Operation Crackdown- East Sussex
Discussion
Hello,
Not looking for any advice here but thought I would post and see if anyone has received similar. I've had a letter from Operation Crackdown in East Sussex which is run by trained volunteers using police issue detection to catch motorists speeding and then sends them a letter warning them of their naughtiness advising if they do it again within 12 months they will be severely told off and will receive a smacked bottom (or similar words to that effect).
I've just had the pleasure in receiving such a letter and whilst I wouldn't in principal be concerned, as it is a notification as opposed to a speeding offence so non-notifiable. However, I know for a fact the letter is incorrect as it was in East Sussex which is nowhere near where I live and it was on a weekday (just last week) so I can easily vouch for my whereabouts which were on my motorcycle on my commute home at the time of the alleged offence. My car remained sat on my driveway unmoved as it had been for the last few days at the time I got home (I arrived home at near enough the exact time of the offence, which is some 27 miles away from my home).
Knowing the offence to be incorrect I can draw two conclusions:
1) said trained volunteer is an imbecile and needs his eyesight checked as he clearly saw a different car
2) someone has cloned my number plate and is hooning around East Sussex
The letter advises to contact the email address in the letter if you believe you have been incorrectly identified, and then doesn't provide an email address
Although Operation Crackdown does seem to be a genuine thing and an officer at Shoreham Police Station kindly provided me with the email address I need where I have sent a displeased, but polite letter with the above two observations asking which it is because if the latter I will need to report a crime in that my plates have been cloned.
That is all, keen to hear if anyone has had similar and I'll report back when I've had a response.
Not looking for any advice here but thought I would post and see if anyone has received similar. I've had a letter from Operation Crackdown in East Sussex which is run by trained volunteers using police issue detection to catch motorists speeding and then sends them a letter warning them of their naughtiness advising if they do it again within 12 months they will be severely told off and will receive a smacked bottom (or similar words to that effect).
I've just had the pleasure in receiving such a letter and whilst I wouldn't in principal be concerned, as it is a notification as opposed to a speeding offence so non-notifiable. However, I know for a fact the letter is incorrect as it was in East Sussex which is nowhere near where I live and it was on a weekday (just last week) so I can easily vouch for my whereabouts which were on my motorcycle on my commute home at the time of the alleged offence. My car remained sat on my driveway unmoved as it had been for the last few days at the time I got home (I arrived home at near enough the exact time of the offence, which is some 27 miles away from my home).
Knowing the offence to be incorrect I can draw two conclusions:
1) said trained volunteer is an imbecile and needs his eyesight checked as he clearly saw a different car
2) someone has cloned my number plate and is hooning around East Sussex
The letter advises to contact the email address in the letter if you believe you have been incorrectly identified, and then doesn't provide an email address
Although Operation Crackdown does seem to be a genuine thing and an officer at Shoreham Police Station kindly provided me with the email address I need where I have sent a displeased, but polite letter with the above two observations asking which it is because if the latter I will need to report a crime in that my plates have been cloned.
That is all, keen to hear if anyone has had similar and I'll report back when I've had a response.
Just to be clear. Speed watch volunteers have to identify make, model, colour and registration for the incident to be recorded. Each volunteer is meant to submit their evidence independently, which is then cross checked by the police. Thus unless three people got your number plate, car make, model and colour wrong it would seem fairly likely your plate has been cloned. Simple response is to contact the Administrators to confirm correct Speedwatch procedures were followed. If they weren’t then that Speedwatch group should be ‘retrained’ as they give the group a bad name. We aren’t all OAP’s.
of a motorist doing 55mph in a 30 mph?I think you should contest it because you don't want it on your "record" in case you get another one or you ever get caught speeding and are claiming it was a one off? I am certainly no expert though.
Also I agree - they should do something more useful with their volunteering time! Plenty of of more interesting charities could do with the help.
Also I agree - they should do something more useful with their volunteering time! Plenty of of more interesting charities could do with the help.
Bumblebee7 said:
Make and model are correct on letter, although it's marked as a saloon and not hatchback.
A polite request for the administrators to review the submitted evidence should suffice....they should either be written records or recordings. They should also have the time and exact speed noted down. If it hasn’t been done properly, the Police should not have sent out letters and all data expunged from the records.As I said earlier, if Speedwatch isn’t done properly, it isn’t worth doing at all.
Unknown_User said:
Hateful OAP busy bodies meddling in other peoples lives because they're bored.
If they wanted to help society there are organisations and individuals that really need their help like homelessness and addiction charity's. I'd be contesting that letter to the bitter end.
Ha, classic Piha. If they wanted to help society there are organisations and individuals that really need their help like homelessness and addiction charity's. I'd be contesting that letter to the bitter end.
Bobtherallyfan said:
Thus unless three people got your number plate,
I live in West Sussex. I've had a letter some time ago. They only operate in pairs in our village, and at more than one location in the village. Never seen a trio of them.Apart from that, yes, they are sad old gits, proper pillocks of the community.
Bobtherallyfan said:
Just to be clear. Speed watch volunteers have to identify make, model, colour and registration for the incident to be recorded. Each volunteer is meant to submit their evidence independently, which is then cross checked by the police. Thus unless three people got your number plate, car make, model and colour wrong it would seem fairly likely your plate has been cloned. Simple response is to contact the Administrators to confirm correct Speedwatch procedures were followed. If they weren’t then that Speedwatch group should be ‘retrained’ as they give the group a bad name. We aren’t all OAP’s.
How would they know what make and model most cars are? i doubt they would know what a 3 series looks like, let alone something like my Mustang as it doesn't even have a Ford badge, so they wouldn't have a clue?Unknown_User said:
Hateful OAP busy bodies meddling in other peoples lives because they're bored.
If they wanted to help society there are organisations and individuals that really need their help like homelessness and addiction charity's. I'd be contesting that letter to the bitter end.
I don't get the hate for them. They want to make their town/village safer from speeders. They only work in 30MPH zones. If they wanted to help society there are organisations and individuals that really need their help like homelessness and addiction charity's. I'd be contesting that letter to the bitter end.
I'd rather get a letter from them than a speeding ticket any day of the week!
Nothing to contest...it can't be used to prosecute.
V8 Stang said:
How would they know what make and model most cars are? i doubt they would know what a 3 series looks like, let alone something like my Mustang as it doesn't even have a Ford badge, so they wouldn't have a clue?
Quite simple...in our group we have ex road traffic police, ex army, a chap who has about twenty cars in his collection and an ex motorsport participant in me. Its not unusual for me to turn up in a 911, another chap in a higher modified racing MGB and another chap in a lovely 2002Ti. If anyone else in the group isn’t with one of us, they use identification cards, so a Mustang would be easy. In any case, you only need three identifications, so model, colour and reg number would be sufficient to cross check against the police computer.So don’t make the mistake of thinking volunteers might not like cars...we just happen to think the 30mph road through our villages should be stuck to. Given that only cars doing 35mph and above are reported, we only operate wearing high vis jackets and in areas that are well publicised....you would have to be a bit daft to get caught in the first place, which let’s face it, is why people get upset.
Bobtherallyfan said:
Quite simple...in our group we have ex road traffic police, ex army, a chap who has about twenty cars in his collection and an ex motorsport participant in me. Its not unusual for me to turn up in a 911, another chap in a higher modified racing MGB and another chap in a lovely 2002Ti. If anyone else in the group isn’t with one of us, they use identification cards, so a Mustang would be easy. In any case, you only need three identifications, so model, colour and reg number would be sufficient to cross check against the police computer.
So don’t make the mistake of thinking volunteers might not like cars...we just happen to think the 30mph road through our villages should be stuck to. Given that only cars doing 35mph and above are reported, we only operate wearing high vis jackets and in areas that are well publicised....you would have to be a bit daft to get caught in the first place, which let’s face it, is why people get upset.
There was a Speedwatch set up on a steep hill around the corner from where I live, so went around for a nosey. Turns out it was a couple of local councillors who were desperate for people to join ( really desperate-they asked me So don’t make the mistake of thinking volunteers might not like cars...we just happen to think the 30mph road through our villages should be stuck to. Given that only cars doing 35mph and above are reported, we only operate wearing high vis jackets and in areas that are well publicised....you would have to be a bit daft to get caught in the first place, which let’s face it, is why people get upset.
). Despite two bods in hi-viz standing in clear sight on the pavement waving a speed gun and various roadsigns warning that a Speedwatch was in operation, at least one woman came past us at over 40 mph. I don't agree with the principal of Speedwatch, but you can't argue that they are a stealth operation by any means and some people really ought to work on their powers of observation.This was two or three years ago and they've not been back. Not wanted around here.
In my experience these volunteer speed traps are a complete waste of time. You will never see them on a day with remotely bad weather and they soon get bored of standing by the side of the road for hours at a time.
The one near me was in a 20 limit, the road in question isn't near a school or any other vulnerable pedestrian. Has good visibility, to my knowledge has never seen a serious accident. I suspect the limit was put in place to placate residents, the road is a rat run.
Most cars ignore it and do 30 perfectly safely.
The one near me was in a 20 limit, the road in question isn't near a school or any other vulnerable pedestrian. Has good visibility, to my knowledge has never seen a serious accident. I suspect the limit was put in place to placate residents, the road is a rat run.
Most cars ignore it and do 30 perfectly safely.
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