Police Officer Sacked

[senna_T]

We all know I have jules, plus the next three after it, but I'd be lost for words if the blue and reds came on! What do you say to try and get out of it? How do you back yourself for trying to get away with something like that?!

[dule]

Unless you have someone bleeding badly on the rear seat I really don't think there is anything you could say to make it better except apologies and hope they are in a good mood and reduce the fine a little.

And I also think there must be more to this story, has anyone heard of cops accepting bribes for traffic matters? It's pretty common in some countries but didn't think it happens in AU.

[smicky]

Ive managed to rack up my fair share or little white slips of paper in my younger years....

(not proud of it at all... but boys will be boys...)

Through out all of them, I can say the officers that look and understand are the most pleasant of all...

Not cop bashing, or starting anything, but there are extremes and then there are some officers...

In the past if an officer was professional and kept things that way, the fine was taken and paid near on the spot! Where I was a young tool - accepted and worn the decision on the back of the head.... like a good slap....

but when the conversation starts off with a bad tone, whats to be expected in reply...

As for descression, im 100% all for it...

I remember being followed many years ago on the hume by a Falcon - thought the driver was trying to play... actually ended up being a cop... nice guy in his mid to late 40's, pulls me over after a few ins of following at around 130km's.... not much traffic at all, visibility + and comes over looks at the license and says gees mate, nice car, and nice skills.... Fine ended up being 10 over under 15 or something like that... and I drove the rest of the way to Sydney at or around the limit...

Another time - pulled over around 135 on the hume again, rude as ive ever had, decides to also have a few questions for my passenger (sister, who I had just had a mother of all fights with in the car at the time, so much so we didnt end up talking for 6 yrs after that day). In the end took the fine after his abuse and accepted it, but as soon as the questions and comments started at my sister, the license was swiftly removed from his grasp, and I took off - called the station and made a report (was there an investergation taking place, and what did my sister have to do with it? apparently not and nothing at all).....

in the end was so pissed off the speeding didnt really wind back all that much...

So in such cases - stopped speeding full stop, well guess not, however rude member of the force just fired me up and had me keep going... pleasant, polite and easy going - took it pretty easy for the rest of that trip...

hhhhmm - makes one wonder and think about the mind set or others and what ones words, and just how others actions can effect others also...

(and no, before anyone starts - im not blaming the rude guy for 'making me speed more' but it did add fuel to the fire so to speak)....

anyways - enough from me about this... thank god im heading to bed and not into the car now!!!

(I feel a twitch....)

[nang3]

I doubt us as the general public and not workmates of said copper will ever know the truth - the media will spout 'guesswork' reporting and fuel the fires needed to keep interest in the story so either way there will only be a handful of people who know the real reason for his dismissal.. its the way it has always been and always will be.

I think coppers should be able to use their discretion, provided they are of a character type that will not let personal/emotional issues unrelated to the job cloud their judgement.

as for the 120 in a 60kph zone, ive been done for 95 in a 60 zone... on a deserted freeway late on a Sunday night through an unattended roadworks zone where NO PART whatsoever of any construction or signage was on the actual road or even within the emergency lanes. Through the week there was but this was just as it was being completed so the actual roadway was all back to normal.. no reason for the 60 signs. but technically I was in the wrong and the officer was of sub-par intelligence to exercise his discretion in this case.

[xr6greg]

Speculation on my part about the dismissal but you need to look at VicPol (Govt) policy on traffic issues which is basically to raise as much revenue as they possibly can (not after an argument on that statement - their road toll has not reduced significantly, people are still hooning down there, etc... YET they raise almost 5 times as much revenue than Qld from fines).

Anyhoo. When the Assistant Commissioner for traffic finds out one of his boys isn't 'doing the right thing' he sacks him. Now you actually need to look at the term 'doing the right thing' and understand how that fits in with discretion.

You have an experienced Sergeant pulling people up, issuing fines, cautions, no doubt arresting people, basically doing his job. ALL police have an ability to exercise discretion, usually found in their procedural manual somewhere. Goes along the lines of 'althoug police should zealousy carry out their duties they should exercise discretion when dealing whith normally law abiding citizens who breach the law'. That's where the VicPol Commissioner, when he was a real police officer, could pull his mum up for speeding and caution her - make sense?

Now the danger you have with this officer's dismissal is that most working cops are going to review their own work practice and perhaps the 25% of people who may have got a caution, or had their fine reduced, ain't gonna do that not more in case they get the sack? Traffic *beep* - you bet.

Oh. And the offence for speeding in every State and Territory of Australia is that you 'exceed the speed limit (signed, built up area, whatever.) So 61 in a 60 zone is the offence. The Government decided to apply different penalties for different speeds above the limit (1 - 14 Kph; 15 - 30Kph, etc.) So the fact that this guy has pinged you at 120Kph in a 60 zone does NOT mean he has to apply the penalty for that speed; he needs only prove that you exceeded the speed limit. So if he decided to do you for 80, 70, 90, 84, that's entirely up to HIM as the investigating police officer.

Be interesting to see how his appeal goes particularly as the VicPol Commissioner has stated in the media that he was dismissed only for not issuing the correct penalties.

[Sleeper6T]

From what I heard, the fines were reduced as a result of him changing the speed zone on the notice of infringement so if they were caught doing 92 in a 70 he would change it to say they were caught in an 80 zone and so on. What would the charge be?....Falsifying legal documents? Freud even?

Brad

[Rhino1980]

Bumping down used to be accepted by both the public and the Police hierarchy, it was just what was done and the use of discretion was always encouraged. While I was in the job, I recall a directive memorandum coming through from the top in relation to bumping. Basically the story is, that a motorist in Western Sydney was issued a fine for a speed that was in a bracket below the speed he was actually caught doing. In other words, the officer looked after him, saved him a point or two and some bucks. He elected to go to court over the matter and his defence was that they could not satisfy the proofs of the offence for the ticket that had been issued, because, he was going faster, so the facts of the case were in dispute. His defence worked and he got off. So, instead of copping it on the chin, he hired a scum sucking legal practitioner and he f*cked it for everyone. The boys were told that bumping was not to occur any more. Of course it still went on though.

[wookie_666]

talking about bumping the speed down, I did exactly that. I was caught for doing 99 in a 60 zone (no excuse, but I was late for tafe). was very polite to the officer. took it on the chin and I was looking at 6 months. 3 for points (it was double demerits) and 3 for going more than 30 over.

Long story short, I got a lawyer, the lawyer called the officer had a nice long chat to him about motorbikes and the like, and was able to reduce my sentence to under 30 which meant 6 points and I got to keep my license.

But I had to go to court for this, plead guilty to the lower sentence and I also got my fine reduced from 240 to 150. All becuase I was nice and calm and polite. So this was a case of the police officer using his discression, and thinking have I learnt a lesson and am I truly sorry for what I have done.

This is legal and I guess it all depends on your prior convictions also.

[Shark]

A survey/study was conducted in the Australian Police Force (all states) not long ago now.

It was found that the majority of police officers felt that the only way they could achieve a higher rank/get a promotion in the force was to act corrupt (or be an arsehole).

That surely shows something.

The first post in this thread proves more about it.

How bad is it when the government entrusts an 'organisation' to keep law an order in Australia, yet this 'organisation' is so corrupt in itself, no one can do a f*cking thing.

[pharkit]

Where did you hear about that study?

If you want police corruption take a look at the Crime Commission.

Edited 02/12/09 05:47 PM by pharkit