god he just calls his pals. Just how long before this system gets abused. Next they will be giving them POA ffs.
Of course if the wardens were there to enforce the flow of traffic (which was the police's role), none of these attacks would happen.
Why are the fines so expensive? A fiver per hour late would be still be a good deterrent, and much more reasonable - the answer is that councils include income from fines in their annual budgets.
Why are the fines so expensive? A fiver per hour late would be still be a good deterrent, and much more reasonable - the answer is that councils include income from fines in their annual budgets.
I have been wondering why there are not lots of attacks on Traffic wardens!
Turns out they have been brushing it under the carpet, they don't want to increase the trend i guess.
While I don not condone violence I can certainly understand why it happens to TW's. The only time I ever feel like lamping someone is when talking to those arseholes.
One of the reasons I have moved out of london is so that I can actually park when i go shopping without too much fear of persecution, and that is good for London supposedly.
Turns out they have been brushing it under the carpet, they don't want to increase the trend i guess.
While I don not condone violence I can certainly understand why it happens to TW's. The only time I ever feel like lamping someone is when talking to those arseholes.
One of the reasons I have moved out of london is so that I can actually park when i go shopping without too much fear of persecution, and that is good for London supposedly.
At last! Now we know what the police are there for ... to protect Traffic Wardens!
So if the police don't bother turning out when you are a victim of crime, you'll feel better knowing that the 'Little Hitlers' are going about their work with a police escort.
I wonder, will the Met now form another branch, drawing on SO16, SO19 and SCD for expertise?
Of course, the BiB involved will have to be drawn from the ethnic minorities ... or wait three more years to be formed.
Streaky
So if the police don't bother turning out when you are a victim of crime, you'll feel better knowing that the 'Little Hitlers' are going about their work with a police escort.
I wonder, will the Met now form another branch, drawing on SO16, SO19 and SCD for expertise?
Of course, the BiB involved will have to be drawn from the ethnic minorities ... or wait three more years to be formed.
Streaky
Was the original reason for Parking Wardens to save Police officers from doing minor tasks like parking enforcement. Now we have a complete circle. My suggestions would be that they give police back the powers to issue parking tickets, and while they are at it, maybe they will be able to provide the police with the powers to actually do something other that issue tickets as well. I am fairly confident that issuing a parking ticket is one of the few things that you cannot be accused of being racist about.
God forbid that the police would actually be released from administrative duties to actually provide a visible presence.
My property was broken into, and it tood 12 hours for the police to turn up. If I had parked illegally I can guarantee that I would have had a parking ticket within 10 minutes.
Nice to see that our parking enforcement is more efficient that the police, the ambulance services and the firebrigade.
I do not blame the emergency services, it merely goes to show exactly where the governments priorities lie. And they were voted in again !!!!!
God forbid that the police would actually be released from administrative duties to actually provide a visible presence.
My property was broken into, and it tood 12 hours for the police to turn up. If I had parked illegally I can guarantee that I would have had a parking ticket within 10 minutes.
Nice to see that our parking enforcement is more efficient that the police, the ambulance services and the firebrigade.
I do not blame the emergency services, it merely goes to show exactly where the governments priorities lie. And they were voted in again !!!!!
Same as Scameras.
BiB don't and probably won't unless forced operate as revenue earners like Scameras and Traffic Wardens do ; i.e. grab every single cent under every single circumstance.
Sure they'll ticket people. If they are driving dangerously fast, or they're driving erratically. Likewise, your BiB will move on people who are parked stupidly even if it isn't technically illegal.
So you get the same cr*p.
BiB don't and probably won't unless forced operate as revenue earners like Scameras and Traffic Wardens do ; i.e. grab every single cent under every single circumstance.
Sure they'll ticket people. If they are driving dangerously fast, or they're driving erratically. Likewise, your BiB will move on people who are parked stupidly even if it isn't technically illegal.
So you get the same cr*p.
autismuk said:Er, see: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=178079&f=10&h=0 - Streaky
Same as Scameras.
BiB don't and probably won't unless forced operate as revenue earners like Scameras and Traffic Wardens do ; i.e. grab every single cent under every single circumstance.
Sure they'll ticket people. If they are driving dangerously fast, or they're driving erratically. Likewise, your BiB will move on people who are parked stupidly even if it isn't technically illegal.
So you get the same cr*p.
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