These Police Interceptor,camera, action type programmes

[pooroldcodger]

I vowed never to watch one of these camera in the police car type programmes again, but once you start they are strangely addictive.
I saw half of a programme last night based on the West Yorkshire cops.
I will say that the police must be some horrendous aftermaths of accidents, and have to deal with dreadful low-life, and are sometimes at risk of serious injury, or death, and they get decently paid in return.
Now I have said that part, these shows (because that is what they are) do tend to show up some very dubious judgement on the part of the police at times.
EG. on last night's show the cops were following a suspected stolen transit van inside which they believed was a stolen road roller, and they were right in their assumptions. They followed this van, which was riding low at the back and weaving around a bit , due to the over loading.
They were considering trying to do a hard stop ( a crash basically) on the motorway, then thank goodness thought better of it.
I would have thought it would be best to follow it to see where it was going and to whom, but they decided to stop it on the slip road off the A1 as it slowed for a junction. So the police driver, in an unmarked 3 Series undertook the van, then pulled in front of it and jumped on the anchors. A full emergency stop. You could see the BM squirming under the braking.
Not surprisingly the van couldn't stop, so it hit the BM. One damaged police car off the road. The cops then jumped out, and said they were arresting the driver for (as well as driving a stolen vehicle) for dangerous driving, because he hadn't stopped! The only dangerous driving so far was the policeman's!
It turned out that the guy in the van was also a drug addict, and had no license or insurance but he could not be connected to the theft of the van or the roller, so he got a mild sentence. Perhaps they should have followed him to his destination after all?
The whole programme seemed to a fair amount of reckless driving by the police, followed by performances designed for the cameras when they made the arrest, (and showing great restraint it has to be said)and then pathetic sentences revealed at the end of the show.
That's why I won't watch another one.
Until the next time!

 

[andydiver]

Your comments are reasonable and given your description I would agree that an aggressive stop was not appropriate. With a heavy vehicle clearly unable to out run the police which is failing to stop the police can step back a little. If he was safe enough driving when not feeling pursued they could have waited till he got bored or yes his destination. They don't have all day though and the end result was only controlled damage to a police vehicle. There was another one where they chased a BMW x5 round a housing estate. He reversed and rammed a chase car, badly, in small Street. Then was chased by another. The police driver tried to reverse away from being rammed the same way and also got written off the X5 had a standing start. Now if I was the cop car I would have been resting against the x5 when that developed, not backing away. But they have a stressful job and not much time to figure out the next move.

 

[pooroldcodger]

In the case of the transit van, he wasn't trying to outrun the police car, which was unmarked. He had no idea until they pulled in front of him that he was being followed. They also knew that with a stolen road roller in the back the Transit had no chance of stopping anyway, so in that respect it was a dangerous vehicle.
There was another incident in the same show where they saw a pizza delivery guy go round a roundabout a bit sharp-ish so they decided to pull him over. The Asian guy driving wasn't having any of it. He asked them where was their proof that he had done anything wrong? He wasn't (he said) breaking the speed limit, and he may not have been, but he was probably doing 30mph round the roundabout! So with nothing to "do him for" the guy started reading out his takeaway menu to them until they gave up were left with their weapon of last resort - a section 59 threat.

 

[Ziggy122]

I watched it
They did cause the crash
A 2Tone beemer with grippy wide tyres Stamps on achors

Vs a 3.5 tonne - Way way way overloaded (them rollers aint light)
on Heavy Duty Cargo Tyres - which aint grippy (i know!)

Who's gonna stop first? the Beemer or the van
I know the Beemer

There logic was good - but poorly executed

----

The Pizza guy - i agree with him - where was the speed measured?
There is nothing saying about going around a roundabout sloewr - its advised but not law iirc?

Sure he could of just had a verbal warning - just slow down mate
Instead he was a dick and ended up with the section 59

Ziggy

 

[pooroldcodger]

Assuming that the Forces in question have the opportunity to veto what gets put out on air, I am surprised that some of the incidents that get shown. For example the case with the van and the BM mentioned above. It was ham-fisted to say the least, but presumably somebody at Force level thought it was ok?
The Asian guy was pushing his luck with the "attitude", but I do wonder about the power being given to the individual PC to throw Section 59's around just on their say so. I believe it is car confiscation time at the 2nd offence? And the "offence is the matter of opinion of one PC? So serious stakes involved and no court involved at all, is that correct?

 

[andydiver]

I vowed never to watch one of these camera in the police car type programmes again, but once you start they are strangely addictive.
I saw half of a programme last night based on the West Yorkshire cops.
I will say that the police must be some horrendous aftermaths of accidents, and have to deal with dreadful low-life, and are sometimes at risk of serious injury, or death, and they get decently paid in return.
Now I have said that part, these shows (because that is what they are) do tend to show up some very dubious judgement on the part of the police at times.
EG. on last night's show the cops were following a suspected stolen transit van inside which they believed was a stolen road roller, and they were right in their assumptions. They followed this van, which was riding low at the back and weaving around a bit , due to the over loading.
They were considering trying to do a hard stop ( a crash basically) on the motorway, then thank goodness thought better of it.
I would have thought it would be best to follow it to see where it was going and to whom, but they decided to stop it on the slip road off the A1 as it slowed for a junction. So the police driver, in an unmarked 3 Series undertook the van, then pulled in front of it and jumped on the anchors. A full emergency stop. You could see the BM squirming under the braking.
Not surprisingly the van couldn't stop, so it hit the BM. One damaged police car off the road. The cops then jumped out, and said they were arresting the driver for (as well as driving a stolen vehicle) for dangerous driving, because he hadn't stopped! The only dangerous driving so far was the policeman's!
It turned out that the guy in the van was also a drug addict, and had no license or insurance but he could not be connected to the theft of the van or the roller, so he got a mild sentence. Perhaps they should have followed him to his destination after all?
The whole programme seemed to a fair amount of reckless driving by the police, followed by performances designed for the cameras when they made the arrest, (and showing great restraint it has to be said)and then pathetic sentences revealed at the end of the show.
That's why I won't watch another one.
Until the next time!

Just came to me that the police probably knew the destination was a traveller site. In which case they need three transits of officers and near murder charges. They all will deny owning the van and there won't be any paperwork. Best to catch them on the road. Won't admit that on national TV

 

[Noxide]

I must admit, I do enjoy them, although as everyone else said there's some dubious/odd things going on sometimes.

I would imagine part of the reason stuff gets aired that might be a bit risque/aggressive, is to send out a message. Let's face it, I'd be more likely to stop if I thought they'd just run me off the road.
There's one episode where they sit for bladdy ages to catch an absolutely slammed Polo that's not being driven or anything. Turns out the car was on airbags! Or as the PC (who said he knew lots about cars) explained "adjustable coilovers", and keeps calling it a Golf. When they stopped him the driver gave the switch a flick and raised the car up.

Also, no, you can't appeal a s59 afaik, and nothing in the legislation indicates otherwise, you've just gotta cross your fingers I guess. Although I'd have thought it shouldn't be used often - especially where other offences are available. Law probably needs some vetting there.

 

[StevenRB45]

I always feel as though they put a disproportionate amount of effort in for the joke sentences at the end, if I was a traffic cop I would not be risking my life to give someone community service...

 

[Noxide]

I always feel as though they put a disproportionate amount of effort in for the joke sentences at the end, if I was a traffic cop I would not be risking my life to give someone community service...

What's more annoying is when they don't tell you the sentence, just that they were guilty - you know they got away extra lightly.

 

[pooroldcodger]

I always feel as though they put a disproportionate amount of effort in for the joke sentences at the end, if I was a traffic cop I would not be risking my life to give someone community service...

There is that, which I agree makes you want to say "whaaaaaat? The driver did what he did, and they risked further lives and he gets a suspended sentence or litter picking duty???"
Or the times that 2 pc's arrest somebody at the beginning of their shift, and then seem to spend hour after hour waiting for a doctor to show up, or an interpreter, meanwhile their BMW squad car is sat doing nothing, and they are 2 cops short on the streets. Seems nuts to me.

And as above - I never thought of that , probably didn't want to risk following the Transit with the stolen roller in the back to a Gyp - sorry "Traveller" camp, unless they could take the SAS with them.