Essex Police deny speed checks hit by cuts (From Southend Standard)
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Essex Police deny speed checks hit by cuts
9:50am Saturday 8th September 2012 in Southend By Adam Cornell
Thing of the past – one of the mobile speed camera vans used by Essex Police
Essex Police has denied it has vastly reduced the number of speed checks it carries out.
The force has confirmed it sold two of its five mobile speed camera vans, and removed equipment from the three other vehicles.
Officers were routinely paid overtime to operate the vans.
In addition, an officer claims traffic cops no longer have time to carry out speed checks, since they were used to cover response units starting in March this year.
The officer, who asked to remain anonymous, claims speeding tickets are down 90 per cent.
Adam Pipe, Essex Police’s casualty reduction manager, dismissed claims response officers were unable to carry out speed checks.
He said: “Officers are better with handheld devices, which gives them the power of discretion and flexibility.
“Essex is one of the few areas where crashes with deaths and serious injuries have declined.”
Essex Police refused to reveal how much the vans had cost and how much had been recouped by selling them.
A spokesman said a Freedom of Information request would be required to get the information.
He confirmed: “Two were sold at auction and the other three are now used elsewhere, although there is still the capability to kit them out should we choose to run specific operations.”
The spokesman said the mobile vans are not needed because officers can carry out more thorough checks, not just monitor traffic for speeding.
Comments(22)
devil's fury
says...
1:24pm Sat 8 Sep 12
Who cares? Who challenged this?
Most of the year people moan about speed cameras! A few less surely pleases them? After all speed cameras and the traffic police are only trying to make our roads safer!
I am concerned at the lack of visible approachable officers in our streets! Appears Essex Police has done a U turn on it's neighbourhood policing policy. Even the CSOs are becomming invisible!
pendulum
says...
1:33pm Sat 8 Sep 12
emcee
says...
1:47pm Sat 8 Sep 12
-
Well, someone at the Echo needs to put a FOI request in.
pembury53
says...
4:16pm Sat 8 Sep 12
pendulum wrote:Excellent news indeed...... hopefully this will free up precious resource to takle the real crimes of ceaseless muggings, violent assaults, robberies and assorted anti-social behaviour blighting this town.
Excellent news. Well done Essex Police. This is a cut the majority of NORMAL every-day people will actually agree with.
CALL ME CLINT
says...
4:46pm Sat 8 Sep 12
emcee wrote:Good idea emcee but I would ask why a FOI request is required, why can't Essex Police simply answer the question?
Quote: "Essex Police refused to reveal how much the vans had cost and how much had been recouped by selling them."
-
Well, someone at the Echo needs to put a FOI request in.
beyond the valley of the asbos
says...
7:53pm Sat 8 Sep 12
Alec Cikes
says...
12:14am Sun 9 Sep 12
Priorities have to be & should be made to ensure that the police deal with more important duties within SOS.
Boy_Racer21
says...
12:20am Sun 9 Sep 12
Boy_Racer21
says...
12:22am Sun 9 Sep 12
Boy_Racer21 wrote:An absolute cash cow for motorists. Remove all speed cameras.
Thank god for that. About time police focus on real crime rather then people speeding. I speed all the time. Never made me have a crash.
aduksquack
says...
8:42am Sun 9 Sep 12
Boy_Racer21 wrote:You're an idiot.
Thank god for that. About time police focus on real crime rather then people speeding. I speed all the time. Never made me have a crash.
BusterBoo
says...
12:19pm Sun 9 Sep 12
pembury53 wrote:Dont you see they have got rid of the vans because they cant cope with the 'real crimes'
pendulum wrote: Excellent news. Well done Essex Police. This is a cut the majority of NORMAL every-day people will actually agree with.Excellent news indeed...... hopefully this will free up precious resource to takle the real crimes of ceaseless muggings, violent assaults, robberies and assorted anti-social behaviour blighting this town.
aduksquack
says...
12:20pm Sun 9 Sep 12
pendulum wrote:You mean 'normal' people like dangerous drivers, speeders, drink drivers?
Excellent news. Well done Essex Police. This is a cut the majority of NORMAL every-day people will actually agree with.
EssexPerson
says...
12:32pm Sun 9 Sep 12
aduksquack wrote:Not sure I understand your 'normal' person statement. Why you think only dangerous, speeders and drunks will be happy is a bit weird.
pendulum wrote:You mean 'normal' people like dangerous drivers, speeders, drink drivers?
Excellent news. Well done Essex Police. This is a cut the majority of NORMAL every-day people will actually agree with.
Surely when the vans are equipped to catch speeders they wont be much use detecting dangerous and drunk drivers, but by redeploying the 3 remaining vans to regular police work they could help catch them.
APR
says...
9:00am Mon 10 Sep 12
beyond the valley of the asbos
says...
9:18am Mon 10 Sep 12
APR wrote:it's all about the overtime you see.... it's as high up as the 3rd paragraph.
Very strange, as this is one of the few police activities which actually makes a profit.
EthanEdwards
says...
10:02am Mon 10 Sep 12
APR wrote:Sssshhhh we are supposed to pretend it's all about safety dontcha know.
Very strange, as this is one of the few police activities which actually makes a profit.
artdecofan
says...
1:02pm Mon 10 Sep 12
One only has to scan these pages virtually daily to see that carnage is happening on our roads, innocent cyclists and pedestrians, as well as other innocent drivers, regularly being hurt (and worse), often by unlicensed, un-taxed, speeding CRETINS.
We need MORE enforcement of the speeding laws in this country, not less. I despair, I really do.
Basildon_racer
says...
4:19pm Mon 10 Sep 12
artdecofan wrote:So you make out people that speed are absolute scumbags? What an idiot. So basically nearly everyone is a scumbag. I drive everyday and I openly admit I will break the speed limit at least once everyday. I also see loads of other drivers break the speed limit everyday too. Dont tell me you have never exceeded the speed limit in your life time too, because you obviously have at least once.
I am absolutely outraged by the thought that more of the absolute morons who flout the speed limit are going to be getting away with it, thanks to this move by Essex Police.
One only has to scan these pages virtually daily to see that carnage is happening on our roads, innocent cyclists and pedestrians, as well as other innocent drivers, regularly being hurt (and worse), often by unlicensed, un-taxed, speeding CRETINS.
We need MORE enforcement of the speeding laws in this country, not less. I despair, I really do.
Basildon_racer
says...
4:21pm Mon 10 Sep 12
Basildon_racer wrote:Speed cameras are absolute cash cows for motorists and Im glad there cutting down on them. Give the motorist a break and focus on real crime.
artdecofan wrote:So you make out people that speed are absolute scumbags? What an idiot. So basically nearly everyone is a scumbag. I drive everyday and I openly admit I will break the speed limit at least once everyday. I also see loads of other drivers break the speed limit everyday too. Dont tell me you have never exceeded the speed limit in your life time too, because you obviously have at least once.
I am absolutely outraged by the thought that more of the absolute morons who flout the speed limit are going to be getting away with it, thanks to this move by Essex Police.
One only has to scan these pages virtually daily to see that carnage is happening on our roads, innocent cyclists and pedestrians, as well as other innocent drivers, regularly being hurt (and worse), often by unlicensed, un-taxed, speeding CRETINS.
We need MORE enforcement of the speeding laws in this country, not less. I despair, I really do.
APR
says...
10:50pm Mon 10 Sep 12
beyond the valley of the asbos wrote:Cameras are often manned by officers from another area, on their days off.
APR wrote:it's all about the overtime you see.... it's as high up as the 3rd paragraph.
Very strange, as this is one of the few police activities which actually makes a profit.
beyond the valley of the asbos
says...
11:38pm Mon 10 Sep 12
APR wrote:think you need to put the crack pipe down
beyond the valley of the asbos wrote:Cameras are often manned by officers from another area, on their days off.
APR wrote:it's all about the overtime you see.... it's as high up as the 3rd paragraph.
Very strange, as this is one of the few police activities which actually makes a profit.
fletch12107 says...
1:19pm Sat 8 Sep 12