Traffice Officers own worst enemy ?
Discussion
Hi All 
Because of the demonstration by Officers today it started me thinking...
With "Millions" of car drivers now being on 6 or 9 points on their licences, does it make a Traffic Officer think twice before issuing a ticket that will give yet another driver more points ???
The thinking behind this is....eventually there will be so MANY people banned under totting up that some bright spark in the Government is likely to say "hmmm we have a lot less drivers now, so why do we not cut down on Traffic Officers and leave it all to automated devices,,,like cameras etc"
Would any Traffic Officers like to comment on whether this scenario has ever come into their minds or even affected their decisions ?
All the best Brett
Because of the demonstration by Officers today it started me thinking...
With "Millions" of car drivers now being on 6 or 9 points on their licences, does it make a Traffic Officer think twice before issuing a ticket that will give yet another driver more points ???
The thinking behind this is....eventually there will be so MANY people banned under totting up that some bright spark in the Government is likely to say "hmmm we have a lot less drivers now, so why do we not cut down on Traffic Officers and leave it all to automated devices,,,like cameras etc"
Would any Traffic Officers like to comment on whether this scenario has ever come into their minds or even affected their decisions ?
All the best Brett
What worries me is the recommendation police officers get paid by 'success at job' rather than how long they have been employed.
For how does a policeman prove success? As in all of the public sector, it will tend to be judged by irrelevant, unqualified bureaucrats who will just ask for more and more papers to justify their own existence, and use to pretend targets are being met.
So will the traffic cop who issues 5 tickets a month but shows leeway and understanding, lets others off with a talking to, be deemed as 'successful' as policeman petty who tickets everyone and everything no matter what?
Not in public sector Britain, I think!
For how does a policeman prove success? As in all of the public sector, it will tend to be judged by irrelevant, unqualified bureaucrats who will just ask for more and more papers to justify their own existence, and use to pretend targets are being met.
So will the traffic cop who issues 5 tickets a month but shows leeway and understanding, lets others off with a talking to, be deemed as 'successful' as policeman petty who tickets everyone and everything no matter what?
Not in public sector Britain, I think!
GreenV8S said:
I don't think there's any danger of running out of drivers so that is not likely to be the reason why trafpol numbers are cut. More likely that more and more work is contracted out to private firms until we end up with just a token police force.
In many ways, that's what we have now - StreakyI think there are worse enemies - most people get those points via static scameras or tallivans.
Example: my other half now despises Surrey Police - she's not a mean person, but they gave her 3 points for running an orange light a few years back. They were ar5ey and rude about it too. She still does not believe she ran an orange light (A322 Bagshot juntion for locals). The cops we to the side and 'thought' she went through the junction a bit late (lights are blinkered from where they were sitting). It was clear that a warning would have sufficed.
Example: my other half now despises Surrey Police - she's not a mean person, but they gave her 3 points for running an orange light a few years back. They were ar5ey and rude about it too. She still does not believe she ran an orange light (A322 Bagshot juntion for locals). The cops we to the side and 'thought' she went through the junction a bit late (lights are blinkered from where they were sitting). It was clear that a warning would have sufficed.
jondude said:
What worries me is the recommendation police officers get paid by 'success at job' rather than how long they have been employed.
For how does a policeman prove success? As in all of the public sector, it will tend to be judged by irrelevant, unqualified bureaucrats who will just ask for more and more papers to justify their own existence, and use to pretend targets are being met.
So will the traffic cop who issues 5 tickets a month but shows leeway and understanding, lets others off with a talking to, be deemed as 'successful' as policeman petty who tickets everyone and everything no matter what?
Not in public sector Britain, I think!
Spot on, performance figures how do you measure them ?, tickets handed out and crimes solved = pay rise, drivers educated and crime averted by a visible deterrrence = not really recordable = no figures therefore beancounters become unemployable, For how does a policeman prove success? As in all of the public sector, it will tend to be judged by irrelevant, unqualified bureaucrats who will just ask for more and more papers to justify their own existence, and use to pretend targets are being met.
So will the traffic cop who issues 5 tickets a month but shows leeway and understanding, lets others off with a talking to, be deemed as 'successful' as policeman petty who tickets everyone and everything no matter what?
Not in public sector Britain, I think!
I suppose thats why speed and camera camera are loved by the beancounters and safety groups who don't look at the bigger picture, speed cams at regular accident blackspots where speed is usually a deciding factor seem ok imho, but revenue generating cameras (usually hidden/disguised) should be dismantled immediately to remind the public what their primary use is for, to reduce accidents not raise cash.
splitter / judas said:
At the most basic level - don't speed and you won't get the points. Your right foot is your own worst enemy.
outta here before the flaming starts
Hi outta here before the flaming starts My point was are points a Traffic officers and their future job prospects worst enemy...not about the drivers as such...
All the best Brett
Brett928S2 said:
splitter / judas said:
At the most basic level - don't speed and you won't get the points. Your right foot is your own worst enemy.
outta here before the flaming starts
Hi outta here before the flaming starts My point was are points a Traffic officers and their future job prospects worst enemy...not about the drivers as such...
All the best Brett
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