Sussex Police- Operation Crackdown

[Baron Pepperpot]

A friend of mine had a letter from Operation Crackdown this week.

Operation Crackdown is part of Sussex Police and is an ‘initiative’ that encourages members of the public to report people, via its website, for all sorts of naughty things relating to motoring.

My friend had a letter saying she had been logged doing 37mph in a 30mph zone about 15 miles from her home.

The letter assumes her guilt and states that although she will not be fined, this will stay on record for 12 months and any further complaints may result in more action.

There is only one problem.

Her ****ing car was on her driveway at the time the ‘offence’ was committed, and she has never even visited the place it was apparently seen in during her entire life.

However, the letter also states that no further information will be offered should she invoke the Data Protection Act. If there is enough interest I’ll take time to scan a copy of it here. There is an email address she can email a moan to. No number.

I’ve found the site address:

http://www.operationcrackdown.org/

Another example of the gradual Big Brother state that we are becoming.

 

[Butch Willykins]

Simple solution is to stop being shit at driving.

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

Simple solution is to stop being shit at driving.

Will take note.

 

[stripeyshark]

A friend of mine had a letter from Operation Crackdown this week.

Operation Crackdown is part of Sussex Police and is an ‘initiative’ that encourages members of the public to report people, via its website, for all sorts of naughty things relating to motoring.

My friend had a letter saying she had been logged doing 37mph in a 30mph zone about 15 miles from her home.

The letter assumes her guilt and states that although she will not be fined, this will stay on record for 12 months and any further complaints may result in more action.

There is only one problem.

Her ****ing car was on her driveway at the time the ‘offence’ was committed, and she has never even visited the place it was apparently seen in during her entire life.

However, the letter also states that no further information will be offered should she invoke the Data Protection Act. If there is enough interest I’ll take time to scan a copy of it here. There is an email address she can email a moan to. No number.

I’ve found the site address:

http://www.operationcrackdown.org/

Another example of the gradual Big Brother state that we are becoming.

They need to pay for the wet lettuces at Balcombe.

 

[beorhthelm]

if theres no evidnce, it counts for shite shirley? Police can send out letters to scare people into behaving but if an actual recorded offence had been commited they'd prosecute, so they know its nothing. could be someone with a grudge or someone misreporting a registration number.

and police cant exclude themselves from DPA, its a pain in the arse to have to, but if she can show she wasnt there they'd have to purge the data from their records as its false. yeah, this is a sad change in the direction of law enforcement policy that assumes guilt.

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

if theres no evidnce, it counts for shite shirley? Police can send out letters to scare people into behaving but if an actual recorded offence had been commited they'd prosecute, so they know its nothing. could be someone with a grudge or someone misreporting a registration number.

and police cant exclude themselves from DPA, its a pain in the arse to have to, but if she can show she wasnt there they'd have to purge the data from their records as its false. yeah, this is a sad change in the direction of law enforcement policy that assumes guilt.

All the above. It's your last sentence that sends the chill though.

 

[HalifaxSeagull]

I'd follow this up with the police. It maybe that someone's cloned her plates and is driving around (at speed) possibly committing offences. If so, you can bet who's door the police will knock on...

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

I'd follow this up with the police. It maybe that someone's cloned her plates and is driving around (at speed) possibly committing offences. If so, you can bet who's door the police will knock on...

We think it's likely some blind old biddy took down the wrong registration number.

 

[Justice]

Similar to the grass line at the Amex busy bodies with nothing better to do will be constantly on the phone.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We think it's likely some blind old biddy took down the wrong registration number.

How would a blind old biddy have got hold of an accredited speedometer to know that it was 37 mph?

 

[Da Man Clay]

Op Crackdown has been going for years.

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

How would a blind old biddy have got hold of an accredited speedometer to know that it was 37 mph?

That is one of the points, how did they know it was 37mph ?

Apparently, though, some of these rural folks have got speed guns and stand on the main roads (no lie).

http://www.roadsupervisors.net/aet.village-vigilanties.htm

 

[Thunder Bolt]

That is one of the points, how did they know it was 37mph ?

Apparently, though, some of these rural folks have got speed guns and stand on the main roads (no lie).

The speed gun is a more likely explanation, in which case, if your friend is being truthful, they should contact the police about having their number plates cloned.

 

[beorhthelm]

How would a blind old biddy have got hold of an accredited speedometer to know that it was 37 mph?

well exactly. its doesnt stand up to the most basic scrutiny does it. its probably an inititive by someone fast tracked through to senoir ranks, who only really cares about their career path, and doesnt think about the poor impression it give because it ticked a box.

to last reply, if it had been a speed gun, it would be a notice of prosecution for speeding.

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

The speed gun is a more likely explanation, in which case, if your friend is being truthful, they should contact the police about having their number plates cloned.

I don't think these guns actually capture the frame, they just record speed.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

This looks to me to be a continuation of a scheme that started a few years back, in response to concerns by a lot of rural communities that the police didn't have the resources to deal with speeding traffic. Volunteers were trained up to use simple speed cameras to identify vehicles exceeding the speed limit, and set up a warning letter. The cameras don't meet the standards to achieve a prosecution or conviction, but they are accurate enough to identify a speeding vehicle. I was trained to set up and use this kit, but never actually got round to using it for real. The only police involvement was to support the training programme (which was run by the County Council's Road Safety Team, in their guise as members of the Sussex Speed Partnership), and to retrieve vehicle data from DVLA. Warning letters are the worst that a speeding motorist might ever receive.

The scheme now seems to allow members of the Public to report alleged violations for speeding and other "anti-social" driving activity. I guess it might make some folk think about their driving, but it could just as easily fire up the people who love moaning about private parking enforcement not having any basis in law.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

Simple solution is to stop being shit at driving.

I laughed out loud at that. Well played.

 

[beorhthelm]

to me the problem (as presented, not seeing the letter) is the tone implying you commited an offence that by inference the police cant actually prove, and saying DPA cant be invoked is over the line. in princple the idea or reporting and addressing poor driving isnt a bad one, but the police shouldnt assume reports are accurate on the basis on a single report, or send letters out that put the fear in to ordinary public. serial offenders would throw it in the bin anyway, so this just creates ill feeling. a polite message about the report and request for feedback would be a far more sensible approach.

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

to me the problem (as presented, not seeing the letter) is the tone implying you commited an offence that by inference the police cant actually prove, and saying DPA cant be invoked is over the line. in princple the idea or reporting and addressing poor driving isnt a bad one, but the police shouldnt assume reports are accurate on the basis on a single report, or send letters out that put the fear in to ordinary public. serial offenders would throw it in the bin anyway, so this just creates ill feeling. a polite message about the report and request for feedback would be a far more sensible approach.

That is exactly what is implied.

 

[Justice]

The next speeding plod car I see is getting reported.