Policing question

Good morning all, am looking for opinions/views about something that happened to me yesterday. Perhaps this is one for the reggies!

Had a call from girlfriend who was hysterical - she'd been driving and had been involved in a collision with a motorbike.

Anyway I got to the scene of the accident and my girlfriend was in her smashed up car with a traffic cop. I said to her "Are you alright?" and "Don't admit any liability." This is as far as I got 'cos the copper went banzai. He told me I was obstructing justice and that he would arrest me if I didn't stand over by the pavement with her friends and stay out of the way.

I'd been there about a minute when he came over again and very curtly told me that he didn't want me talking to witnesses given my previous 'attitude' and that if I didn't get back in my car straight away and stay there he would arrest me.

So off I went back to the car.

I was calm and reasonable throughout, and other people thought that this copper had been over the top in his attitude not just me.

Given that I spoke to my girlfriend in her car not a police interview room and that I was only saying something that a solicitor would say in the first instance anyway, was I in the wrong in any way? I didn't respond or argue back with him 'cos I didn't want it to upset my girlfriend further who was very shaken.

So if anyone can offer any advice as to:

A) Did I do anything wrong

B) Was the copper having a bad day

C) The copper was a tit

it would be appreciated.

Cheers!

 

You seem to have missed out one little piece of information, which if you want us all to make a fair and balanced view of what happened, I feel you should have included in your rant/statement,

Was you girlfriend actually at fault over the accident!!!!?

This has a major bearing over which side of the fence people will go on this one!

 

Can't really comment on who's fault it was really, as full statements and decisions haven't been taken yet. Sub judice and all that.

Basic facts are:

She was at a crossroads in lane marked right turn only turning right.

Moped on other side of crossroads in lane marked left turn only proceeded straight onto the crossroads and struck the side of her car.

Hope that helps!

 

Were the Right and left hand turning lanes marked so the two turning vehicles cross front to front or was it as normal that you pass down the off side of the incoming vehicle then turn behind them. That means painted lines in the centre of the crossing.

Two, only a legally quailfied person can offer legal advice to any person who is currently detained as was your girl friend while the Officer sorted out what had happened. Are you a Solicitor or qualified legal clerk if not you were in the wrong.

"Attempting to pervert the course of Justice springs to mind"

So ? A Yes
? B More than likely
? C Yes he was a Traffic Officer they are born that way

In my humble opinion, with the little facts you have given, if the road was not marked for turing front to front, then she is in the poop if she turned right while he was passing down or approaching her off side front.

Nutty

 

Was the moped turning left or coming straight over? Either way, does he not have right of way?

 

All I can say really is that he was in a lane marked for left turn only and he went straight on.

With regard to other previous comment, I don't think you have to be legally qualified to offer assistance to someone. But hey, I could be wrong.

 

The chances are that if it was a Non Personal Injury Road Accident and only the two vehicles involved and no independant witnesses then it will more than likely be treated as a Knock for Knock and will be left for the insurance companies to deal with. Secondly, the girlfriend was probably being spoken to under caution at the time of your arrival and your intervention would probably be viewed as Obsructing a Police Officer in the Execution of his/her Duty. You were lucky that he did not take it further.

 

Police and attitude is becoming a common start of complaint proceedings!!

In Scotland there has to be two police officers at scenes of accidents etc and they usually work together to sort things out .
However--in England only one policeman is required.

Did you obtain the PC's number. Did he ask who you were. Did he explain to you that your girlfriend at that time was not allowed to be spoken to.
Did she have passengers that could've been used as witnesses to the cops
attitude .

Go for it--write to the Chief Constable !! Express your displeasure and demand explanations. Said policeman will then have to do some answers set from high places. You might even get an apology!!

As for Girlfriend--well moped drivers are usually alone and sometimes don't bother with lane disciplines unless its at traffic light junctions. And he would have been indicating left aswell.
Hard to say without seeing the scene.but she may well be in the poo

 

I don't see nothing wrong with the police over my way. Was in the car with a friend, she had 2 pints of beer, no biggy but we had both just worked a 15hr shift. Police stopped us for a routine check and she was found to be over the limit.

1 hour later, my friend was let off the charges, this 'issue' was erased and the old bill drove us home in my friends car.

Quality!

 

Jenny

With a mixture of Greek Cypriot males and attractive females you have set this question yourself by leaving the gap/explanation.

What did you and/or your girlfriend do for that hour ?????????????????

Nutty 8) :lol: 8)

 

I reckon She'd learnt a lesson from when the Crusher gave her a lift home, and She ended up in cells

 

Well as you asked, I did all the talking! Turned out the coppers were from London also, my friend had never had a record with the police and I have the gift of the gab. Gave a little smile and talked to the coppers and hey presto, moi had talked her way out of my mate being in trouble.

And no, no sexual favours, dirty gits!

 

Yeah why not do this and keep a much needed resource off the street writing another pointless report. If everyone made complaints against the police over trevial matters then we would not see any at all!.

 

I'd be very tempted to complain if I knew my life wouldn't be f****d around with afterwards by 'random' stops and searches.

Seriously though, I think he was well out of order. Gf wasn't under caution at the time, she was distressed, she's entitled to legal advice surely.

I've worked with police on many occasions before in a previous job and never been treated like that.

Wonder if it had been different if I'd had been in rig?

 

The random stops or hassle wouldn't happen --unless you upset the village policeman!!

Did do a complaint once --it was investigated by a senior whoever Inspector ?? asked various questions and got my side of the story -usual police talking down and the veiled threats .

Anyway it turned out that this guy had a history of doing it!!! Got an apology for his manner and a promise it would be dealt with .

Police for all their authority and powers of upholding the law are public servants----they are required to treat the public with respect and possibly good manners!! That includes law breakers aswell---

 

You will probably find that she was "let off" having provided two further samples of breath at a Police station on a much more accurate machine and that this had shown that she was under the legal limit and therefore free to go without any charges. As should of been explained when she gave her initial roadside screen test it is just that a screening test and only gives an indication.

 

Have taken an old article that has been doing the rounds for awhile and applied a bit of navy humor,
Hope you like it………..



Dear Mr. Hall
In answer to your latest letter regarding the speeding fine we raised in April for 60.00 after you were caught on camera along Southsea front doing 31mph, may I once again answer some of the points you raise.

I will address them, as ever, in order. Firstly, I must take issue with your description of our last communication as "a big feed of arse". It might perhaps more properly be referred to as a speeding fine, This is how we in the road safety department have always, for reasons of accuracy, traditionally referred to such documents.
Also please note the said fine can only be settled with either cash, credit/debit card or cheque, unfortunately we cannot accept a “pound of flesh.†as you suggest, as we have (at the moment) no way of extracting it.

Secondly, your frustration at our adding to the "endless stream of dank crap spewed daily through your letterbox on to the doormat" has been noted. However, whilst I have naturally not seen the other correspondence to which you refer I would cautiously suggest that as you say they’re from "thieving councils, third rate pirate banking houses demanding interest and pissant gas-electric mongerers" I might indicate that your decision to "always hang them in the heads on a nail,†is at best a little ill-advised.
In common with my own organization, it is unlikely that the senders of this sort of correspondence do see you as a “sodding charity,†or “a OD that just came in on the last banana boat ". More likely they see you as a responsible serviceman, and expect you to pay for your misdemeanors.
Which brings me to my next point. Whilst there may be some spark of truth in your assertion that the speeding fines "go to shore up the lecherous lifestyle of the fat cats up at police HQ.", a moment's rudimentary calculation ought to disabuse you of the notion that the traffic department in any way expects you to "stump up for the whole of the road building budget for the friggin south coast " when you pay your fine. Also the estimates you provide for the speed your car can attain, whilst colorful, are, in fairness, a little off the mark. Lastly you will be glad to learn that we have no plans now or in the foreseeable future to “make the misses walk in front with a red flag†as you suggest.

A couple of technical points arising from your direct queries:

1. The reason we don't simply write "Muggins" on the envelope has to do with the constraints imposed by the postal system;

2. You can rest assured that "squeezing the last drop of crap from British motorists by those with fcukall else to do" has never been considered as tenable by this office because the sheer medical logistics involved would make it financially unviable.

3.Likewise your suggestion as to where we should place our cameras has been discounted as we feel we would have difficulty implementing it.

4. I am sorry but there is no machinery in place at the moment to offer any discount on your fine because you “work for the Queen,â€

I trust this has helped.

In the meantime, whilst I would not in any way wish to influence your decision one way or the other, I ought to point out that even if you did choose to "torch the bleedin car, go on the trot and live on a beach in India" you would still owe us the money.

Please forward it by Friday.


Yours Sincerely,

John Hinder. Ombudsman Road Safety Enforcement.

………

 

this happened to my mum, shes 44 and drives a pugeot 307cc ( take note:not the choice of car fro your typical drug user) she reversed around a corner to turn herself around, only tehre was a police car around said corner and she got very close.

the traffic cop got out and spoke to my mum, who has never even spoke to a police officer, and i imagine pretty nervous

anyway, the officer decided she was drunk (at 4 in the afternoon) and breathalysed her

when she was deemed sober he decided that this 44 year old woman must be under the influence of drugs, and promptly arrested her and decided there must be drugs in the car and got his pal to check under wheel arches etc and and give the car a good looking over

i imagine my mum would of been in a right state by now

hauled her into the station, the desk sargeant took one look at her and decided that she wasnt under the influence, however, if you have been arrested u must be printed and sampled

the officer in question was bang out of order in my opinion, there were two of them, but one was new so didnt say anything till my dear old mother went to the complaints commission to see if she could get her prints n stuff took off file (they cant)

anyway they do an investigation anyway and turns out said copper had a reputation for needless arrests and made a written and spoken apology

 

You think you've got problems???????

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Driver gets 70 speeding tickets in 5 months Friday August 11, 09:37 PM




PHOENIX, Arizona (Reuters) - As a mortgage broker in Arizona, Francesca Cisneros is used to working with big numbers. It's the double-digit speed limits she has trouble with.


Cisneros racked up 70 speeding tickets in the last five months, a record for the Scottsdale Police Department, police said on Friday.


Speeding cameras in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix, snapped pictures of the 32-year-old woman as she tore through the sun-baked city in her Honda Civic between March 2 and July 31.


"She told arresting officers she was speeding because she she seemed to be late for client meetings all the time," Scottsdale Police Department spokesman Mark Clark told Reuters. "I guess she's got some time management issues."


The second-worst offender in the department's history accumulated a mere 25 tickets, Clark said.


Police said Cisneros said she threw her speeding tickets away because she thought nothing could happen to her if she didn't pay them.


Clark said Cisneros faces some $11,000 in fines and could have her licence
revoked