19 August 2010

Police Wrap - 19 August 2010

| johnboy
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1. 207 drivers busted doing what everyone does:

A targeted campaign by ACT Policing which began two weeks ago has resulted in 207 motorists being issued with Traffic Infringement Notices (TINs) for using their handheld mobile phones while driving.

The campaign, which began on August 1, has been conducted in cooperation with the ACT government’s road safety office as the first in a series of targeted programs to address high-risk driving behaviours. The current mobile phone program will continue for another six weeks.

The whole-of-government approach is supported through law enforcement, advertising, community messaging, and public relations.

ACT Policing began its “zero tolerance” enforcement campaign against hand-held mobile phones on August 1. The 207 TINs were issued between August 1-15.

Supporting this campaign, Variable Message Boards have been placed at strategic locations around Canberra warning of the risks of using handheld mobile phones.

Support for the campaign extends through to the senior executive levels of ACT Policing. Shortly after the campaign began, Deputy Chief Police Officer Bruce Hill was among the first to perform a traffic stop on a driver using a handheld mobile phone. CPO Roman Quaedvlieg recently also issued a TIN for the offence.

Traffic Operations Superintendent Mark Colbran said that the Canberra public had been well warned of the intensified enforcement campaign.

“Drivers caught using a handheld mobile phone while driving will be fined $271 and lose three demerit points,” Supt Colbran said.

“If you must take that call, then alternatives such as a portable hands-free Bluetooth kit are a cheaper alternative than receiving a Traffic Infringement Notice. With the ACT road toll now already so high, the key focus for police with this campaign is saving lives on the road by reducing this risk-taking behaviour.”

2. Bad girls on East Row:

ACT Policing has charged two teenage girls, one aged 15 and the other 16, following an aggravated robbery in the City overnight.

Police will allege about 9pm last night (Wednesday August 18), a 19-year-old female was leaving the IGA on East Row, Canberra City, when she was approached by the two youths. They demanded cash from the victim and grabbed her purse. A short altercation occurred, resulting in the victim being pushed to the ground by the alleged offenders, before they fled the scene.

A short time later police attended the scene, and observed the two alleged offenders running along Akuna Street before boarding a bus. Police conducted a traffic stop on the bus, and apprehended the two girls.

They will face the ACT Children’s Court this morning charged with aggravated robbery. The 16-year-old south-side female is also charged with breach of bail.

3. The pride of Florey:

ACT Policing yesterday (Wednesday, August 18) arrested a 24-year-old Florey man and charged him over Saturday’s (August 14) aggravated robbery of the Video Ezy store in Wanganeen Avenue, Ngunnawal.

Acting on information received, police yesterday attended a residence in John Cleland Crescent, Florey around 12.20pm, where the alleged offender was located and arrested without incident.

A search warrant was later executed on the same premises when police located and seized a small amount of drug material suspected to be heroin, and a Taser-type device.
Two stolen Hyundai Excels were located in the carpark of the same unit complex and investigations are continuing as to whether these are linked to the alleged offender.

The man will appear in the ACT Magistrates Court later today charged with a breach of bail and aggravated robbery.

Police are still seeking the maroon Honda CRV with ACT registration which was used during the robbery of the video store on Saturday. Anyone who may have seen this vehicle or can provide any information in relation to it are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the website at www.crimestoppers.act.com.au.

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Woody Mann-Caruso said :

I’d like to see those study results

I bet you really don’t, because they’ve been done, and judging by your loaded objectives, you won’t like the answers. Maybe once you’re off the phone and your car has stopped you could Google it. Assuming you haven’t had a prang, which will totally be everybody else’s fault but yours.

Wow Woody, you seem very passionate about this issue. Are you a reformed mobile phone user driver? Why don’t you give me a link to those study results or point me in the right direction so I can (happily) ready them.

FYI, I only use bluetooth if speaking on the phone whilst driving and have never had an accident, so there!

bigred said :

Just go down outside the Weston Police Centre at knock off time and watch all the drivers with AFP lanyards on the handhelds. Didn’t know their exemption from the rules extended use in their private vehicles.

BTW, there’s something a bit creepy about you going down to the Police complex to watch AFP employees leave.

bigred, bigstalker?

bigred said :

Just go down outside the Weston Police Centre at knock off time and watch all the drivers with AFP lanyards on the handhelds. Didn’t know their exemption from the rules extended use in their private vehicles.

Well now you know.

From memory (think it was a CT article), about 2000 people are caught using mobile phones while driving per year (about 38 a week). The targeted campaign netted over 100/week, remembering they still have to enforce all other traffic offences, assaults, burglaries etc.

I wonder how many people would still risk it if the fine was double or triple what it is currently.

Just go down outside the Weston Police Centre at knock off time and watch all the drivers with AFP lanyards on the handhelds. Didn’t know their exemption from the rules extended use in their private vehicles.

“The man will appear in the ACT Magistrates Court later today charged with a breach of bail and aggravated robbery.”

So, yet another junkie who was “turning his life around” and “needs another chance” and was given bail. So he could go out and commit more crime.

The magistrates who swallow these shitheads’ excuses should be made personally liable for the shitheads’ further crimes.

Exactly Hells Bells or how about someone calling about someone they dislike.

Spideydog said :

…… makes time for traffic enforcement fairly limited !!!!

That is exactly my point. Remember this is a TARGETED campaign. Is 207 mobile phone TIN’s over 15 days really the best they can do in a targeted campaign? If you stand on the side of Parkes Way heading away from the city between 16:30 and 18:00 any weekday afternoon you will see a driver using the phone at least once every minute. These people are making a conscious decision to wait until they leave work and get behind the wheel to make that important call.

If there are insufficient police resources to enforce the road rules then that is a matter for Mr Stanhope. He is constantly jumping up and down pretending to be concerned about the road toll and any measures he takes to do something about it are either wasteful (stupid road signs, round tables with no visible outcome etc) or only focused on speeding. Now there is an exception though – The RAPID program is a great positive step forward and should pay for itself many times over.

As I’ve said before a 5 to 10 year low tolerance program focusing on ALL road rules in both marked and unmarked cars is what is needed to fix driver attitudes and road safety issues in Canberra.

…..and yes we probably do need more police resources for this but I’m sure that it would be at least revenue neutral in the long term.

Hells_Bells747:17 am 20 Aug 10

farnarkler said :

The police are now advising (heard on 2CA news) that people should dob in mobile phone use whilst driving.

Ironically, I could just imagine a few ringing up whilst driving alright 😉

Very Busy said :

Only 207!! That’s only 14 per day. I would see double that number each day just by myself. Seriously, this is an indication of the lack of enforcement of ACT road rules. 14 TIN’s per day is not even close to what should be achieved every day, let alone during a “targeted campaign”.

Absolutely pathetic.

You do realise that police do other functions other than traffic enforcement don’t you …… makes time for traffic enforcement fairly limited !!!!

The police are now advising (heard on 2CA news) that people should dob in mobile phone use whilst driving.

Oprah: Stay off your phone while driving – CNN.com
20 Jan 2010 … Oprah.com: Take Oprah’s no phone zone pledge. Most European countries ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving, but not all U.S. …
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/01/…/index.html – Cached – Similar

Only 207!! That’s only 14 per day. I would see double that number each day just by myself. Seriously, this is an indication of the lack of enforcement of ACT road rules. 14 TIN’s per day is not even close to what should be achieved every day, let alone during a “targeted campaign”.

Absolutely pathetic.

Woody Mann-Caruso6:32 pm 19 Aug 10

I’d like to see those study results

I bet you really don’t, because they’ve been done, and judging by your loaded objectives, you won’t like the answers. Maybe once you’re off the phone and your car has stopped you could Google it. Assuming you haven’t had a prang, which will totally be everybody else’s fault but yours.

Pommy bastard3:52 pm 19 Aug 10

54-11 said :

Thank goodness the rozzers are finally doing something about all the dickheads in this city that use their mobiles while driving.

As a biker, these shithead drivers worry me to death, as they are do everything but concentrate on their driving.

Onya, AFP – keep up the good work; don’t just make this a one-off blitz.

I totally agree.

Tooks said :

Many people do though, like the p plater who recently drifted into my lane (nearly side-swiping me), while texting (at 80kmh), or numerous others who have done similar while their phone was glued to their ear.

As a general rule I obey the laws concerning the use of hand held phones while driving, although I admit to breaking them once or twice.

Reading, or worse writing txt messages, while driving is a pretty fn retarded thing to attempt.

thatsnotme said :

Policing like this, Rapid checks etc, make me wonder just how safer our streets might be if Stanhope turned over the budget for his fixed and point to point revenue raising cameras to ACT Police, and let them spend it on actually policing.

Correct Sir. This should be in the contract we have with the AFP, and should be above the base charge we pay for X number of police – and should go directly to ACT Policing, and not get subsumed in the beheamoth that is AFP national.

Dunno why the wollapers are so happy re the phone blitz…it seems that since the campaign began more drivers than ever are using their phones. Make the fine $1271 if they wanna get serious!

I can normally pick a driver using a mobile before I ever see the phone to their ear. Doing 10-20kp/h below the limit? Check. Drifting in their lane? Check. Likely to change lanes suddenly, at best indicating when they’re already half way into the next lane? Check.

Policing like this, Rapid checks etc, make me wonder just how safer our streets might be if Stanhope turned over the budget for his fixed and point to point revenue raising cameras to ACT Police, and let them spend it on actually policing.

p1 said :

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study into the reading of Variable Message Boards while driving?

I’d like to see those study results, especially if the study aims to show:
* a substantive correlation between talking on a phone and having an accident;
* that talking on a mobile is any more distracting than any other distraction whilst driving including talking/arguing with a passenger or coping with screaming kids.

p1 said :

Tooks said :

If anyone is distracted from reading a sign, they probably shouldn’t have a licence.

I tend to agree. But then I don’t find a phone that hard to use either.

Many people do though, like the p plater who recently drifted into my lane (nearly side-swiping me), while texting (at 80kmh), or numerous others who have done similar while their phone was glued to their ear.

amarooresident3 said :

Two stolen Hyundai Excels? Are they the car of choice amongst the criminal classes?

Must be an easy steal.

I find it funny that I always struggled with my car being broken in to, then eventually stolen from, aforementioned unit complex in Florey, and that’s where these two were found.

Though what are the chances they’d actually belong to or be connected to the accused? Just how dumb do you have to… right, got it.

Thank goodness the rozzers are finally doing something about all the dickheads in this city that use their mobiles while driving.

As a biker, these shithead drivers worry me to death, as they are do everything but concentrate on their driving.

Onya, AFP – keep up the good work; don’t just make this a one-off blitz.

amarooresident312:42 pm 19 Aug 10

Two stolen Hyundai Excels? Are they the car of choice amongst the criminal classes?

Tooks said :

If anyone is distracted from reading a sign, they probably shouldn’t have a licence.

I tend to agree. But then I don’t find a phone that hard to use either.

Those signs can be annoying when they flash up more then one page of a message. So you seen the first page, want to know what the second page says, and so stare at it longer then you normally would a analogue sign.

p1 said :

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study into the reading of Variable Message Boards while driving?

If anyone is distracted from reading a sign, they probably shouldn’t have a licence.

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study into the reading of Variable Message Boards while driving?

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