Police Presence

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Fri 17 Aug 2001 08:41
Police Presence - John Davis
There has been much discussion about the vast increase in the use of cameras, and other devices, to, supposedly, reduce vehicle speeds in controlled areas. and, it would appear that this vast expenditure is mainly aimed at increasing revenue for the various police forces who use them. My view is that it is all getting out of hand. A study of ANY local newspaper will show that petty crime and thuggery is increasing daily, yet it is now very rare to see a uniformed policeman patrolling the streets. The excuse, given by police authorities, is that there is not enough money to increase the "police presence".
We are being hoodwinked because, if the unbelievable sums, now being spent on two million pound helicopters, (mainly used it seems to apprehend some thug who has pinched a beaten up old Astra for a "joyride"), together with the vast expenditure on cameras, electronic devices and their associated manpower, were to be spent on recruiting and training policemen to patrol the streets, out of their cars and on foot, crime would, in my opinion start to decrease. That big increase in police manpower would be a better deterrent to the lawbreakers in our society, and, with some of these increased police numbers patrolling speed controlled areas, armed with hand held cameras, the deterrent factor to control that minority of motorists who flout the speed limits, would be every bit as good as all this expensive electronic tomfoolery.
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Fri 17 Aug 2001 09:14
Re: Police Presence - crazed idiot
not bad points which im sure are pretty close to what the silent majority think

however i think minor speed infringements in safe conditions should not be pursued as they are at present with the points, fines, bans and loss
of job this entails - mindless enforcement is just as bad from humans as it is from automated cameras

road safety is much more complex than this, i suggest u read the letter from serving traffic police to the
association of british drivers which is on the abd website, its also repeated in an earlier thread in this forum
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