Bikers collide with Police car in Buller Gorge (1 December)

[NDORFN]

Pigs. What can ya do?

I eagerly await the arrival of swine-flu.

[peasea]

Oh, well done. That is some very interesting stuff in there...

Yup, especially the bit about five bucks a week. What a tosser. The judge summed him up with the description of "mean spirited". A bit of an understatement though.

[spudchucka]

The outcome of this case leaves a resounding message, drive like a farken idiot and hurt/kill a bunch of people and your gonna have to pay some money to your victims. Regardless of who you are. And that's a good outcome.
Now back to splitting hairs on semantic legal interpretations of the kiwi bush lawyers mythology.

Lets just hope that the same level of sentencing applies to all offenders in the future, regardless of occupation.

[caseye]

Lets just hope that the same level of sentencing applies to all offenders in the future, regardless of occupation.

Here here spudchucka, a sentiment I can and do wholeheartedly agree with.

[idb]

As I understand it, the Police have extra protections given to them when they are carrying out their duties - the penalty for assaulting a cop is higher than that for another member of the public for example.
Also, they have greater powers than ordinary citizens (travelling at speed, using force for example) and they are trained to use these powers correctly and safely.
As they are granted this extra power and protection it should be right that they are held to a higher standard than the rest of us.

[MSTRS:Me]

Got it in one, IDB. Therein lies the reason for what some are calling a stiff penalty.

[caseye]

As I understand it, the Police have extra protections given to them when they are carrying out their duties - the penalty for assaulting a cop is higher than that for another member of the public for example.
Also, they have greater powers than ordinary citizens (travelling at speed, using force for example) and they are trained to use these powers correctly and safely.
As they are granted this extra power and protection it should be right that they are held to a higher standard than the rest of us.

Sorry but totally incorrect, Police members are subject to exactly the same laws and protections as any other citizen.
If they have an accident on the way to an incident and if they are found to be at fault they are charged and the courts go harder on them than on ordinary citizens.
no Police officer can use force unless it has or is about to be used on a member of the public or themselves, same as for ordinary citizens.
Tried assaulting a Police Officer lately?
The Judiciary are of the opinion that assaulting a Police Officer is about as minor as it gets because they work in an environment where it is expected to happen to them.
Being officially trained once or twice a year in the use of firearms, tazers or high powered Police patrol vehicles is enough is it?
Having been "trained" should they be expected to remember everything immediately? always?
I don't think you meant any unkindness to our Officers but the truth of the matter is that they are just men and women doing their best to help us.
With what they've got and in the time available, it's not an easy ask at the best of times.But they keep at it and the bulk of them are completely dedicated front line officers.

[idb]

Sorry but totally incorrect, Police members are subject to exactly the same laws and protections as any other citizen.
If they have an accident on the way to an incident and if they are found to be at fault they are charged and the courts go harder on them than on ordinary citizens.
no Police officer can use force unless it has or is about to be used on a member of the public or themselves, same as for ordinary citizens.
Tried assaulting a Police Officer lately?
The Judiciary are of the opinion that assaulting a Police Officer is about as minor as it gets because they work in an environment where it is expected to happen to them.
Being officially trained once or twice a year in the use of firearms, tazers or high powered Police patrol vehicles is enough is it?
Having been "trained" should they be expected to remember everything immediately? always?
I don't think you meant any unkindness to our Officers but the truth of the matter is that they are just men and women doing their best to help us.
With what they've got and in the time available, it's not an easy ask at the best of times.But they keep at it and the bulk of them are completely dedicated front line officers.

You're right, I know that most of them want to do a good job and I might be completely wrong in my assumptions but extra powers should have extra associated responsibility.

Of course they can be prosecuted if they have an accident, as they should, but my point is that they are warranted to exceed the speed limit on the way to an incident as part of the job - permission denied to ordinary public - so they must use this intelligently and skillfully.

They are allowed to carry weapons but also have to use them appropriately.

They need training for this, if the training is inadequate then that's another matter.

I'm a registered electrician.
This allows me to carry out work that is illegal for others.
However, if I cock up, I can face extra penalties.

[caseye]

You've got the right idea, except for the warranted to speed bit, they have no and I mean no protection or other means of protection if they are speeding, naturally we see flashing lights and move out of the way, no problem but should they crash or be stopped by an overzealous Police traffic enforcement Officer,there is nothing that says the reason for the excessive speed is any sort of excuse.None at all.
Yes the training Is woefully inadaquete when you consider it takes years to learn how to drive fast and safely on a race track,let alone an open road/motorway where every second Idiot is just that! Or to hit a moving target with a weapon, now thank God tazers, with any sort of certainty.
If ever they needed better training and instruction it's now, of late we've seen the results of being too nice and too bloody soft on real, case hardened criminals prepared to use any means at their disposal because they fear nothing the law can administer to them.