Q Police work overtime to catch up on fines

[csv8]

Police work overtime to catch up on fines
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

By Darrell Giles

April 19, 2009 12:00am

POLICE are working overtime to make up for lost speeding tickets from recent wet weather, when it was too unsafe for radar traps. But they deny it's revenue-raising.

Police Minister Neil Roberts confirmed the extra police presence, and said it was tough luck for speeding motorists.

"The best deterrent to dangerous driving practices on our roads is the presence of police," he said. "That is why over the Easter long weekend the Queensland Police Service allocated extra resources to undertake traffic enforcement on our roads.

"However, inclement weather in some parts of the state impacted the service's ability to undertake some operations as planned.

"It simply is not safe for officers and motorists to undertake some traffic operations in bad weather."

He said operations which had been delayed were carried out later in the weekend once the weather had improved.

Police sources told The Sunday Mail last week they had been earning big overtime dollars doing the "special" duty to make up for the lost hours.

Mr Roberts said the overtime bill was not excessive.

"These changes in the timing of traffic operations had only a limited financial effect, as traffic operations during the Easter period are funded as part of the Road Safety Initiative Package," he said.

"RSIP funding provides overtime and penalty rates for officers to ensure that during times of high road use throughout the year, traffic enforcement is increased.

"I make no apology for having police on the street, catching those people putting their lives, and the lives of others, in danger by driving dangerously."

[Keepleft]

Neil Roberts is a dumbarse, decent people see through this crap.

You can drive like a total a-hole in AUS, provided you don't exceed the numerical figures on a street sign, or one of the two defaults. Driving 'badly' *is* a national pastime here, people are bored I guess.

[DJM83]

What a total crock of steaming

[GTP owner]

So the weather conditions were appalling, making it very dangerous out on the roads, but the police were not out there to prevent stupid behaviour.......but they catch up with fines when the weather is better. Yep, that's what we call revenue raising. They would call it reaching benchmarks that were insufficiently fulfilled.

[gtxb67]

for one it was written by a journalist - if there is an article against ford, we complain about the journalist, but in this one take the heading as gospel

for two, we complain about speed cameras because they show no discretion, like an officer can and then when the police presence is there - more complaints

there should be a larger police presence on our roads

[388cube_edxr8]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

...You can drive like a total a-hole in AUS, provided you don't exceed the numerical figures on a street sign, or one of the two defaults. Driving 'badly' *is* a national pastime here, people are bored I guess.

Bang on mate. Thats what I've been telling people for years. I have friends and rellies that are cops, and even they say that.

This is blatant revenue raising.

One day I'm gonna sneak up and steal the plates off the speed van and bolt em on to my car and deliberatly get caught.

[Unco]

Originally Posted by gtxb67

for one it was written by a journalist - if there is an article against ford, we complain about the journalist, but in this one take the heading as gospel

for two, we complain about speed cameras because they show no discretion, like an officer can and then when the police presence is there - more complaints

there should be a larger police presence on our roads

i'm with you on that one.

i only wish there would be more police presence too. tuesday morning i went to see a mechanic friend of mine in beenleigh. 1 cop car was sitting just outside his workshop's driveway at the top of the hill on logan river road headed towards beenleigh.

i kid you not, the longest gap they had (only 2 officers) between cars getting pulled over and fined was about 1 to 2 minutes. they were there for 2 hours catching people speeding over and over and over.

more police are needed on our roads, specially in QLD. every time i have friends from interstate come up and visit they are always surprised that they never see any cops driving around like they do in other states.

[AUIIForte]

Originally Posted by 388cube_edxr8

.
One day I'm gonna sneak up and steal the plates off the speed van and bolt em on to my car and deliberatly get caught.

Sort of already been done. Do a little search, its funny stuff.

[BOSHOG]

there should be a larger police pressence on our roads for sure. i think there should be a VISIBLE police presence to pursuade drivers to drive slower for longer periods instead of hiding around corners with cameras which allow drivers to speed up as soon as theyre past the camera.

a little off topic but it would be nice if they targeted things like people not indicating, not using merging/turning lanes correctly, and bad manners (people sitting in right lanes causing people have bad manners of their own by tailgating) in general on the road as well as speeding, maybe they dont target things like this because the fines dont warrant it. people complain about road rage on the roads and want less of it, maybe they should fix the cause as well as the rage.

bad manners on the roads just causes more bad manners, which causes traffic problems, which causes accidents, which causes personal loss and injury. driving would be more enjoyable if people were actually aware of whats going on around them and react to it

my 2 cents

[Bent8]

The police are not interested in stopping careless drivers, it's much much easier to fine someone $100 for going 4kph too fast than try to pick out a drunk driver or one who doesn't even have a license.

The current economic climate will see a huge increase in these kinds of revenue-raising as the Australian government slowly but surely goes bankrupt...just like the rest of the world.

In a sense I don't blame them, because let's face it, we're all after one thing in the end, THE DOSH!!

I'm going out to pick on some more speed-camera operators ;) ...and warn some fellow drivers of their locations.

Because let's face it, this is literally highway robbery!

Have a nice day everyone.

[[Tonko]]

Originally Posted by Bent8

Because let's face it, this is literally highway robbery!

It is?
Hmm, to rob someone breaking the law...

[Burnout]

Now don't you people (Queenslanders that is) go complaining about the Government up here, she was vote back in with a big majority.

You only get the government you deserve........

[Smoke Pursuit]

Tell me about it, i nearly got nabbed just before Gympie this morning, not watching the speedo and i was doing about 108 in 100 zone... luckily for me he just shook his index finger and kept going!! They seem to be everywhere thisarvo!

[DJM83]

I seen afew this morning down the M1 to the Gold Coast

[WRP11]

I always thought the speed camera vans on the side of the highway were meant to be seen, a deterant they said, so i'd like to know why there was one litterally in the bushes on the M1 southbound just past the helensvale overpass, couldnt see it till you were past it, thats not a deterant, thats streight up pulling in the $.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by WRP11

I always thought the speed camera vans on the side of the highway were meant to be seen, a deterant they said, so i'd like to know why there was one litterally in the bushes on the M1 southbound just past the helensvale overpass, couldnt see it till you were past it, thats not a deterant, thats streight up pulling in the $.

I seen the same one last week in the same spot

[Bucknaked]

I'm heading up to the Gold Coast in September. So I'm guessing much like Vic, there is zero tolerance? Will need to mindful of going over even by 1 or 2 k's?

[DJM83]

Not quite as bad as Vic Bucky, i went passed a HWP today he was pointing a gun straight at traffic i was in centre lane (4 lanes) and i was doing 115kph and nothing. Speedo is out 2kmh aswell. Ive had afew occurances of this aswell some were about 8 over.

Edit- i do not encourage speeding

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by 51RTE

Not quite as bad as Vic Bucky, i went passed a HWP today he was pointing a gun straight at traffic i was in centre lane (4 lanes) and i was doing 115kph and nothing. Speedo is out 2kmh aswell. Ive had afew occurances of this aswell some were about 8 over.

Edit- i do not encourage speeding

Ok cool. I know you weren't. :hihi: I'll stick to the limit, always intending too as nothing worst than putting a downer on a holiday by losing some points and money at the same time. More curious as too how vigilant I need to watch my speeds. If it was zero tolerance, I'd sit under the limit just to ensure it's a memorable holiday, for all the right reasons :

Thanks for the info

[hdj80]

[QUOTE=Bent8]The police are not interested in stopping careless drivers, it's much much easier to fine someone $100 for going 4kph too fast than try to pick out a drunk driver or one who doesn't even have a license.
/QUOTE]

Ahh the talk of the ignorant masses. Such drivel you know absolutely nothing about it yet you espouse such crud.

Go and talk to a cop before you come out with this worthless rubbish.

[hdj80]

Originally Posted by WRP11

I always thought the speed camera vans on the side of the highway were meant to be seen, a deterant they said, so i'd like to know why there was one litterally in the bushes on the M1 southbound just past the helensvale overpass, couldnt see it till you were past it, thats not a deterant, thats streight up pulling in the $.

You're out of date. Qld now has unmarked/unsigned speed cameras. Not going to debate the values of them...a statement of fact - so the deterent value is now in the bin it seems.

[Smoke Pursuit]

QLD is pretty easy going.. As said i went past a candy car today doing 108 and he just gave me a stern shake of the index finger, but never came back... And no i dont condone speeding either, was on a 400 km trip on a highway (aka the bruce) and the F6X was running away on me!

[GS608]

i dunno about unmarked, most of them are marked, have a sign sitting in front of the van (which is useless, you see it in your rear view mirror after you passed it), 90% of the speed vans i've seen on the gold coast though have a bright red HWP car sitting behind them, pretty easy to spot.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by hdj80

You're out of date. Qld now has unmarked/unsigned speed cameras. Not going to debate the values of them...a statement of fact - so the deterent value is now in the bin it seems.

Yes i have noticed they dont put their little dicky sign out anymore and the cars now no longer have markings on them? When did this happen? Most of them still stand out like dogs balls neways...

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by XR-CHIEF

i dunno about unmarked, most of them are marked, have a sign sitting in front of the van (which is useless, you see it in your rear view mirror after you passed it), 90% of the speed vans i've seen on the gold coast though have a bright red HWP car sitting behind them, pretty easy to spot.

Thats only when they are doing either a driver swap, or they are dumping the van and leaving it unattended!

[GS608]

must be damn good timing on my part then to catch them at the exact same time everytime i pass lol

[PALE ALE]

Watching the news tonight here in S.A., and they reported that our new minister for road safety has had 30 speeding/redlight camera fines, totalling $10,000 and has lost his license for these offences, the last offence was committed 12 months ago
This is the same bloke who has been all over the media condeming hoon/speeding drivers in the last couple of weeks, and that the government may introduce crushing offenders cars, like they do in the U.S. Should of seen his response, when a reporter asked him if his car should of been crushed, he stammered, stumbled, didnt know what to say!

[snappy]

Originally Posted by PALE ALE

Watching the news tonight here in S.A., and they reported that our new minister for road safety has had 30 speeding/redlight camera fines, totalling $10,000 and has lost his license for these offences, the last offence was committed 12 months ago
This is the same bloke who has been all over the media condeming hoon/speeding drivers in the last couple of weeks, and that the government may introduce crushing offenders cars, like they do in the U.S. Should of seen his response, when a reporter asked him if his car should of been crushed, he stammered, stumbled, didnt know what to say!

Thats Gold . I would off liked to have seen that.

[hdj80]

Originally Posted by bfiipursuit

Yes i have noticed they dont put their little dicky sign out anymore and the cars now no longer have markings on them? When did this happen? Most of them still stand out like dogs balls neways...

Probably 2 months ago they decided to run some unmarked and unsigned. Still run the marked ones as well.

They don't leave them unattended..the operator is probably just down redoing their shoelaces .

The other car will be a mate checking up on them or dropping something in 9 out of 10 times.

I think its not the one you see that is the problem its the one you didn't.

[AWD Chaser]

Revenue Raising - I wish that they would just admit it. So what if it was, they aren't doing anything wrong - they are still catching people breaking the law, but I wish they would just say they are chasing $$$.

AND

There should be more police patroling the roads in bad weather!!!