Are cops trying to get everyone to hate them?

[Nelso]

That's cool, I hope you don't do your job as half assed as you imply law enforcement should be done

If I did my job to the letter and with the same attitude as you are suggesting, the police would be getting called every day of the week to come down and sort out another violent incident, instead we have to use discretion to get the best results. Personally I think it requires more effort to use discretion as it is far easier to say that's the law, don't blame me, so I would consider not using it as doing a half arsed job.

[Nelso]

Cops don't make the laws, but it is their JOB to enforce them, if they don't then they would not have a job.

Then there in lies our problem. If a cop risks getting sacked over petty stuff that will serve no other purpose but to line the pockets of the government, we have a very messed up system indeed.

That's it from me. I've had my say. It's time to leave it alone.

[triway]

No, the line was from a movie.

The day the new laws about u-turns over solid white lines and use of mobile was introduced........
a Geelong Cop was spotted doing a u-turn over a solid white line while talking on his mobile

And that's why it rings true.

I've seen coppers breaking the law quite often. Yet somehow they're above it.

They're hypocrites, egotistical and quite often impotent and useless. A lot of them anyway. There's got to be some good ones, I just haven't met them yet.

Now that's a view that makes me laugh! You see a cop doing something illegal and not getting caught then and there in front of you and you assume he has never been booked and never will be

I would hazard a guess that you and everyone else here has done something illegal, been seen by others, and not been booked for it at some stage in their life. Why are cops any different, just because you didn't see him get caught?? You probably saw 100 other drivers breaking various laws that day also, are they all above the law????? Perhaps you're advocating more police on the road?

I have many friends who are cops, who have been busted speeding etc. Just like you and I.

[badinov]

No-one likes getting fined.
If the fine had been $10...there would be no thread !
Had the law been broken ? Yes !
So the application of an infringement notice was correct.

Does the punishment fit the crime ?
The legal system is based (supposedly) on "a reasonable person..."
The fine = 10 years of rego ! Reasonable ? I think not !!!
I think reasonably 2 or 3 times the default value ( rego), so $100/150 appropriate.
This would reasonably "hurt"...naughty boy

Did the cop do wrong ? No.
But @$500 I feel for ya Nelso.

[Blurr]

I agree with all the cops on here. It is their job to fine people that step outt of line and break the law.
It is their job is not to use discretion when it comes to handing out fines.
It is there job to hand them out without hesitation.

It is their job to raise revenue. Plain and simple.
I also believe they should have some of those yummy cookies on board to sell whiclt they are standing on the side of the road like the Girl Guides because I class the HWP in the same category as all the other money raising community clubs

I know many cops which I call good friends and all of them (and I mean ALL) in various independent conversations have stated their dislike for HWP due to the lack of discretion that they display, which in turn deteriorates the public image of the hard working men and women in blue. The general consensus has been that policing the community is about getting results from people, and all people respond to different forms of treatment. Most of the community will respond to a warning and/or have valid/understandable various circumstances (eg Nelso) that would see a warning result in a better resolution then any fine. This also has the added benefit of the public not think of the police department on the same level as the girl guides





To

[Blurr]

That's cool, I hope you don't do your job as half assed as you imply law enforcement should be done, would be an interesting world then. If a bike mechanic cut corners like that then the new thread would be "don't go to this mechanic,

hardly comparing apples for apples here

I would consider a police office achieving the correct result e.g. Nelso going straight home and registering his trailer. As a job complete and the officer as efficient.

You on the other hand would see the lost revenue that could have been collected in this case, therefore an UNprofitable officer. Bad officer

I find it funny how the 'pro profitable' law enforcement arguments all presented so far have cannot fathom a desired (where Nelso resolves his oversight) result without the penalty dollars being paid. Strange that!!!!

[aardvark]

I find it funny how the 'pro profitable' law enforcement arguments all presented so far have cannot fathom a desired (where Nelso resolves his oversight) result without the penalty dollars being paid. Strange that!!!!

Nope, more than happy for the penalty to be community service or imprisonment.

The legislation is written and there needs to be a penalty for not following it, otherwise everyone would run around not following the rules. For the offence in question the politicians have decided the appropriate penalty is a fine - a bloody harsh one, but a fine none the less. The police are employed by the government to enforce the rules. The rule was enforced.

A lot of patrol officers have some misguided dislike of HWP because their line of work is different. The patrol guys don't spend every day handing out fines (they don't have the time) to people who all have the same excuses. When you hear the same excuses over and over again you tend to just switch off - picking out those who are telling the truth is a massive waste of effort. When I first started out doing traffic work I let plenty of people off with warnings for various offences, only to check later and find they'd been let off for the same thing three of four times before.

"Shit, I forgot to register it. Sorry about that, I'll go home and do it right away." Heard it before, lost count of how many times. You check later and the bloody thing still isn't registered. I'm sure Nelso would have gone home and registered it but it's easier to do your job, hand out the fine there and then and move on.

I'm the first to admit that at times it is pure and simple revenue raising - so be it. The thing is, it's a voluntary revenue.

And for the record - I LOVE Girl Guide biscuits!

[Stereo]

The only reason why people get shitty with cops is because they have been let off before... or have heard of people getting off....

If all the police were consistant and followed the law exactly no one would be amazed when they got a ticket for being 1 day late, or being 1km over.... They would be pissed of with the politicians who control the laws to start with.

[Whickle]

So Ardy, have you ever fined someone for a similar offence to what they have done to give them a more lenient fine?

I know i have seen it done by Police in NSW & ACT.

[Stereo]

Personally if I was a police officer I wouldnt talk about what I have fined for and not fined for on a public forum...... Up to the parties involved ofcourse, but its amazing who reads things sometimes...

[robracer]

I know many cops which I call good friends and all of them (and I mean ALL) in various independent conversations have stated their dislike for HWP due to the lack of discretion that they display, which in turn deteriorates the public image of the hard working men and women in blue.

ummm it was a HWP that reduced my speeding offence from 54 over to 30 over, still resulting in a loss of license but could have been far worse case had he enforced the full amount, I didnt feed any bullshit... & no excuses, just accepted the fact that I was done & left it at that..... that was one of my most lucky days in 25 years of road riding BUT as usual the fine did not change my attitude toward speeding nor did the suspension, but what did change was my attitude towards HWP, I was quite suprised at the descression shown

[seiko1]

This Thread just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on

[aardvark]

So Ardy, have you ever fined someone for a similar offence to what they have done to give them a more lenient fine?

Drivers are given the appropriate fine.

Just out of interest, which of these offences, where no one is hurt, should police use their discretion and let people off:
1 ) Failing to indicate;
2 ) Being over the speed limit by 10km/h in a school zone;
3 ) Being over the speed limit by 10km/h in a 110km/h zone;
4 ) Talking on the phone for 25minutes whilst driving;
5 ) Talking on the phone for 30 seconds whilst driving;
6 ) Not wearing a seatbelt;
7 ) Displaying an expired registration label;
8 ) Drink driving at .051.

I'd be interested to hear (or read) peoples opinions.

[laidback]

Been reading with interest...

Aardvark..to me it seems obvious...the only one where you let someone off is 7 - with a warning to remove asap. What harm can an expired rego label do so long as the vehicle is registered. I see that in the near future there will be no requirement to display a label as police can easily check the reg status and I think they still do even if label is attached. When I renew my car, bike and trailer licence over the internet I don't even have to record the receipt number any more on the label - just the rego papers.

[DaBigfella]

That's cool, I hope you don't do your job as half assed as you imply law enforcement should be done, would be an interesting world then. If a bike mechanic cut corners like that then the new thread would be "don't go to this mechanic,

hardly comparing apples for apples here

I would consider a police office achieving the correct result e.g. Nelso going straight home and registering his trailer. As a job complete and the officer as efficient.

You on the other hand would see the lost revenue that could have been collected in this case, therefore an UNprofitable officer. Bad officer

I find it funny how the 'pro profitable' law enforcement arguments all presented so far have cannot fathom a desired (where Nelso resolves his oversight) result without the penalty dollars being paid. Strange that!!!!

Whilst i disagree with Nelso, he argues his point with valid ideas and concerns he has, you say you have friends that are cops and carry on with this garbage/\ No amount of smileys makes that sound funny.....