Speed police go downunder

[jmorgan]

Link

icNorth Wales said:

Speed cops go Down Under Aug 23 2004 By Matt Withers, Daily Post   NORTH Wales Police paid for two officers to fly "down under" to study speed cameras. As part of the fact-finding trip the pair spent just under a week in the Australian state of Victoria which boasts one of the world's strictest speeding policies. The south-east state has covert cameras and is proud of its zero-tolerance stance to speeding drivers. Alan Jones and Ian Bell are now writing a report on their findings. They are likely to recommend Victoria's no-nonsense measures are introduced here. Mr Jones is a road policing staff officer with the North Wales force while Mr Bell is national safety camera co-ordinator for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo). The trip was taken on behalf of the Association. But because chief constable Richard Brunstrom is chairman of Acpo's road safety committee, the North Wales force funded the visit. A police spokeswoman said it cost just over £1,000 for each officer. But the pair robustly defended the expense, claiming the trip was vital in order to learn how other countries operate their speed camera systems. Mr Jones said: "We will go anywhere in the world to find good practice." Mr Bell said: "Although the world is a big place, it's actually small in policing terms. We all have the same problems." Victoria has one of the world's strict-est policies regarding speeding, with over one million of the state's 3.8 million population snared by cameras last year. But the system came under fire recently when drivers found they were being clocked by faulty cameras doing impossible speeds, including a 30-year-old Datsun at 158km/h and a lorry supposedly doing 174 km/h. The state's government last month announced it would be reimbursing fines paid by 90,000 motorists at a cost of almost $14 million after finding a number of faulty cameras. But Mr Jones and Mr Bell insisted British forces could learn much from their Australian counterparts. Mr Jones said surveys in the state of Victoria showed 80% of residents were satisfied with the way police were tackling speeding. Mr Brunstrom has been briefed on the findings from Victoria.

>>> Edited by jmorgan on Monday 23 August 21:20

[turbobloke]

Brunstrom's brainwave has already got this response:

NEWS Release

FOLLY OF SPEED COPS' AUSSIE FORAY
Colwyn Bay, 23 August, 2004

Commenting on the "fact-finding" visit by two North Wales speed cops to the Australian state of Victoria to study "good practice" in the use of speed cameras, Conservative Parliamentary candidate, David Jones, said:
"After such adverse comment on its speed camera policy, it is astonishing that North Wales Police should see fit to send not one, but two, officers at £1,000 per head to study the methods of an Australian force which itself appears to be so inept that it has had to refund the fines of 90,000 motorists after its cameras proved faulty. North Wales Police's obsession with speed cameras is now approaching the level of monomania, and is doing nothing but damage to relations between police and public."

ENDS

He (Brunstrom) might need more stress balls soon.


>> Edited by turbobloke on Monday 23 August 21:21

[mybrainhurts]

Short sighted, dumb idiots.

Good job I'm not paying their Council tax.

[Richard C]

Looks like I'll be voting for David Jones next year then....

But N Wales Police have to think of a few jollies to spend their ill gotten gains on as otherwise they'll have to give it to the treasury. Victoria Police
must have funded their expenses in town then. I dare say there will be a return visit by the Australains overe here soon then

[gh0st]

Doesnt australia already have enough criminals without us sending our mastermind over?!

[sjpage]

"Doesnt australia already have enough criminals without us sending our mastermind over?! "

Lol to right

Quote:
The Government is repaying almost $14 million in fines and reinstating demerit points to 90,000 drivers who were clocked by the suspect Western Ring Road cameras.


[url]www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0%2C4057%2C10404135%255E2%2C00.html[/url]

How long before we show that all our cameras are inaccurate and our government get it up em good and proper
_________________
all the best Stef.

Please Help Distribute the Flyer
www.thecameralies.cjb.net


>> Edited by sjpage on Tuesday 24th August 08:49

[jmorgan]

article said:

Mr Jones said: "We will go anywhere in the world to find good practice."

Just wondering where in the world they concentrate on poor driving?

[sadako]

I'd worry, most aussies i speak to complain about how psychotic their police are. They seem particularly trigger happy too so you dont want to cross them.

[james_j]

I have some friends recently moved to Western Australia.

By all accounts the traffic police there are a bit thick and can't employ anything other than "black and white" thinking.

They are totally power and "righteous" obsessed.

Oh, and the "authorities" have actually admitted it's for revenue (and are clearly happy to employ "clamper" types to do their dirty work).

[Tafia]

mybrainhurts said:

Short sighted, dumb idiots. Good job I'm not paying their Council tax.

Oi MBH. I AM paying the bloody tax and it's rising all the time.

Clearly the Arrive Alive pratnership have so much cash on their hands they know not what to do with it so organise jollies to the other side of the the world.

I also bet it cost a lot more than £1000 each.

[larrylamb11]

icNorth Wales said:

with over one million of the state's 3.8 million population snared by cameras last year....

Did nobody else spot this? Look at the ratio here - a better hit rate that 1 in 4! THAT is frightening - within four years it would be possible for every resident of the state to have points on their licence!!!!

[regmolehusband]

As Richard C says, they have to spend this money or it just goes to the treasury.

The sort of information they were looking for could have been gleaned during a long telephone call and a few e-mailed photographs.

[robocop]

Don't like the idea of this one bit!

If my bosses are of a similar thought process, I could find myself on a one week fact finding mission to study the 'impact of the 7.62mm in the community'.... in Bahgdad!

Rgds

[prelude4ws]

we have just returned from a 10 month stay in Victoria, and if anything its worse than portrayed on this thread. Nobody speeds anywhere, as a result lane disapline is non existant, artic trucks that make ours look toys, also travel at the same speed (very ) and the concept that someone else maybe on the road seems to have escaped them completly (that however could be a result of that in most parts of Oz there is no-one else on the road!). the general standard of driving could at best be described as dismal. What really shock us however is that drink driving is the norm. it doesn tseem to bother them one bit.

having lived there I would rather everybody speed around to fast, than ruthlesly stuck to the limit pi**ed as a fart.