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Dozens of police punished for speeding
28 Oct 2009Dozens of on-duty police officers from one force area have been punished for speeding while not responding to emergency calls, figures have revealed.
A total of 87 officers from Kent Police accepted a conditional offer of a £60 fine and three points on their licence for breaking the limit between April 2006 and March 2009.
The figures, released under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, emerged days after former Metropolitan police officer Malcolm Searles, 24, was jailed for six-and-a-half years.
Searles, from Swanley, Kent, killed grandmother Sandra Simpson, 61, during a "joyride" as he used his marked patrol car to deliver an 18th birthday card for his sister with his blue lights flashing and siren sounding in August last year.
The FoI figures revealed that over the past three years there were 648 "notices of intended prosecution" issued to Kent Police officers for alleged speeding.
A total of 556 of those were cancelled after officers successfully applied for an exemption after proving they were responding to a 999 call at the time. Five were considered for potential prosecution.
When an emergency vehicle triggers a speed camera, no further action is taken if a blue light is visible in the image, suggesting it was responding to an emergency incident.
But if no blue light is visible then a "notice of intended prosecution" is issued. Kent Police said the figures highlight that "no police officer is above the law".
Assistant chief constable Andy Adams said: "This information demonstrates that we hold our officers to account for exceeding the speed limit.
"Over the last three years, the number of occasions where they have failed to show that they were justified in breaking the speed limit has reduced.
"It is important to recognise that where an officer with Kent Police cannot provide a lawful reason for activating a safety camera, he or she will be issued with a fixed penalty notice or court summons.
"Our Kent Standard sets out the service and standards the public can expect from Kent Police. It gives clear guidance to officers on the importance of complying with road traffic law for normal duties.
"There is also legislation that regulates when it is lawful for an officer to exceed the speed limit in exceptional circumstances including emergency calls.
"Kent Police works to national policy to ensure the safety of the public and officers when police are responding to emergencies at speed or when our vehicles are involved in pursuits. Our drivers are trained to a high standard.
"Kent Police has vigorous checks and balances to ensure officers drive lawfully. When they don't, they face the same penalties as anyone else. No police officer is above the law."
Reader views (9)
Well for all you pro police bloggers who criticise my comment, what is the point of the IPCC? they whitewash everything, they very rarely find against the police. I despise the Met because it is underperforming and unaccountable. And what about the menezes case? there were a lot of witnesses to the police gunmen blowing his head off for absolutely no reason: the IPCC let them off, as did the coroner. Of course we need a police force, but we need one that is accountable and professional, not these scum
- Kerry Trubee, Purley, 29/10/2009 17:41
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Ooooh really, they get done for speeding (occasionaly), but never get done for illegally killing/fitting up/pushing around the rest of us.
- Kerry, Purley
Kerry do you ever read the newspapers?
A PC was jailed for 6 yaers the other day for killing a woman whilst driving.
Also I have never seen as many cases in the news overthe last 5 or 6 years for policemen going to jail, as In the previous 10-20.
The police do get done for things, and are not all perfect, but they are not all bad either.
- P Staker, London, 29/10/2009 11:45
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Isn't it funny that I haven't heard a police siren pointlessly screaming its siren out loud for the last couple of days.
Coincidence or have the criminals had a change of heart?
- Max, Wimbledon, London, 29/10/2009 08:03
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I agree with Terry.
I work in high up in an office block with an excellent view of a busy London street. I too have frequently seen the blues and twos used to get past a jam or obstruction only for them to be silenced 200 yards further on.
- Tom Watson, SE1, 28/10/2009 16:44
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Kerry, can you name any individual police officers who have illegally killed/fitted up/pushed around people, if so then I would suggest you report them to the IPCC rather than just stick a comment on this site
- Steven Jones, london, 28/10/2009 16:13
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Ooooh really, they get done for speeding (occasionaly), but never get done for illegally killing/fitting up/pushing around the rest of us.
- Kerry, Purley, 28/10/2009 15:09
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Terry, So you see this every single day do you. Most people moan about not seeing any policeman but you seem to claim you see them every day, your very lucky.
When you see this happen every day why dont you record it on your mobile phone, phone the police and check that a car stuck in traffic in hammersmith with blues and twos is on an emergency
- Steven Jones, london, 28/10/2009 12:52
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I doubt if the Kent Police are the only ones breaking the law. It would be interesting to check a few other constabularies.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 28/10/2009 12:43
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most police cars stuck in traffic put there blues on to get out of the jam then switch them off once the road is clear
around Hammersmith it happens every day there should be a clear rule no emergency no twos and blues
better still if the public record this on there phone give them a reward for shopping the coppers
- Terry Chambers, London, 28/10/2009 11:40
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