Have the police given up trying to apply the law and opted for traffic offences as an easy option to look good

Question

Every day we see people flaunting our laws with no fear of prosecution. Is this because the police are too busy or are our laws silly and just being produced as knee jerk reactions to public opinion and overloading our all ready stretched police forces.

Answer 1

They apply the law when they are given a call to respond to or see a crime in the course of their day. If those are not happening then they are enforcing traffic laws.

Some officers do only traffic in their department which means they spend their entire shift doing traffic enforcement. Other officers specialize in truck enforcement such as overweight, etc...

And yes, many of our laws are silly.

Answer 2

You seem to have become confused.
"trying to apply the law and opted for traffic offences"

Traffic OFFENCES.
OFFENCES means against the Law!

Perhaps you wont be upset or angry when a drunk driver barrels out of nowhere to mow down a line of kids at a bus stop, but I would.
The police have a section of their forces which are 'traffic', YOU obviously dont go above 30 in a 30 limit - or 40 in a 40 limit etc
so that means you have nothing to fear from them. As a result you don't experience the police pulling you over trying to stop reckless behaviour and saving lives.
All you see are police on the beat stopping suspicious characters for no reason - what about the ones that are shot doing their job?
The ones who are crippled for life chasing a nutcase?
Rather than moaning on here, write to your MP or MEP and badger them to prosecute the people you see breaking the law all the time.

One voice can make a difference.

p.s. You can always spot me on the roads because I'm the one at the front of a long line of frustrated motorist because I at least DO drive at the speed limits!

Answer 3

the police do very little as regards anything, i have been verbally abused by a police officer because i asked him for directions, even before i asked him the question, as soon as i said excuse me, he started swearing and when i told him he was out of order he wasnt happy. Don't know that much about how they handle traffic offences, but any liking for the police I had has definitely gone after that incident. I blame it on the general standards of getting into the police slipping, I could pass the UK requirements in the bleep test aged 12.

Answer 4

Traffic offences give the police an easy way of hitting their government imposed targets. Every traffic offence is "cleared up" virtually as soon as it is detected - a speed camera catches you, you get fined - clear-up rate 100%. So 90 traffic offences reported and cleared up and 10 burglaries unsolved (90% clear-up rate) is clearly better than 10 traffic offences and 10 unsolved burglaries (50% clear-up rate). So it is better for their figures if they focus on traffic offences and don't worry about burglaries etc. which they don't seem very good at clearing up anyway.

Answer 5

the police use this as a method of hitting there targets or performance indicators as they are known.
whilst i have no doubt that theft etc is investigated for the purposes of the number crunchers the only thing that matters is that the number of 'solved' crimes on the reports looks high and so prevents them being 'punished' by the government for perceived under-performance

i know that many officers would rather be on the street doing real police work but their hands are tied from above.

Answer 6

I think even though they may be required to do traffic duty when no such real crimes are being committed is a silly approach. I know a fool who wrecked his own car and hit someone with a baby in the back for driving 10 times over the limit and he was banned. When i reported him for driving while banned- they did sod all to do anything about. And i get stopped for one of my break lights not working and get fined! That law breaking **** got away with it- I drive by the law and don't know about a break light and i get targetted. Good going Met Police!

Answer 7

yep your probably right they are too interested in getting people for sppeding and bald tyres rather than investigating real criminals like rapists and murderers!!!
im actually going for my police fitness test soon so i'll be trying to change this. yeah know i'll have a hard job!!!

Answer 8

Driving habits of UK people are terrible. The police are clearly not interested here.

Answer 9

they opt for traffic offences becuase the amount of boy racers around nowadays means that its easy cash for them

Answer 10

I think your spot on,we have laws now that are not enforced,ie seat-belts,using phone,kids sitting on lap in front seat,its endless.I think its because we don't have enough police,I don't see many about.