Respect the Cops? WHY!

**spudchucka** · 12th March 2007, 06:17

Originally Posted by idleidolidyll

When they are doing this (NZ Herald):

Number of traffic tickets issued soars

2:30PM Sunday March 11, 2007

A policeman checks the speed of motorists. Photo / Paul Taylor

The National Party has again voiced its suspicions that the police are working to a traffic ticket quota under a government-encouraged revenue gathering scheme.
The claim follows the release of statistics showing since Labour came to power the number of tickets issued for exceeding the speed limit by between six and 10 kilometres an hour has jumped from 311 in the year 2000 to more than 34,000 in 2006.
National Party Police spokesman Chester Borrows says if the police really want to stick to the quota they should give officers more recognition for catching drivers travelling more than 10 kilometres an hour over the limit.
Mr Borrows says that way serious road behaviour would be targeted, and not "the little old ladies who are going to the supermarket".

Anyone remember the thread about the cops targeting people speeding near schools?

As I recall there was quite strong support for the initiative.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3989569a10.html

Police have netted more than $1 million in one year from drivers hovering just over the speed limit, most of them caught in a campaign against school-zone speedsters.

The usual tolerance for speeds up to 10kmh over the speed limit was reduced to 5kmh in school zones in February last year. The focus was set firmly on patrolling these zones and, as a consequence, infringement notices issued rose by 27,404 tickets on the previous year.

So, the cops tell the public what they are going to target, the public are stupid enough to get caught doing what the cops just told them they were going to target and then for some reason it becomes news.

The headline should read "Brainless public contribute $1m towards Helen's extreme makeover".

**idleidolidyll** · 12th March 2007, 06:21

I see a lot of you just don't get it but others do.

It aint just about whining for getting caught, in fact I don't often get caught and when i do, i pay up.

The issue is that road policing does NOT seem to be about safety but about revenue.
If it were about safety surely we'd see less cops and speed camera vans hiding in wait on straight, well surfaced clear visibility roads and more chasing after all those offences we see every day that really ARE an indicator to a driver likely to cause injury opr death: red light running, changing lanes without signalling, failure to give way etc etc.

Further, with the police force combined, i'd MUCH racther see more focus on preventing and solcing property crimes, theft, burglary etc than chasing down people for breaking the arbitray speed limits when it is actually safe to speed. Speed does NOT kill, bad driving kills. If speed killed, every F1 driver and GP1 motorcyclist would be dead already.

**Swoop** · 12th March 2007, 07:16

Originally Posted by scracha

Contrary to common belief, Helen Clark and the rest of the clowns in the beehive don't run this country....we do.

I used to think that as well...
However, every few years the politicians come out and sucker the public into thinking just that... and the public believe this.
Another government gets voted in, then the politicians go off and do their own thing once more, without heeding the words of those who elected them.

**idleidolidyll** · 12th March 2007, 07:24

those who 5think this is all helen clarks fault have rocks in their heads and very short memories; national is even more abusive and self serving

**Boob Johnson** · 12th March 2007, 09:00

I actually agree with BOTH sides of this one.

On one hand if you speed & get caught, suck it up, thats life & it has consequences (had my fair share of tickets over the years)

BUT! The cops ARE revenue collecting and that DOES suck.

Why?

Simple answer?

Intentions. They are fully on the look out to ping you where ever possible with $$$ signs in their eyes. Apply the same to say..........a doctor?

Oh wait, they do that too

**scracha** · 12th March 2007, 09:09

Originally Posted by Jim2

The only thing that has made a significant dent in the NZ road toll in the last 40 years is compulsory seat belts.

Do not confuse one blip on a trend for a minimum number of road deaths in the mid-late 400s with proof that the road toll is dropping.

Spot on. I guess advances in vehicle safety and medical procedures also had a significant effect.

I guess what everyone is in agreement about is that the traffic cops appear to be on a revenue gathering excercise. They no longer appear to be allowed to practice "discretion".

Not many people on this forum have a problem with someone getting a ticket for riding/driving through towns at 58kph.

I personally can't figure how doing 120kph on a deserted open road warrants the same penalty as dong 70kph through a town centre or past a school. Surely if the cops can't apply discretion the law should be changed so that the fine/points are related to the percentage above the speed limit (like in other civilised countries).

At the end of the day coppers are just servants of the government. As long as the government blindly carries on ignoring "real crime" and the real causes of road accidents then they have to keep issuing us voters speeding tickets.

It's a matter of money for Helen and her cronies. Catching "real crims" costs money. Improving the poor driver training costs money. Cameras that catch tailgaters costs money. Centre barriers cost money. Getting decent road contractors costs money.

Catching the evil barstewards who drive at 120kph with hidden speed cameras brings in money.

**Riff Raff** · 12th March 2007, 09:31

Hey folks - when moving this thread I accidently put it into Pointless Drivel. Was not my intention. It will be restored to it's rightful place when a more senior mod gets my PM.

**Squeak the Rat** · 12th March 2007, 13:50

Bloody ambos, can't trust them!

Some serious comments to justify this post:

Police discretion is becoming a thing of the past because of

The shit they get into when they get something wrong
Performance targets, quotas, call them what you will.

Speed enforcement has the most effective return. While it's really cool to see the cops staking out schools, once again they aren't targetting all bad drivers - the campaign is purely about speed.

**Ixion** · 12th March 2007, 14:14

Originally Posted by spudchucka

Most motor vehicles are capable of well and truly exceeding the speed limit, (not just sprotsbikes) so that must make anyone who owns one a potential road criminal and therefore a hypocrite if they support any road policing measures.

Sort of the same as how having a dick makes you a potential rapist.

Yep. Hypocrite or wastrel, I guess. If you are never going to exceed 100kph, why have a vehicle capable of double that? I guess one reason might be towing. But that hardly applies to bikes. So I find it hard not to lift an eyebrow when someone on a powerful bike claims never to exceed 100kph.

**Paul in NZ** · 12th March 2007, 14:23

There are lies, damn lies and statistics

The latest fugures also contain this...

National road policing manager Superintendent Dave Cliff said he made no apologies for the increase. It had come as a direct result of a Speed Kills Kids campaign targeting speeding outside schools.

The usual tolerance for speeds up to 10kmh over the speed limit was reduced to 5kmh in school zones in February last year. The focus was set firmly on patrolling these zones and, as a consequence, infringement notices issued rose by 27,404 tickets on the previous year.

In total, 70,000 speeding tickets were issued around schools in 2006.

Its been clearly publicised - no tolerance around schools.

No problem from me.

**Forest** · 12th March 2007, 15:16

Originally Posted by SixPackBack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn-_A...related&search=

Talk about cause and effect! That clip was comedy gold.

"I mean he can't do shit to you man"

**scumdog** · 12th March 2007, 15:40

Twenty years since I paid my last 'tax' to the 'revenue gatherers'..

Why is this so and am I doing something wrong???

**Freakshow** · 12th March 2007, 15:50

Nothing wrong with what they are doing. I know plenty of people out there that have been stung. I dont care if people think of me as a good or bad rider. Kids are unpredicatable and in bulk they get excited and who knows what could happen. Even a good drive could turn a kid into a hood ornament.
The fact that they have made $1 million is some thing to laugh at as that shows how many dumb New Zealanders are out there. The cops have addvertised that they are doing this, and they arent hiding. I would rather the cops hiding around schools than on quiet empty road, thats a waste of time.