Safe Speed Forums

I commute along a particular route on the A69 every day and have done for several years now. I've seen the cameras and I've seen the mobile van and I'm extremely careful about my speed.

So imagine my surprise to receive an NIP on Christmas Eve last year from a Safety Camera Partnership (SCP) van - which I'd seen on the day in question and made damn sure I was within the limit.

So far it has taken nearly 6 months to retrieve first and second stage photographs taken by the camera device. A manual verification of distance/time (0.5s/26m) shows my speed to be 58.16mph.

To prove my innocence, however, i need to take the matter to court, bring forward independent witnesses to verify the speed measurement, independent witnesses to question the accuracy of the police measuring equipment not to mention fees for a solicitor. I could be looking at a bill for thousands of pounds to prove my innocence and even then have no guarantee that I will be successful in court. So far in this matter, I have received heavy handed letters and resistance at every stage in trying to access evidence. I believe that, in order to turn around failing relationships with the public, the police should be doing everything they can to avoid this kind of situation.

PS: For the record, the device is a Gatso Radar type 24 with attached AUS type camera.

1. The unit is mounted inside a vehicle.
2. The camera and radar device was pointing through a bridge, between crash barriers and directed across a railway line.
3. The vehicle was parked directly opposite a junction
4. The vehicle was parked within 10m of a radio operated railway signal

Each one of these points directly contravenes the guidelines set out by the Association of Chief Police Officers for the Operations Use of Technical equipment (Version 2.1, 2003).

Sometimes it feels like motorists are the only ones who have to obey the rules.

I sympathise with your predicament. Since Northumbria Police joined the camera partnership in April last year for financial gain it has done nothing but erode public support for the Police.

Are you aware papers must be served to the magistrate within 6 months of the date of the offence to bring prosecution?

I am in touch with Alan Beith MP for Northumberland regarding my concerns over the motives of the Police since their adoption of the hypothecation scheme to fund their activities and if any member of this forum would care to comment to the MP, his email address is CHEESEMANG@parliament.uk

Another, less published email address is chief.constable@northumbria.pnn.police.uk

Given that Northumbria Police are attempting a somewhat radical move to cut the numbers of their Traffic Officers by approximately half and place all responsibility for speed enforcement with the camera partnership, I would be very grateful to anyone who would be willing to spend a few moments of their time to send an email to both of these public servants highlighting the failings of their plan.


Lets have a bit more of the common sense and experience practised by a trained Traffic Officer and a bit less of the needless enforcement of a very lucrative situation which is being grasped with both hands by a partnership being run with a business plan run in conjunction with funding their own salaries.

The thing is I don't believe this is the only area where Northumbria's policing strategy is failing to represent the interests of the public.

I have commented on another thread about an incident in which my partner was the victim of an assault in Newcastle upon Tyne. This incident happened on a Saturday (match day), at 18:00 (just after final whistle) 3 minutes walk from the footall ground and 8 minutes walk from the police station. It took 30 minutes for an officer to arrive at the scene, and over an hour for police to stop the bus the asailent got away on. As you can immagin, her attacked was long gone by the time the police got their finger out!

These are not he only examples of this police authority waivering in it's delivery of policy.

I find it extremely concerning that despite it's performance, however, Northumbria Police has been declared one of the best forces in the country.

I have become a lot more involved in traffic matters recently, and am dealing with several issues with our local MP, Peter Atkinson. I would advise anyone with issues about their local Police force, traffic related or otherwise, to liaise with their MP. It's time people with such power and authority realise that they are accountable to the public as wll as the government. When they promise to something (e.g. public safety) they have to deliver!

I hope the assault on your partner was not too serious and no lasting damage was sustained.

I am in complete agreement with your comments and although I was unaware of Northumbria Polices' achievements in purtaining it to be one of the best forces in the country, I wonder how this result has been accomplished?

Would you like to publish the email address of your MP? The more people who write and express their dissatisfaction with the current policy the more chance we have of putting things right.

There is nothing like a full post bag to mobilise an MP!

Devils advocate, policing is similar in manchester, too. My car was broken into a few months ago, it took them three days to do anything about it (then again it was friday on a bank holiday weekend) and there are certain problem with other members of my family/alcohol which they refuse to do anything about.
But they're quick enough to pull my mum over for doing a few mph over the speed limit.



Best: pronounced cheapest?