Warning letter from local Police

[Alfie]

I received a warning letter from the local police yesterday saying that a community partnership volunteer clocked my speed on chobham road as over 30mph and that I wouldnt be prosecuted this time!

Now, I remember seeing an elderly man lurking in the bushes on the day in question. He pointed one of those old hairdryer type things at me. I looked at my speedo and it said 30mph. I continued, thinking he was just some busy body.

So my question here is; Are those hairdryer things now discredited as a being unreliable? I doubt that they have a calibration certificate for it for that day anyway. Not that I am worried, but I do hate those busy bodies who feel they need to police the roads themselves, especially when I was not speeding. I feel a letter coming on...........

 

[BTB 500]

You can't be prosecuted on the basis of evidence from these "community speed watch" people.

The volunteers work in pairs at an identified location selected by local communities in consultation with Surrey Police, provided they are within 30 mph and 40 mph limits. They record speeds of motorists in a log and offenders travelling at excess speeds will be identified from the data provided and sent a ‘yellow’ letter of advice which will also ask for their co-operation in the future.


A maximum of two warning letters, along with safety information, will be sent to offenders and if they are caught speeding again, they will be targeted for enforcement by police, where appropriate. The aim, however, is for the presence of the Speedwatch volunteers out on the streets to make drivers think twice about their driving habits and slow down.

http://www.surrey.police.uk/news_item.asp?artid=6776

 

[crockers]

A Q?

Alfie - next time you drive through the town will you be looking out for them and driving at 30? If so that is all the letter is aimed at doing...as you were driving at 30 I would write the letter as its obvious that the guy using the "toy" hasn't been trained...

Bleeding amateurs.....

 

[Alfie]

This is outrageous. So you can be targetted by the police on the basis of what a couple of busy bodies write on their notepad!

Letter contesting the claim will be going in the post tomorrow. I was doing 30 and highly doubt the ability of the chap holding the hairdryer.

 

[BTB 500]

Not sure about calibration of the guns, but they do get trained on how to use them. There's a community speed watch in Worplesdon btw

 

[jadefox]

Oh my mum had exactly the same thing happen to her on a country lane!!!!

 

[pammy]

I think this type of thing is outrageous. Where's the evidence you were doing over 30. What some bloke wrote in a little book If it is a case of simply a letter then nothing more - I wouldn't lose sleep over it - but if it can be saved and used again then you have to have the right of appeal and to be proven guilty.

If you're sure you were only doing 30 then I would write and complain as the exercise will do more harm than good.

 

[GRAV888]

You should have run him over and when you get questioned, just say you thought someone was pointing a gun at you.

 

[crammy69]

Id ignore it. My wife and I were shunted by a hit an run driver, we got the number plate details, and had a couple of witnesses (including a solicitor) and all the police did was call the registered keeper who claimed to have sold the car the week before. The police just sent us a letter to say they were taking it no further (nice!). Not exactly the same thing, but somewhat indicative of the often arbitrary application of the law these days. Not that I want to rant on the police ( half my family and friends are in the Met) but it is dissapointing.

 

[ALFIE CONN]

Id ignore it. My wife and I were shunted by a hit an run driver, we got the number plate details, and had a couple of witnesses (including a solicitor) and all the police did was call the registered keeper who claimed to have sold the car the week before. The police just sent us a letter to say they were taking it no further (nice!). Not exactly the same thing, but somewhat indicative of the often arbitrary application of the law these days. Not that I want to rant on the police ( half my family and friends are in the Met) but it is dissapointing.

Crammy, the difference between your crime being solved/sorted and Alfies "crime?"

Alfies COULD earn money, yours is a crime they dont seem to bother with.

Im a pro police bloke but im getting very pi55ed off with the way things are done in the last few years!

 

[WLeg]

I've recviewed an offer to "help out the community" by manning one of these - days training for free.

We live in a small village, pop about 1000. Everyone knows everyone. The fastest people one the road (when he sticks to it) around here are Mr and Master Hamilton. It's strange, as I now about 6-7 people who have been asked, and none wants to help in this manner........ Lewis gave us a signed shirt for the school playground fund raiser auction though, local firm offered labour for a day, etc....

 

[stats007]

Sorry but I don't see the issue with concerned members of the public wanting to look after their own community and let the Police spend their time elsewhere. I would happily offer my time to do this on a number of roads near me where muppets think 50mph on a school road is acceptable.

 

[amwebby]

As Alfie's experience shows, the problem is the inconsistency of application and lack of informed judgement made by lay people that is the concern.

I live in a nice quiet street where the occasional idiot races through at 40-50 mph and have thought that such a scheme might benefit our local community. However, fears of a vigilante style attitude and the fact that this goes against my libertarian views have held me back.

Alfie's experience of what sounds like poor handling of the equipment only leads me to be glad this doesn't operate in our area.

 

[Mr E]

This is outrageous. So you can be targetted by the police on the basis of what a couple of busy bodies write on their notepad!

Surely it's little different from a "marker" on the ANPR database that shows complaints have been made about driving behaviour, loud stereos, etc. Perhaps our resident coppers could tell us how this works (or whether it's a myth).

I, too, wish there was something more effective that could be done to control those (usually non-resident) drivers who treat the lanes round our village as a personal racetrack. There must be something about the summer weather as there's been a major accident every day within a 10 mile radius over the last week - all but one involving solo vehicles that have left the road (seemingly through excess speed for the conditions - i.e. a bend or crest).

 

[Alfie]

Sorry but I don't see the issue with concerned members of the public wanting to look after their own community and let the Police spend their time elsewhere. I would happily offer my time to do this on a number of roads near me where muppets think 50mph on a school road is acceptable.

I agree if it were you who was holding the gun as I am sure you would be far more dilligent and responsible about it. However, not everyone is that good at these things and often, if they live in the immediate vicinty, wont act with complete impartiality. I wouldnt mind betting that they decided to nab every car they could just to make the problem look a lot worse than it is.

I for one do not speed on that road at all as I turn off of it into Horsell Rise and more importantly, the time I travel along it is when there are numerous school children walking along it.

I seem to recall the gentlemen in question was wearing glasses and was fairly elderly. I think I'll ask to see a report on the standard of his eyesight, an approximate guide to where he lives for impartiality reasons , the certificate of calibration for that day and evidence of his training.

 

[UnMarked]

Surely it's little different from a "marker" on the ANPR database that shows complaints have been made about driving behaviour, loud stereos, etc. Perhaps our resident coppers could tell us how this works (or whether it's a myth).

Our local Traffic Dept would target an area rather than an individual where there are concerns re speeding, and this would be based on analysis using reliable data (i.e. matrix indicators/surveys etc). The method used in this thread is not one used locally here so it's difficult to comment personally (but I will anyway and I do have some misgivings about it ).

Individual motorists around here are only singled out (my wording not the local constabulary's!) for cases such as anti-social driving, documents, drink/drug-drive and such. Fixed/mobile ANPR are used in these cases as are defined patrol areas through tasking meetings. Surprisingly it does work by and large

 

[stats007]

I understand your concerns, however I would expect (though have no knowledge) that the system provides a trigger code to write down related to a threshold speed and time. Maybe it's not as thorough as this and anyone can just claim you are speeding - in which case it's fundamentally flawed.

 

[Alfie]

Our local Traffic Dept would target an area rather than an individual where there are concerns re speeding, and this would be based on analysis using reliable data (i.e. matrix indicators/surveys etc). The method used in this thread is not one used locally here so it's difficult to comment personally (but I will anyway and I do have some misgivings about it ).

Individual motorists around here are only singled out (my wording not the local constabulary's!) for cases such as anti-social driving, documents, drink/drug-drive and such. Fixed/mobile ANPR are used in these cases as are defined patrol areas through tasking meetings. Surprisingly it does work by and large

I find your posts here particularly helpful as it is great to have the input from someone who actually fills a very relevant (and much needed) role.

Hopefully not going too off-topic, how do you cope with a driver whom is pulled over for driving erratically and you suspect they are under the influence of drugs as opposed to drink? I ask because I am unaware of any method to test for drugs at the roadside and the law concerning drink driving actually refers to drink and/or drugs. Do you arrest them under suspicion or is there another way of dealing with this? Thanks.

 

[UnMarked]

I understand your concerns, however I would expect (though have no knowledge) that the system provides a trigger code to write down related to a threshold speed and time. Maybe it's not as thorough as this and anyone can just claim you are speeding - in which case it's fundamentally flawed.

I can't speak for all force areas only the one I work in, and I stress the opinions I make are mine (it has been known for officers-including Traffic Rats-to disagree with policy/statute/ACPO from time to time ).

We run an operation on a regular basis in partnership with the Fire/Ambulance services. This is placed in built-up areas where data has been obtained from traffic matrix's (mobile) that persistent speeding at specific times is occurring. We then roll up at said specific time(s) and location(s) and conduct physical speed checks. Motorists who are above the accepted speed for the area (limit+10%+2mph) are stopped and are offered a choice of a ticket or 10 minutes of their time from all 3 services regarding the effects and consequences of speed and accidents.
Education rather than punishment and it's generally well received and surprisingly nearly all take the 10 minute lecture rather than the ticket (but excessive speeding is still dealt with by prosecution).

 

[amwebby]

Is the "accepted speed limit" formula you gave (speed limit+10%+2mph) uniform across the country? I always thought it was but some people have suggested it is only a guideline and can differ by area.