Civvy speed nazis with radar in Wales

[JMGS4]

The Brownshirtführer is increasing his Gestapo!!!
from todays BBC Wales section......

"Villagers given police radar guns

Eight villagers will be trained to use police radar guns
Residents of a north Wales village are to use police radar guns to record vehicles which ignore a 40mph speed limit past their homes.
Drivers caught speeding by eight volunteers will receive warning letters from North Wales Police but the force will take no action against them.

People in Pentrefoelas in Conwy have said drivers' speed is a major issue.

It is the first time the project has been launched in north Wales although there are others elsewhere in the UK.

Two years ago, the villagers of St Brides Major in the Vale of Glamorgan became the first in Wales to be given a speed laser gun by police to try to catch motorists speeding through their streets.

It may remind some people that have been speeding that it may not be a villager who is holding the gun the next time, it could be police officer with the power to enforce

RoSPA

The eight-week Pentrefoelas trial on the A5 has been set up with the help of North Wales Police.

Locals met Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom in summer 2004 and told him that the long straight stretch of road, which cuts the village in two, means many motorists are tempted to race through.

As Pentrefoelas does not meet the requirements for a fixed speed camera, North Wales Police has agreed to lend a team of eight volunteers hand-held speed guns.

Working in pairs, the volunteers will record the registrations of anyone they catch speeding and pass the details onto the police.

'Mostly harmless'

The police will then send out warning letters advising drivers they have been caught speeding and urging them to obey the law in future.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety for the AA Motoring Trust, said: "I don't see it as anything that anyone should be getting outraged about. It's mostly harmless.

"It's a way that the residents can do something about these things.

"As long as we end up with a system where the volunteer with the speed gun does not end up with you getting points on your licence or a fine - that's the responsibility of a policeman."

Roger Vincent, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "If it is proven that there is a major problem in that area, it will back up the concerns that have been raised, but there is no substitute for real police officers doing the job.

"It may remind some people that have been speeding that it may not be a villager who is holding the gun the next time, it could be police officer with the power to enforce."

[supraman2954]

....divide and rule

In my experience, it's the people who don't use cars much, or at all, who are most vocal against speeders. Strangely enough, these are the same people who cause most of the accidents (on a per mile basis, or perhaps not?).

A clear case of NIMBY?

[jacobyte]

I don't get this. Civilians are being given expensive equipment to point at cars. These units must cost thousands of taxpayers' money, and are not even being used! If it's only about perception, then why not just give them a cheap plastic replica?

Furthermore, do these civilians not actually have lives to get on with?

Grrr

[JMGS4]

I know if any of these pratts pointed anything like that in my direction, I'd iconsider it as an attack, and insert it forcibly into their rectum, after having chastised these eejits verbally (and physically?)

[DeMolay]

jacobyte said:

I don't get this. Civilians are being given expensive equipment to point at cars. These units must cost thousands of taxpayers' money, and are not even being used! If it's only about perception, then why not just give them a cheap plastic replica? Furthermore, do these civilians not actually have lives to get on with? Grrr

Well said that man. Cheap plastic replicas would have the desired effect I would venture. Getting a letter from the rozzers to say, "you've been naughty, please stop" is unlikely to have much of an effect if there is no possibility of prosecution; therefore getting drivers to slow down at the scene would seem the obvious thing to do.

Have to agree with the 'get a life' comment though. Especially on a cold winter morning when it's blowing a hooly outside.

[cliffe_mafia]

supraman2954 said:

....divide and rule In my experience, it's the people who don't use cars much, or at all, who are most vocal against speeders. Strangely enough, these are the same people who cause most of the accidents (on a per mile basis, or perhaps not?). A clear case of NIMBY?

We could all head down there and see who can get the most worthless letters from the police

[echo]

DeMolay said:

jacobyte said: I don't get this. Civilians are being given expensive equipment to point at cars. These units must cost thousands of taxpayers' money, and are not even being used! If it's only about perception, then why not just give them a cheap plastic replica? Furthermore, do these civilians not actually have lives to get on with? Grrr Well said that man. Cheap plastic replicas would have the desired effect I would venture. Getting a letter from the rozzers to say, "you've been naughty, please stop" is unlikely to have much of an effect if there is no possibility of prosecution; therefore getting drivers to slow down at the scene would seem the obvious thing to do. Have to agree with the 'get a life' comment though. Especially on a cold winter morning when it's blowing a hooly outside.

agree with all that
use a dummy speed gun and don't send out letters - that makes anyone speeding sweat for a few months

[james_j]

I wonder if there's a medical condition which could cause a driver to steer towards one of those hand-held devices, on account of its emissions.

"I'm sorry you little weasel, I couldn't help steer towards you (slowly of course), but when I have those devices pointed at me, I can't help by steer towards the source of the emission".

[Liszt]

This has come up before but say you have 2 passengers who say you were driving within the speed limit but numpties say you were speeding, is there not a case for Libel/deformation of character?

Not a lawyer but it would be nice to wind up a busy body with a legal threat.

[parrot of doom]

Playing Devil's advocate here, but I wonder what locations they will use. Don't all assume that they'll be hiding behind bushes, they may actually have a valid point, and be 'policing' areas where 40mph is grossly irresponsible.

[bigtone]

Its funny to see how two threads on the same subject end up going in separate directions!

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=147454

[Ripton]

parrot of doom said:

they may actually have a valid point, and be 'policing' areas where 40mph is grossly irresponsible.

I'm fed up with people who don't slow down coming through my village, especialy the numpties who have been pootling along at 40 through the countryside. Speed when appropriate but I can't think of any situation where it is appropriate in a restricted residential area.

Cue lentlist jibes

[MilnerR]

Ripton said:

I'm fed up with people who don't slow down coming through my village, especialy the numpties who have been pootling along at 40 through the countryside.

Its these sort of people they are going to issue with bloody lasers!
Like the idea of seeing how many police letters you can accumulate. You could have little scamera badges painted on your front wing like a WW2 ace

[Ripton]

MilnerR said:

Ripton said: I'm fed up with people who don't slow down coming through my village, especialy the numpties who have been pootling along at 40 through the countryside. Its these sort of people they are going to issue with bloody lasers!

When you say "these sort of people" do you mean me or the aforementioned numpties?

[MilnerR]

Afore mentioned 40mph everywhere numptys, not you

[einion yrth]

MilnerR said:

Afore mentioned 40mph everywhere numptys, not you

unless of course you drive everywhere at 40mph.

[Ripton]

einion yrth said:

MilnerR said: Afore mentioned 40mph everywhere numptys, not you unless of course you drive everywhere at 40mph.

i prefer 30 - 35mph, 40 is a bit scary and requires chainging out of first

[Roadcop]

Ripton said:

einion yrth said: MilnerR said: Afore mentioned 40mph everywhere numptys, not you unless of course you drive everywhere at 40mph. i prefer 30 - 35mph, 40 is a bit scary and requires chainging out of first

What? In a 2.0 litre A4 Avant.....Aren't you screaming the bollocks off it then...?

[Ripton]

Roadcop said:

Ripton said: einion yrth said: MilnerR said: Afore mentioned 40mph everywhere numptys, not you unless of course you drive everywhere at 40mph. i prefer 30 - 35mph, 40 is a bit scary and requires chainging out of first What? In a 2.0 litre A4 Avant.....Aren't you screaming the bollocks off it then...?

ok you've caught me out, i like to think i'm a little more racey than i realy am.

[Roadcop]

Ripton said:

ok you've caught me out, i like to think i'm a little more racey than i realy am.

You do right..