Helpful CCTV people
Discussion
I was in town recently, going to get (a lot) of cash from the bank. Arrived on high street, where there is 20 minute loading only parking. Arrived at 12.15, went in bank. 15 minutes later, emerged to find parking ticket from CPSO saying 12.05-12.25.
Now, this makes my blood boil - it's lazy policing. He's walked up, gone 'Ooh, look, a TVR, flash bastard, bet he thinks he can park just anywhere all the time. Right, he must've been here for a while, so let's put down we saw him at 12.05....there we go'.
I went to the local cop shop and said 'This must be a mistake - I really wasn't there at this time, and the bank manager can attest to this.' Duty officer vanishes off (prob to find the CPSO who had given the ticket) and comes back and gives me the boiler plate of 'YOu can pay the ticket or go to court sir, your choice'. So, the CPSO has said 'Nope, he was definitely there'. DIdn't mention I was a local beak, 'cos we can't do that.
But I had a trick up my sleeve.
I seriously considered just paying the ticket - but it's the principle. So, I phoned up a very nice chap who runs the local CCTV operation. I don't know him personally - I just googled for his name and phoned the council. I asked for the footage and whilst he said that they could provide it to a suitable request (police, court, defence solicitor etc.) what he could send me right now was a time of when I arrived and when I left.
So, 3 hours later I got an email contained a scanned letter from him saying that a TVR Cerbera with Index Number blah blah, arrived at 12.15 exactly and left at whatever time I left. So, I've sent a copy of that to the CPS, along with a desire to plead not guilty and go to court.
Now in my case it's a bit stickier because I'm a JP, and whenever we do (or not do in this case) naughtiness, I have to phone my bench chair and talk to my clerk of court, who basically sighed and said 'bloody idiot CPSO, send them the letter and we'll hope nothing comes of it.' So, that's where we are - that was a few weeks back, and they've got around another week to send me a summons otherwise the case will be dropped.
INteresting if the CPSO comes to court - would he state under oath that he saw my car there at 12.05 when there's CCTV evidence to prove indisputably that he could not have. That's perjury, that is. :-) And The Law takes a very dim very of perjury from an Office of The Court.
Ho hum.
Now, this makes my blood boil - it's lazy policing. He's walked up, gone 'Ooh, look, a TVR, flash bastard, bet he thinks he can park just anywhere all the time. Right, he must've been here for a while, so let's put down we saw him at 12.05....there we go'.
I went to the local cop shop and said 'This must be a mistake - I really wasn't there at this time, and the bank manager can attest to this.' Duty officer vanishes off (prob to find the CPSO who had given the ticket) and comes back and gives me the boiler plate of 'YOu can pay the ticket or go to court sir, your choice'. So, the CPSO has said 'Nope, he was definitely there'. DIdn't mention I was a local beak, 'cos we can't do that.
But I had a trick up my sleeve.
I seriously considered just paying the ticket - but it's the principle. So, I phoned up a very nice chap who runs the local CCTV operation. I don't know him personally - I just googled for his name and phoned the council. I asked for the footage and whilst he said that they could provide it to a suitable request (police, court, defence solicitor etc.) what he could send me right now was a time of when I arrived and when I left.
So, 3 hours later I got an email contained a scanned letter from him saying that a TVR Cerbera with Index Number blah blah, arrived at 12.15 exactly and left at whatever time I left. So, I've sent a copy of that to the CPS, along with a desire to plead not guilty and go to court.
Now in my case it's a bit stickier because I'm a JP, and whenever we do (or not do in this case) naughtiness, I have to phone my bench chair and talk to my clerk of court, who basically sighed and said 'bloody idiot CPSO, send them the letter and we'll hope nothing comes of it.' So, that's where we are - that was a few weeks back, and they've got around another week to send me a summons otherwise the case will be dropped.
INteresting if the CPSO comes to court - would he state under oath that he saw my car there at 12.05 when there's CCTV evidence to prove indisputably that he could not have. That's perjury, that is. :-) And The Law takes a very dim very of perjury from an Office of The Court.
Ho hum.
jdening said:
Not at all - it's a loading zone, so I'm allowed 20 minutes. And I was there for 15 minutes.
As a beak, you must know that that is not strictly accurate. You were parked and in the eyes of the LA you were shopping, not loading.My only ever parking ticket was gained in similar circumstances!
Ean218 said:
jdening said:
Not at all - it's a loading zone, so I'm allowed 20 minutes. And I was there for 15 minutes.
As a beak, you must know that that is not strictly accurate. You were parked and in the eyes of the LA you were shopping, not loading.My only ever parking ticket was gained in similar circumstances!
Quick google gives me the Seventh report from the Select Committee on Transport, noting that a fixed definition of 'loading' should be made. :-) It also notes that "233. The 'cash and valuables in transit' sector of the security industry reported the particular problems it routinely encounters when unloading. These companies make in excess of 100,000 deliveries each day using specially adapted and armoured vehicles.[188] The main parking issue for these companies is the risk to the health and safety of the general public and to their employees through the risk of robbery. This is increased greatly where armoured vehicles have to park some distance from their delivery destinations.[189] "
OK, so I'm not a commercial provider, but the legislation was drafted with the concept of valuable items being a possible candidate for 'loading' - not just bulky/heavy items.
PottyMouth said:
I'm totally behind you on this one. Fight the bastard jobsworths tooth and nail I say!
Thanks. :-)It's the lazy b*stard attitude that gets me - I have no objection to being done for a crime if I did it. But being lazy and assuming that I was committing a crime when I wasn't, and effectively perjuring yourself - that's disgraceful behaviour from an officer of the court. The police and the judiciary have to be whiter than white in my opinion.
Jasandjules said:
Personally I would demand it goes to court, then use the evidence you have, then do something about a PCSO who will perjure himself to raise tax money......
Trouble is I have to go to court miles away, because obviously I can't be tried in the local magistrate's courts. And it's a waste of a day. Otherwise....jdening said:
I was getting a large sum (too large for a cashpoint) from the bank -
Obviously up to no good, since when does one need large amounts of cash nowadays... very dodgy methinks .... 
This is after I arived at a branch of my british bank on arriving off the ferry and getting grilled badly by the manager (who even threatened to call the police) because I wanted to deposit a hefty sum of cash to my account in another branch..... Bigbrother is watching you!!!!
PS I hope you get to court and are able to get the bent CPSO scumbag put away or fired for perjury!!
Edited by JMGS4 on Friday 11th January 11:29
JMGS4 said:
jdening said:
I was getting a large sum (too large for a cashpoint) from the bank -
Obviously up to no good, since when does one need large amounts of cash nowadays... very dodgy methinks .... This is after I arived at a branch of my british bank on arriving off the ferry and getting grilled badly by the manager (who even threatened to call the police) because I wanted to deposit a hefty sum of cash to my account in another branch..... Bigbrother is watching you!!!!
PS I hope you get to court and are able to get the bent CPSO scumbag put away or fired for perjury!!
jdening said:
Jasandjules said:
Personally I would demand it goes to court, then use the evidence you have, then do something about a PCSO who will perjure himself to raise tax money......
Trouble is I have to go to court miles away, because obviously I can't be tried in the local magistrate's courts. And it's a waste of a day. Otherwise....
I think you should hang the CPSO out to dry!!
Let him lie under oath and suffer the consequences of being a prat!
jdening said:
Jasandjules said:
Personally I would demand it goes to court, then use the evidence you have, then do something about a PCSO who will perjure himself to raise tax money......
Trouble is I have to go to court miles away, because obviously I can't be tried in the local magistrate's courts. And it's a waste of a day. Otherwise....Jasandjules said:
jdening said:
Jasandjules said:
Personally I would demand it goes to court, then use the evidence you have, then do something about a PCSO who will perjure himself to raise tax money......
Trouble is I have to go to court miles away, because obviously I can't be tried in the local magistrate's courts. And it's a waste of a day. Otherwise....
Its you duty to see justice is done!!
The full power of the law should be brought to bare
Black cap time!
odyssey2200 said:
Jasandjules said:
jdening said:
Jasandjules said:
Personally I would demand it goes to court, then use the evidence you have, then do something about a PCSO who will perjure himself to raise tax money......
Trouble is I have to go to court miles away, because obviously I can't be tried in the local magistrate's courts. And it's a waste of a day. Otherwise....Its you duty to see justice is done!!
The full power of the law should be brought to bare
Black cap time!
That's my main irritation - if you're going to be a PCSO then do the job properly - don't penalise sports car drivers without justification. There's plenty of speeding/bad driving/poor lane discipline - you shouldn't be having to make up parking tickets.
However, on the whole, the police are pretty darn honest where I am. At least, that's what I see...
- Streaky
Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff