police hide a speed camera inside a tractor!

police hide a speed camera inside a tractor!

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Discussion

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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agtlaw said:
I have a client who was caught at 79 mph on a 70 limit motorway by a speed-camera man in a tractor. Shall I send him your way? wink
Anyone doing 31mph yet? I may well be in touch shortly after a camera on the M25 flashed me on Sunday night at what was probably close to 100, if not above. Oops.

lengster

215 posts

158 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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In the local newspaper article they claim it's cheaper than marked vehicle ops!

chillo

Original Poster:

724 posts

221 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
quotequote all
agtlaw said:
I have a client who was caught at 79 mph on a 70 limit motorway by a speed-camera man in a tractor. Shall I send him your way? wink
Think there are people who will be tapping you on the shoulder Goon for the fine payment you graciously offered hehe

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
quotequote all
lengster said:
In the local newspaper article they claim it's cheaper than marked vehicle ops!
Get an FOI request in asking specific questions around the cost to purchase, or lease. The cost to maintain etc, then involve your MP around miss allocation of resources. In a rural environment like that it shouldn't be hard to get a few farmers inside who've had stuff stolen amd had no attempt to solve the crime by the police.

LiquidGnome

551 posts

120 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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Might get a better view in a combine harvester.

lengster

215 posts

158 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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They come and go quickly,which suggests they are hiring them just to run an op for,or that's my take on it.

lengster

215 posts

158 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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They come and go quickly,which suggests they are hiring them just to run an op for,or that's my take on it.

Yoda400

386 posts

107 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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Don't tractors depreciate more on the hours of engine use than on miles after driving out of a showroom like a car? In which case, parked in laybys with engine off, they'll hold their value pretty well as police tractors.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
quotequote all
Money has still been spent though and tying cash up in an unnecessary asset isn't ideal when your business is cash poor. I know I don't need to tell you that though wink

Even short term hiring is still spend and if they were to claim the increased revenue then that's naughty, as I'm sure there's a rule around not being allowed to budget for that income (or is that councils and parking fines?). Either way it could be possibly be viewed as entrapment or poor practice or something to embarass them with.

Edited by LoonR1 on Wednesday 30th September 07:52

jj996

122 posts

224 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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Might have to meet up with some of you guys for a ride sometime. Obviously keeping to the speed limit. We could maybe go out in our cars but make them look like police cars after all if police are allowed to impersonate farmers!! One rule for all

driver67

976 posts

164 months

Tuesday 29th September 2015
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LoonR1 said:
Well having just watched the Look North (Humberside / Lincolnshire) it looks like it's time for me to eat humble pie amd admit I was wrong. Based on what's been seen on there. They used the words "Humberside police have confirmed that they are using the tractor" or words to that effect. I'm intrigued though. I take it that one of lengster, or chillo are the "angry biker" who took the photos. It's done nut that needs this sledgehammer to crack it.

I find it completely bizarre that they're doing this though and still think there is huge mileage in asking the Chief Constable to justify the spend on the tractor. An FOI request asking about ex spend on that and the horse is should suitably embarrass them for a start, along with a request to your MP and maybe a few local farmers who have had plant stolen to have a discussion with him about priorities on spend.
At least, some humble pie.

Thanks.

black-k1

11,889 posts

228 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
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LoonR1 said:
lengster said:
In the local newspaper article they claim it's cheaper than marked vehicle ops!
Get an FOI request in asking specific questions around the cost to purchase, or lease. The cost to maintain etc, then involve your MP around miss allocation of resources. In a rural environment like that it shouldn't be hard to get a few farmers inside who've had stuff stolen amd had no attempt to solve the crime by the police.
Those FOI questions won't give the "financial justification". Because a marked vehicle will be spotted, people (particularly bikers) will warn on coming traffic that the speed camera is there thus the number of victims is reduced. With the unmarked vehicle, no one will be pre-warned thus a higher number of tickets, meaning the cost per ticket issued is lower. That'll be the financial justification.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
black-k1 said:
Those FOI questions won't give the "financial justification". Because a marked vehicle will be spotted, people (particularly bikers) will warn on coming traffic that the speed camera is there thus the number of victims is reduced. With the unmarked vehicle, no one will be pre-warned thus a higher number of tickets, meaning the cost per ticket issued is lower. That'll be the financial justification.
Who gets that money? There is no financial justification in spending your budget raising money that then goes somewhere else and you then have to bid to get a share of the national pot.

clen666

925 posts

121 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
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If they can get away with this then I wouldn't be surprised if we see (or don't see!) this a lot more.
As has been said, the revenue generated will probably be all the 'justification' they need.

Oh, and as much as I like to see Loon get grief, I think the 'Goon' tag has run its course

black-k1

11,889 posts

228 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
LoonR1 said:
black-k1 said:
Those FOI questions won't give the "financial justification". Because a marked vehicle will be spotted, people (particularly bikers) will warn on coming traffic that the speed camera is there thus the number of victims is reduced. With the unmarked vehicle, no one will be pre-warned thus a higher number of tickets, meaning the cost per ticket issued is lower. That'll be the financial justification.
Who gets that money? There is no financial justification in spending your budget raising money that then goes somewhere else and you then have to bid to get a share of the national pot.
It doesn't matter who gets the money. There will be a "perceived problem" with speeding bikers. The approach to dealing with the problem is to issue lots of tickets. The use of stealth tactics allows lots of tickets to be issued at the lowest cost per ticket. The result is that the police can claim to be dealing with the problem saying "look how many tickets we've issued" and can respond to the cost question by saying that the national cost per ticket is X where their local cost per ticket is 75% of X which proves the approach is cost effective and efficient. Job done!

StuB

6,695 posts

238 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
black-k1 said:
LoonR1 said:
black-k1 said:
Those FOI questions won't give the "financial justification". Because a marked vehicle will be spotted, people (particularly bikers) will warn on coming traffic that the speed camera is there thus the number of victims is reduced. With the unmarked vehicle, no one will be pre-warned thus a higher number of tickets, meaning the cost per ticket issued is lower. That'll be the financial justification.
Who gets that money? There is no financial justification in spending your budget raising money that then goes somewhere else and you then have to bid to get a share of the national pot.
It doesn't matter who gets the money. There will be a "perceived problem" with speeding bikers. The approach to dealing with the problem is to issue lots of tickets. The use of stealth tactics allows lots of tickets to be issued at the lowest cost per ticket. The result is that the police can claim to be dealing with the problem saying "look how many tickets we've issued" and can respond to the cost question by saying that the national cost per ticket is X where their local cost per ticket is 75% of X which proves the approach is cost effective and efficient. Job done!
The daftest justification is "cost per ticket" as it's irrelevant.

The whole can of worms comes from the accident statistics and these may or may not be affected by this crude & lazy form of policing.

I really wish that the ABD/Inst of Adv Drivers/Motorcyclists should seek proof that there is direct correlation between Speed & accident/casualty rates in a scientifically verified study. This wont happen, as we all know the subtext is revenue & massaging statistics.

Simple fact of the matter is that if you go ballistic, you can expect custodial, stick to sub 100, fine or course about looking out for the guy in the gorilla suit (the wife told me about this, I've never done a speed awareness course), stick to the speed limits of you want...... crazy idea...... or how about we all get enduro bikes & ride the green lanes & make their job much less easy.

Oh, by the way, just remind me as I can't recall, what's the course of action the police take if you are stopped and your number plate has been stolen or has dropped of??? scratchchin

WaferThinHam

1,680 posts

129 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
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StuB said:
Oh, by the way, just remind me as I can't recall, what's the course of action the police take if you are stopped and your number plate has been stolen or has dropped of??? scratchchin
Depends if they've caught you doing 110mph stand up wheelies outside a school for disabled kittens or not?

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
LoonR1 said:
Who gets that money? There is no financial justification in spending your budget raising money that then goes somewhere else and you then have to bid to get a share of the national pot.
What they hope for is to catch as many people as possible in the Speed Awareness Course band - that keeps a whole industry of people in work. And helps supplement the meagre pensions of many retires traffic cops.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
LoonR1 said:
Who gets that money? There is no financial justification in spending your budget raising money that then goes somewhere else and you then have to bid to get a share of the national pot.
What they hope for is to catch as many people as possible in the Speed Awareness Course band - that keeps a whole industry of people in work. And helps supplement the meagre pensions of many retires traffic cops.
They have said that his specifically targeting people travelling over 90mph. This is way beyond the SAC threshold. Read what the police have said its targeting and the SAC argument doesn't stack up.

WaferThinHam

1,680 posts

129 months

Wednesday 30th September 2015
quotequote all
If we all speed, and speed kills, how are we all still alive?