More speed traps but fewer patrols

Jun 2 2008 by William Green, The Journal

CONCERNS about policing of North East roads erupted yesterday after official figures indicated a major drop in the number of traffic policemen alongside a rise in the number speed cameras.

Some 172 traffic policemen worked in Northumbria in 2006-07 compared to 245 in 2002-03 while camera sites – which include fixed and mobile units – rose from 34 to 126, according to Government statistics released to MPs. In Durham, the Government said the number of traffic officers dropped from 111 to 100 over the same period – although there are no fixed speed cameras and only a mobile unit.

North East road deaths fluctuated from 102 in 2001 to 132 in 2003 before falling to 128 the following year. There were 108 deaths in 2005 and 109 in 2006, according to latest available Government figures.

Northumbria Police said its numbers of traffic policemen were rising and roads deaths falling.

The Durham force said it was reducing casualties with officers not lost but redeployed.

But Kevin Delaney, head of road safety at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said traffic officer numbers had been falling for years.

He said they could deal with all types of bad driving while cameras were a “one-trick pony”.

“You can drive as badly as you like and unless you are unlucky enough to be caught by one of the few remaining cops or involved in a bad crash, your bad driving will go unrecognised and undealt with,” said Mr Delaney.

The former head of traffic at the Metropolitan Police warned road deaths and injuries could rise if cameras were relied upon for enforcement.

Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland, who sits on the Commons transport committee, said: “I am not quite sure they have got the balance right here.”

David Warcup, deputy chief constable of Northumbria, said the statistics referred to officers predominantly concerned with traffic duties.

“The number of these officers has actually risen from 172 in 2006/07 to the current figure of 196. However, all operational officers in Northumbria have a duty to enforce traffic legislation and take appropriate action where necessary.

“The fact that there were 17 fewer road deaths last year compared to the previous year’s figure of 61 shows our commitment to effective roads policing, which also involves the use of safety cameras,” he said.

Mr Warcup added the force worked with partners to educate road users and improve road safety through engineering.

Durham Police said its centralised traffic department was split between its north and south areas in 2006.

“Staffing levels do fluctuate as officers retire or move on to different roles. In this case, officers weren’t lost, they were re-deployed to an automatic number plate recognition unit which operates as a separate entity,” said a spokesman.

PC Dave Nixon, the force’s road casualty reduction officer, said it had been decided fixed cameras were not the way forward for Durham with 29% of accidents caused by motorists driving at “inappropriate speeds” with 3% down to excess speed.

But he stressed the force took a tough line with speeding motorists and had a mobile detection unit.

Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said the camera figures related to a national programme with decisions on deploying them up to local partnerships. Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said deployment of policemen on speed enforcement was a matter for chief officers and police authorities.

Chief's blame policy

THE fewer traffic policemen patrolling the country's roads are potentially allowing crooks to get away, police chiefs have admitted.

Steve Green, from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), admitted there had been a reduction in roads policing when questioned by Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland at a recent Commons transport committee hearing on road safety.

But the Acpo head of roads policing blamed the fall on growing demands on police from fighting terrorism and organised crime to managing high-risk offenders, despite being handed more resources.

"The mission of the police service has crept wider and wider and the service is being stretched thinner and thinner across that mission," said Mr Green, who is the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire.

But he warned putting extra cash into roads policing would require cuts elsewhere and stressed the need for "clarity" about what the Government and public wanted.

Jan Berry, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, hit out at the cut in traffic policemen and said they had played a key role in catching criminals.