Are cops trying to get everyone to hate them?

[seiko1]

[Madness]

So you get pulled over by a cop "doing his job" (how does he know you've not had a drink or driving stoned off ya head), your trailier is not registered and the complaint is what? you say??

[swabio-ACT]

ooooh this thread reminds me.... put the new sticker on the trailer..... gonna have to use it this week.... if the bloody rain stops!

[Jiggy]

Nelso,

I absolutely agree with you that $500 is a very big fine for the offence described. I believe the fines were increased in Victoria some time ago due to the fact that when the fines were substantially lower, people would not pay their respective rego's for years and on the off chance they were detected and fined, still came out in front (because a fine of $150 is less than a couple years rego).

Take the advice of people suggesting letters to local MP as that is your only real chance to have any sort of impact. Obviously you may elect to contest the notice and the fine may be reduced by a court, but seek legal advice before you do that.

Please DO NOT heed the advice of people telling you to back date cheques and lie about the payment as I guarantee you will get caught out and you will face charges with penalties substantially more serious than a $500 fine (perverting the course of justice).

I have been a member of Victoria Police nearly 2 decades. I never have and most likely never will work in a traffic related area because it is not what I like to do (personally I hate giving out tickets - not to say that I never have), but that is a personal choice. To suggest "other" police "hate" traffic police though is a ridiculous generalisation. Personally, I am glad there are members who are enthusiastic about traffic enforcement.

As stated repeatedly above, police do not have any say in the amount of the fine. The issuing officer also derives absolutely no financial or other benefit from issuing one or one hundred penalty notices, so it is silly to suggest we should hate police because they are revenue raisers.

Unfortunately, arguments like these are fought on emotion more than common sense, and while there are valid points to both sides, I very much doubt everyone will come to an agreement.

Finally, Nelso, if you do contest it, or write to an MP I would be interested to hear the result?

[smithy5]

I have been a member of Victoria Police nearly 2 decades. I never have and most likely never will work in a traffic related area because it is not what I like to do (personally I hate giving out tickets - not to say that I never have), but that is a personal choice.

So how would you have handled this situation...... would you have issued Nelso with a ticket or handled it another way ?????

just curious that's all..........

[Jiggy]

I have been a member of Victoria Police nearly 2 decades. I never have and most likely never will work in a traffic related area because it is not what I like to do (personally I hate giving out tickets - not to say that I never have), but that is a personal choice.

So how would you have handled this situation...... would you have issued Nelso with a ticket or handled it another way ?????

just curious that's all..........

Personally, I probably wouldn't have issued a ticket immediately. But that's not to say that my actions would have been right in the circumstances. Like I said, I do not like giving out tickets and my area of expertise (if you can call it that?) is not traffic, so I have very little to do with the issuing of them. However, that being said, if it was my specific role to enforce traffic then it might be a different case.

[clay]

Jiggy, you're a champ!

A cop who openly states he doesn't like doing traffic and issuing fines!

Where do I send the whiskey? Wish you were policing in NSW. We need more cops like you. Cops who are more concerned with doing real police work then making the establishment money.

[Blurr]

Jiggy, you're a champ!

A cop who openly states he doesn't like doing traffic and issuing fines!

Where do I send the whiskey? Wish you were policing in NSW. We need more cops like you. Cops who are more concerned with doing real police work then making the establishment money.

i dont think its that simple.

Police officers are assigned job roles they dont just chase up cases that interest them. I think you'll find the culture stems from higher up

[clay]

Yeh, I'd say so too.

I think you might volunteer for HP but, I don't know. It's the got no love in high school, low self esteem, coward fellas who seem to land jobs in HP.

At least Jiggy is honest about his dislike for a bullshit part of policing. Instead of taking the it's my job approach and I have no say in it.

I know people who've been robbed, raped, put in hospital, had family members killed and the police have been inept or at the least unable to find and prosecute the offender. But speed or don't wear your seat belt and your fcuked! Even the wearing a seatbelt law, should shit happen you're only going to harm yourself. Unless you fly out the window and smash some poor sod, which is highly unlikely. So why the hell is it a crime? Reminds me of when I was a kid and up to no good how ma would worry and I'd always say, it's only me in the shit or getting hurt. Why are you so upset. But that's a little different, I guess it's your mum, of course she gonna stress. What the hell does the gov. care if you get yourself killed from not wearing a seatbelt? Oh yeh, you won't be paying taxes anymore!

Shit even police officers have been assaulted and the offender gets away with it these days. Laws are ass backwards.

Just like only the crooks carry guns now. The good fellas can't even defend themselves. Hope there's a copper round the corner when someone sticks a gun in my face.

PC and civil libertarians have fcuked us right up!

[robracer]

It's the got no love in high school, low self esteem, coward fellas who seem to land jobs in HP.

thats a classic statement Clay I am sure if you ask the next HWP that pulls you over if that description fits he would gladly stick a gun in your face

[aardvark]

Cops who are more concerned with doing real police work then making the establishment money.

I would be very, very, VERY surprised to find any copper who went about their job just to make money for the government. If they got a cut of every fine handed out it might be a different story. Hell, if the money from fines even went to the Police department it would probably be a different matter. Most traffic coppers are actually interested in road-safety or have had enough of working general patrols, and most I speak to agree that some of the fines are too expensive.

I'm guessing that in your Utopian world, all the Police are assigned to doing real police work. Which I'm guessing would be the house breaks, thefts, rapes etc? Let me tell you something about those - the serious crimes have plenty of coppers working on them. Complain all you want about the numbers of these crimes being solved but it isn't generally about lack of police numbers. It's about lack of forensic evidence, no witnesses, unreliable victims etc. If you had no where to start with regards to following up an offence, where exactly would you start?

You'll get no argument from me that there should be more coppers around to prevent the offences from occurring in the first place, but where are you going to pluck them from? As far as I can see you have a number of options; a) keep recruiting at the current level which isn't working, b) lower the standards for getting into the Police, which I hardly think is an appropriate option; c) Pluck out your arse hairs and blow a little fairy dust on them, or; d) take them from areas such as traffic.

Less than 1/20th of coppers in SA re assigned to traffic roles and they can't keep up with the work they need to do. So lets take them away from their roles and get them to do "real policing". Who is going to attend the crashes? Who is going to do the drug and alcohol testing of drivers? Who is going to remove that broken down car blocking the left lane of the freeway? Who is going to stop our streets from become absolute bedlam because the general public know that there aren't any traffic coppers around?

It burns my arse when people make stupid, misinformed comments like "do some real police work". Here's any idea..... sign up (if you meet the standards), get 20 years, shit, even 10 years, no - hang on, I'll be happy for you to grab 5 years of experience and then come back and and I might think about listening to your opinion. As it stands your obviously zero years of policing accounts for nothing.

It's the got no love in high school, low self esteem, coward fellas who seem to land jobs in HP.

I have a sneaking suspicion that you're taking the piss now, in some lame attempt at winding me up, or you've added this to the start of your rant so that when you get pulled up on it you can say "Settle down, I was only kidding, couldn't you tell?" - but what the hell, I've never been backwards in coming forward.

I have more than enough self-esteem for the both of us, I don't count myself in the coward category and I got plenty of love in highschool.

Even the wearing a seatbelt law, should shit happen you're only going to harm yourself. Unless you fly out the window and smash some poor sod, which is highly unlikely. So why the hell is it a crime?

I have no personal problem with people like you not wearing a seatbelt. It's a perfectly Darwinian way of getting rid of those who contribute fuck all to society. However, have you considered the actual cost to society if you don't do the job properly, and end up requiring medical care for your vegetative arse for the rest of your life? Yes, it comes down to money again, but the cost for this type of care is enormous!

Shit even police officers have been assaulted and the offender gets away with it these days.

The offenders are normally apprehended and put before the courts. The reason they seem to get away with it is more to do with the current trend towards lenient sentencing and nothing to do with the Police.

[clay]

Lol!

I don't think they can even unclip their holster unless they feel they're in grave danger or some shit.

I've had my fair share of run ins with police growing up. HP too, who I used to be pretty abusive towards, but I've learnt there's no point.

How about that poor nut up the coast, I think it was, that got shot because he was wielding a knife. Shows how poor our police force's training is if they have to shoot some prick charging at them with a knife, they can't handle the situation any better.

I remember years ago when some real estate agent got killed at Fairfield Heights, Pretti Real Estate, cause this guy was pissed they changed the locks on him. The dude that stabbed a few people had a stand off with the police for a few hours. They eventually charged him with riot shields and batons and belted the shit out of this prick. One of the officers had his arm slashed in the melee and they left this fella bleeding to death on the ground for about 15mins while they tended to the officer first. I was about 10 metres from the whole thing. It was sort of amusing to see the police stumped as to what to do about some nut with a kitchen knife. Even though all staff had been evacuated from the office and this guy was completely surrounded. Wasn't amusing to know someone we knew died though, because some dick didn't pay his rent and took offense when he found himself locked out of someone elses property.

[aardvark]

How about that poor nut up the coast, I think it was, that got shot because he was wielding a knife. Shows how poor our police force's training is if they have to shoot some prick charging at them with a knife, they can't handle the situation any better.

What? Surely you can't read this ridiculous piece of drivel back to yourself and think you come across as some kind of half-educated, semi-intelligent human being?

Christ, I can't stop myself from replying to your crap. It's like a fucken train wreck with bodies everywhere - you know you shouldn't look, but you can't help it.

Got any more classic pieces of wisdom for us Clay? Because at the moment you're doing a great job of reaffirming that you fit into the category of person I won't drink with (from page 1).

[Wattie]

Lol!

I don't think they can even unclip their holster unless they feel they're in grave danger or some shit.

I've had my fair share of run ins with police growing up. HP too, who I used to be pretty abusive towards, but I've learnt there's no point.

How about that poor nut up the coast, I think it was, that got shot because he was wielding a knife. Shows how poor our police force's training is if they have to shoot some prick charging at them with a knife, they can't handle the situation any better.

.

Hey genius, its called equal force.

Police can only use equal force, whats equal to a knife on a coppers belt? batton? not quite deadly. tasers didnt exist then, capsicum spray didnt even exist then.

it was batton or gun, when the knife weilding crim comes charging with a deadly knife, i'd shoot the fucker before he got anywhere near anyone.

[Jiggy]

OK, just to clarify...

My comments were in NO WAY meant to belittle or undermine the importance road safety traffic enforcement! Yes, personally I do not like issuing fines but it does not mean that I think their role is BS. Quite the opposite. I have been to too many fatal collisions caused by stupidity/recklessness to be so niaive. And the assumption that the dregs of the police force work in traffic management is way off. Some people are passionate about some areas of policing and some arent, just as in any proffession. Traffic members tend to cop the most abuse because people are rarely thankful for being booked!

As for the comments regarding use of force, well I shouldn't even dignify that with a response, but I will say if anyone thinks they are skilful enough to disarm a knife-weilding maniac intent on hurting you then good luck to you. For me, I have a family to go home to at the end of the day and I am not going risk my life for the sake of some ridiculous arm-chair critic's analysis made with the benefit of hindsight. Further, if you think that knife can not harm you I would be happy to give you a tour of the Coroners court next time a fatal stabbing victim arrives to show you the damage one can inflict.

But I digress, this is forum for discussion all thing motorcycle is it not? I assume that everyone on here shares a passion for 2 wheels, regardless of what they do for a living? Lets not turn it into a discussion about why A sucks more than B because of what they do for a living. Healthy debate is one thing, but we seem to have strayed from the original topic somewhat.