Policeman accused of 11 speeding offences
Discussion
agtlaw said:
Back to the 80's when an Inspector or Sgt prosecuted at Traffic Court! Those were the days...If the driver was not authorised by the force to do this then why would they not do a disciplinary? Strikes me as easier.
Any traffic pol know if the law on exemptions for police purposes have any need for certain levels of qualification? I know there is some debate about ambulance purposes needing an actual marked ambulance or a private individual can use use this defence if doing an A&E dash.
Any traffic pol know if the law on exemptions for police purposes have any need for certain levels of qualification? I know there is some debate about ambulance purposes needing an actual marked ambulance or a private individual can use use this defence if doing an A&E dash.
Starfighter said:
If the driver was not authorised by the force to do this then why would they not do a disciplinary? Strikes me as easier.
Any traffic pol know if the law on exemptions for police purposes have any need for certain levels of qualification? I know there is some debate about ambulance purposes needing an actual marked ambulance or a private individual can use use this defence if doing an A&E dash.
They'll do the discipline thing second.Any traffic pol know if the law on exemptions for police purposes have any need for certain levels of qualification? I know there is some debate about ambulance purposes needing an actual marked ambulance or a private individual can use use this defence if doing an A&E dash.
Two bites at the cherry.
Exemptions don't require qualification.
It's covered by statute.
Force policy will - but force policy is not law.
Exemptions can even be used by officers in private vehicles.
Just seen al qaeda suspect blow up fifty people, follow at high speed etc in your own car, exemption applies and use likely to be upheld.. Hero
Just seen someone one contravene keep left bollard and follow at high speed, exemption less likely to be upheld. Villain
Just seen al qaeda suspect blow up fifty people, follow at high speed etc in your own car, exemption applies and use likely to be upheld.. Hero
Just seen someone one contravene keep left bollard and follow at high speed, exemption less likely to be upheld. Villain
Red 4 said:
They'll do the discipline thing second.
Two bites at the cherry.
Exemptions don't require qualification.
It's covered by statute.
Force policy will - but force policy is not law.
Speeding, since 2008, does only apply if the vehicle is being driven "by a person who has been trained in driving vehicles at high speeds" Traffic signs red lights etc still don't. Two bites at the cherry.
Exemptions don't require qualification.
It's covered by statute.
Force policy will - but force policy is not law.
Many people have used their exemptions in private vehicles, including a well quoted case about being late for court, in the bad old days people used their private cars for pretty much everything including surveillance and all sorts. Some private vehicles have PWE radios etc. but that's not required.
Surely there must me more to this story, officers who cant drive in advanced car or manor would surely not jepordise there jobs and licence over sticking to the limits.
I read a story on here a few months ago about an officer sacked for using blue lights to go through red lights when not on a shout, who looks at this stuff, surely they dont get a car back and sit through 8 hours of footage then match up to a log of incidents.
Seems ott - watching traffic cops there was an officer doing 150mph on the motorway to get to a report of a crash where other units were already in attendance, surely that's not classed as an genuine reason for that kind of speed?
I read a story on here a few months ago about an officer sacked for using blue lights to go through red lights when not on a shout, who looks at this stuff, surely they dont get a car back and sit through 8 hours of footage then match up to a log of incidents.
Seems ott - watching traffic cops there was an officer doing 150mph on the motorway to get to a report of a crash where other units were already in attendance, surely that's not classed as an genuine reason for that kind of speed?
jonwm said:
Seems ott - watching traffic cops there was an officer doing 150mph on the motorway to get to a report of a crash where other units were already in attendance, surely that's not classed as an genuine reason for that kind of speed?
An interesting point, though from watching various programmes - traffic cops, police interceptors et al - it does seem quite normal for them to make their way to incidents at such speeds, more often than not there seems to be other officers there when they arrive, but perhaps there are just seconds or the odd minute or so between arrivals.I was interested in what Greendubber said earlier - maybe the officer in this case was driving above his grade. I assume the standard officer being able to drive +20 above the speed limit refers to your typical local response officer. I've certainly seen local (non roads policing) cars driven well above the +20 at times but maybe these officers have different levels or standards. In the past you would have local 'panda' cars (maybe a fiesta or Astra) and the bigger 'area' cars (maybe a BMW or similar) but they don't seem to do that now.
Certainly in Norfolk the local officers mainly seem to drive Focus or Astra estates. Not uncommon to see them flying around at well above the +20mph, though on another day you will see a couple of PCSOs in one, so I assume the level of driver in them varies widely.
Just because the car is an old banger doesn't mean that the officer driving it is not highly trained and authorised. When traffic were decimated the first time in our force we had RMP officers 'reduced' to driving Ford Escorts and Pug 306's like the rest of us mere mortals on the groups.
andy118run said:
jonwm said:
Seems ott - watching traffic cops there was an officer doing 150mph on the motorway to get to a report of a crash where other units were already in attendance, surely that's not classed as an genuine reason for that kind of speed?
An interesting point, though from watching various programmes - traffic cops, police interceptors et al - it does seem quite normal for them to make their way to incidents at such speeds, more often than not there seems to be other officers there when they arrive, but perhaps there are just seconds or the odd minute or so between arrivals.I was interested in what Greendubber said earlier - maybe the officer in this case was driving above his grade. I assume the standard officer being able to drive +20 above the speed limit refers to your typical local response officer. I've certainly seen local (non roads policing) cars driven well above the +20 at times but maybe these officers have different levels or standards. In the past you would have local 'panda' cars (maybe a fiesta or Astra) and the bigger 'area' cars (maybe a BMW or similar) but they don't seem to do that now.
Certainly in Norfolk the local officers mainly seem to drive Focus or Astra estates. Not uncommon to see them flying around at well above the +20mph, though on another day you will see a couple of PCSOs in one, so I assume the level of driver in them varies widely.
Derek Smith said:
There's got to be more than just that basic speeding. I would have thought they might have gone for dangerous if he wasn't qualified.
There's ample decided cases with regards the interpretation of the law, some defying logic, and most seem to support that as long as if conformed to the letter of the law, there's no problem. D&C will have a go of course later. But if it's that simple, why have CPS continued? I mean, apart from caving into pressure from a CC.
A bit tricky with the lights though, and much depends on the traffic sign.
He must have known he was going through speed cameras, so why continue?
Derek, I am disappointed. You have posted but not included a tale from policing in the old days.There's ample decided cases with regards the interpretation of the law, some defying logic, and most seem to support that as long as if conformed to the letter of the law, there's no problem. D&C will have a go of course later. But if it's that simple, why have CPS continued? I mean, apart from caving into pressure from a CC.
A bit tricky with the lights though, and much depends on the traffic sign.
He must have known he was going through speed cameras, so why continue?
I was expecting something like -
'Me and me old mucker Sgt Roger were once tasked to escort the Prince of Malaysia through London for a takeaway. Thing is, we were based 200 miles away in an industrial northern town. We were in a tuned Granada Scorpio so I said to Rog, hold on tight old boy, here we go. I gunned the old Ford for all it's worth and we did the 200 miles in 45 minutes. When we got there old Rog had a face that was as white as a sheet.
Which reminds me, we once arrested a bloke for stealing sheets from Dunelm. The story went like this ......'
Bigends said:
andy118run said:
jonwm said:
Seems ott - watching traffic cops there was an officer doing 150mph on the motorway to get to a report of a crash where other units were already in attendance, surely that's not classed as an genuine reason for that kind of speed?
An interesting point, though from watching various programmes - traffic cops, police interceptors et al - it does seem quite normal for them to make their way to incidents at such speeds, more often than not there seems to be other officers there when they arrive, but perhaps there are just seconds or the odd minute or so between arrivals.I was interested in what Greendubber said earlier - maybe the officer in this case was driving above his grade. I assume the standard officer being able to drive +20 above the speed limit refers to your typical local response officer. I've certainly seen local (non roads policing) cars driven well above the +20 at times but maybe these officers have different levels or standards. In the past you would have local 'panda' cars (maybe a fiesta or Astra) and the bigger 'area' cars (maybe a BMW or similar) but they don't seem to do that now.
Certainly in Norfolk the local officers mainly seem to drive Focus or Astra estates. Not uncommon to see them flying around at well above the +20mph, though on another day you will see a couple of PCSOs in one, so I assume the level of driver in them varies widely.
Anyone for cadence clutching?
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