Is 'obstructing a police support worker' an offence?

[CoolHands]

That's the wording the beeb use for someone who got in the way of a speed camera van

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire...

I see there is an offense against PCSO's, is there same against non-PCSOs but who are working for the police? (Or would the 'police support worker' actually have been a PCSO?). Just interested.

4.8Section 46 of the PRA creates a numberof offences relating specifically toPCSOs5, namely:

resisting or wilfully obstructing a PCSO in the execution of their duty

[Rushjob]

CoolHands said:

That's the wording the beeb use for someone who got in the way of a speed camera van

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire...

I see there is an offense against PCSO's, is there same against non-PCSOs but who are working for the police? (Or would the 'police support worker' actually have been a PCSO?). Just interested.

4.8Section 46 of the PRA creates a numberof offences relating specifically toPCSOs5, namely:

resisting or wilfully obstructing a PCSO in the execution of their duty

Look at Sec 46, Subsection 2 - designated / accredited person is included . If the CC has accredited or designated the crew of the van then the offence is complete. As it is now at court I'd suggest it's likely they have been so.....

[Lonely]

Where have you been living?

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[martinbiz]

There have been some attempted prosecutions of persons in the past under the obstruction legislation for deliberately warning others about the presence of a camera van, not sure how many have been successful, but I guess the poilice are fairly sure they are on firm ground. Deliberate blocking of a camera van's line of site would seem to fall under the same umbrella

[Derek Smith]

martinbiz said:

There have been some attempted prosecutions of persons in the past under the obstruction legislation for deliberately warning others about the presence of a camera van, not sure how many have been successful, but I guess the poilice are fairly sure they are on firm ground. Deliberate blocking of a camera van's line of site would seem to fall under the same umbrella

Interesting history of warning of a speed trap ahead. Way back when, warning all drivers was considered not to be an offence, but warning just speeding motorists was. Since then there's been some fiddling with it.

[AJL308]

Derek Smith said:

martinbiz said:

There have been some attempted prosecutions of persons in the past under the obstruction legislation for deliberately warning others about the presence of a camera van, not sure how many have been successful, but I guess the poilice are fairly sure they are on firm ground. Deliberate blocking of a camera van's line of site would seem to fall under the same umbrella

Interesting history of warning of a speed trap ahead. Way back when, warning all drivers was considered not to be an offence, but warning just speeding motorists was. Since then there's been some fiddling with it.

I've never really managed to get my head round the logic that getting someone to stop breaking the law amounts to obstructing a constable. If you saw someone about to punch another person and got the aggressor to not do it by telling him a cop was watching then would you get done for obstruction because the officer didn't get to make an arrest for GBH? Of course you wouldn't. If you prevent a crime or stop one which is happening then how tf is that obstruction?

[anonymous-user]

That analogy is inaccurate. The better analogy is that of a person who warns a thief not to steal a handbag because a police officer is watching.

If A stops B from punching C, A is usually being a good citizen and assisting C.

If A warns B that he is at risk of being detected doing something unlawful, A is in effect assisting B.

[AJL308]

Yes, good point. I'd never thought of it that way.

[anonymous-user]

Succinctly put.

One is protecting a victim, the other an offender.

[XCP]

Isn't there an offence of obstructing a police officer or any person assisting them?

[Bigends]

Breadvan72 said:

That analogy is inaccurate. The better analogy is that of a person who warns a thief not to steal a handbag because a police officer is watching.

If A stops B from punching C, A is usually being a good citizen and assisting C.

If A warns B that he is at risk of being detected doing something unlawful, A is in effect assisting B.

That wouldnt amount to obstruction though.
If I saw someone just about to throw a brick through a window and I told them - better not the Police are round the corner - they drop the brick and move on - no offence.

[vonhosen]

Bigends said:

Breadvan72 said:

That analogy is inaccurate. The better analogy is that of a person who warns a thief not to steal a handbag because a police officer is watching.

If A stops B from punching C, A is usually being a good citizen and assisting C.

If A warns B that he is at risk of being detected doing something unlawful, A is in effect assisting B.

That wouldnt amount to obstruction though.
If I saw someone just about to throw a brick through a window and I told them - better not the Police are round the corner - they drop the brick and move on - no offence.

Depends on context.
Effectively acting as a look out by giving a warning in order to temporarily suspend offending because of the immediate risk of detection would amount to an obstruction.

[helix402]

Answer to op’s question. Yes.