A Trafcop's Lot - Not Happy One! Per Grauniad!
Discussion
Article in Saturday's (3 July 04) Grauniad by Colin Cottrell ...
... says that "angry traffic police are near the end of the road!"
According to article:
After 11 years of policing with Devon & COrnwall, PC David James is on look-out for new job as his career is "being undermined" and he is
angry!
Devon & Cornwall have reduced trafpols from 225 to 175, and Lancashire has halved its force (verified by our own Officer Dibble!) and Staffs has seen drop in trafpol numbers of 83%
Numbers on trafpol duties have dropped - even though government figures say Police Force overall has expanded
Trafpols are concerned that 4,500 PC Gatso's have taken "lion's share of policing" and despite recommendation by House of Commons in 2002 that there should be no reductions in trafpols, many officers believe cameras are still being used to justify cuts in numbers!
The ACPO is going mad of acsm because they think they can achieve target of reducing casualties that way ( not seen much evidence - have we?)
PC Pete Stott (11 years service) from Lancs told Grauniad's reporter "Resources are not there, and skills are lost ast training has gone into decline too!"
Trafpols's also state (per article) that scamera cannot match flexibility of uniformed officers. And state: " They cannot detect drunks, drink driving, uninsured and unroadworthy vehicles which trapols detect day in, day out!" Hants BiB John Apter!
Per PC James "Cameras have made job more difficult because they are dishing out asrtronomical numbers of tickets and alienating the motoring public!" ( think we all agree with that!
PC Apter "I know places where these cameras are just there to make money!" Nooooo-OH!
But Sussex Inspector Labbett thinks the cams bring huge benefits - "They reduce accidents!!! and we can use the officers to detect other crimes!" Not seen crimes resolved then! Sussex police has moved its trapols to ANPR job and says this is not reduction of traffic policing!
PC Stott maintains that jobs are under threat, and that morale is low. Many would quit tomorrow!
The article alleges that new traffic offices by Highways agency threaten jobs too:
70 HA officers operate in West Mids and there are plans of national roll-out - with 1400 envvisaged by 2005. There is concern that these staff will be given powers to stop and direct traffic.
The trafpols are also concerned that basic salary is £20K plus £4K shift allowance. And the Highways Agency staff receive £33K - ie - hardly any powers nor skilled training - and yet earning a lot more!
PC James says it "beggars belief"! In past 7 years I have not seen anything like it: Regulations, and constant rule changes. Police work should be dynamic and flexible - and traffic policing is job which needs doing!"
=======
I would agree with that!
... says that "angry traffic police are near the end of the road!"
According to article:
After 11 years of policing with Devon & COrnwall, PC David James is on look-out for new job as his career is "being undermined" and he is
angry! Devon & Cornwall have reduced trafpols from 225 to 175, and Lancashire has halved its force (verified by our own Officer Dibble!) and Staffs has seen drop in trafpol numbers of 83%
Numbers on trafpol duties have dropped - even though government figures say Police Force overall has expanded
Trafpols are concerned that 4,500 PC Gatso's have taken "lion's share of policing" and despite recommendation by House of Commons in 2002 that there should be no reductions in trafpols, many officers believe cameras are still being used to justify cuts in numbers!
The ACPO is going mad of acsm because they think they can achieve target of reducing casualties that way (
not seen much evidence - have we?) PC Pete Stott (11 years service) from Lancs told Grauniad's reporter "Resources are not there, and skills are lost ast training has gone into decline too!"
Trafpols's also state (per article) that scamera cannot match flexibility of uniformed officers. And state: " They cannot detect drunks, drink driving, uninsured and unroadworthy vehicles which trapols detect day in, day out!" Hants BiB John Apter!
Per PC James "Cameras have made job more difficult because they are dishing out asrtronomical numbers of tickets and alienating the motoring public!" ( think we all agree with that!
PC Apter "I know places where these cameras are just there to make money!" Nooooo-OH!
But Sussex Inspector Labbett thinks the cams bring huge benefits - "They reduce accidents!!!
and we can use the officers to detect other crimes!" Not seen crimes resolved then! Sussex police has moved its trapols to ANPR job and says this is not reduction of traffic policing! PC Stott maintains that jobs are under threat, and that morale is low. Many would quit tomorrow!
The article alleges that new traffic offices by Highways agency threaten jobs too:
70 HA officers operate in West Mids and there are plans of national roll-out - with 1400 envvisaged by 2005. There is concern that these staff will be given powers to stop and direct traffic.
The trafpols are also concerned that basic salary is £20K plus £4K shift allowance. And the Highways Agency staff receive £33K - ie - hardly any powers nor skilled training - and yet earning a lot more!
PC James says it "beggars belief"! In past 7 years I have not seen anything like it: Regulations, and constant rule changes. Police work should be dynamic and flexible - and traffic policing is job which needs doing!"
=======
I would agree with that!
rustybin said:
I nominate P.C.'s James, Apter and Stott for the ODC Order of the Decent Copper, for speaking out at what I am sure is no little risk to their own careers. 
(and obiously those decent BiB's that contribute here!)
We need these people! More like the ones in thee article - and have already stated that i want more Dibbles etc - elsewhere
rustybin said:
I will leave others to suggest what Inspector Labbett should receive.
I do not think I would be allowed to post my opinion as to what I would do (or like to see done to Inspector Labett!
I am sure that the front line Trafpol, although a scarce and endangered species, are mostly pretty decent people albeit viewing the law from a different perspective to a lot of us on this site. They are only doing their job and generally what they post on here gives a fair and balanced argument.
They are, it appears, led by donkeys and it is refreshing to see these Trafpol in the article quoted stand up and say so. I respect the position this puts them in and also others who may show "dissent" (err, the truth ???)as they could find themselves checking for sheep rustlers in the Outer Hebrides.
The problem seems to lie with the policy makers and higher management who are all probably highly qualified but have absolutely no common sense or real world experience and also wish to further their careers by obeying their political masters. I feel genuinely sorry for the frontliners trying to carry out this gobbledegook.
( I will of course curse them to the ends of the earth if they nick me for doing a tad over 70mph
)
>> Edited by ftasb on Tuesday 6th July 12:53
They are, it appears, led by donkeys and it is refreshing to see these Trafpol in the article quoted stand up and say so. I respect the position this puts them in and also others who may show "dissent" (err, the truth ???)as they could find themselves checking for sheep rustlers in the Outer Hebrides.
The problem seems to lie with the policy makers and higher management who are all probably highly qualified but have absolutely no common sense or real world experience and also wish to further their careers by obeying their political masters. I feel genuinely sorry for the frontliners trying to carry out this gobbledegook.
( I will of course curse them to the ends of the earth if they nick me for doing a tad over 70mph
) >> Edited by ftasb on Tuesday 6th July 12:53
Just to add official figures from another area.
1980 Met Traffic officers = 1500
Feb 2004 638 (just 375 actually on road policing duties)
50 short of target roll call, additional 20 in the recruitment process.
Out of those 375, cover is provided for major sporting & cultural events. eg 30-40 every Saturday during footy season, 24 for rugby matches @ Twickers, & e.g.150 for Notting Hill Carnival.
Of the remainder 138 are sergeants and inspectors in supervisory roles and 125 are dedicated fatal accident investigators.
Then again in the North of the Principality Richard Brunstrom admits that North Wales Police have 30 traffic cars, but that only about 5 or 6 are ever actually out on the road at one time. He expects this is likely to be mirrored in other force areas.
As DVD/et al have pointed out many times traffic policing is an endangered species.
FiF
BTW that 33k for Civvy traffic officers in WMHA is staggering, how sure are we that is accurate? The pay rate flies in the face of advertised wage levels in other civilianised posts.
>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Tuesday 6th July 15:12
1980 Met Traffic officers = 1500
Feb 2004 638 (just 375 actually on road policing duties)
50 short of target roll call, additional 20 in the recruitment process.
Out of those 375, cover is provided for major sporting & cultural events. eg 30-40 every Saturday during footy season, 24 for rugby matches @ Twickers, & e.g.150 for Notting Hill Carnival.
Of the remainder 138 are sergeants and inspectors in supervisory roles and 125 are dedicated fatal accident investigators.
Then again in the North of the Principality Richard Brunstrom admits that North Wales Police have 30 traffic cars, but that only about 5 or 6 are ever actually out on the road at one time. He expects this is likely to be mirrored in other force areas.
As DVD/et al have pointed out many times traffic policing is an endangered species.
FiF
BTW that 33k for Civvy traffic officers in WMHA is staggering, how sure are we that is accurate? The pay rate flies in the face of advertised wage levels in other civilianised posts.
>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Tuesday 6th July 15:12
Flat in Fifth said:
Just to add official figures from another area.
1980 Met Traffic officers = 1500
Feb 2004 638 (just 375 actually on road policing duties)
50 short of target roll call, additional 20 in the recruitment process.
Out of those 375, cover is provided for major sporting & cultural events. eg 30-40 every Saturday during footy season, 24 for rugby matches @ Twickers, & e.g.150 for Notting Hill Carnival.
Of the remainder 138 are segants and inspectors in supervisory roles and 125 are dedicated fatal accident investigators.
Where do you get this info from? Is it available for other forces/the country as a whole?
JohnL said:
Where do you get this info from? Is it available for other forces/the country as a whole?
Seeing as the text is transposed from a publication which is fairly strict on copyright issues better not publicly declare source except to say....
The figures were reported as a quote from Paul Monk secretary of the Met Traffic Fed.
Brunstrom's comments were to the all party Parliamentary transport select committee, so I guess they will be in Hansard or similar.
Hope that helps with the source.
I too deplore the loss of so many skilled Trafpol, only to be replaced by rows & rows of Gatso's.
The danger is, like the loss of industrial skilled jobs in the past, you don't only lose the job, but you lose the lifelong and hard earned "knowledge" and ability to train others in the future.
If you then wish to reverse the disasterous policy, the skills are gone! And it takes YEARS to get them back.
The danger is, like the loss of industrial skilled jobs in the past, you don't only lose the job, but you lose the lifelong and hard earned "knowledge" and ability to train others in the future.
If you then wish to reverse the disasterous policy, the skills are gone! And it takes YEARS to get them back.
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