Federation members are being asked to contribute to a review of roads policing.
The review comes after a 10-year period in which the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads has plateaued after years of steady decline.
It is being conducted by the Department for Transport (Dft), working with the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, and will consider:
- How intelligence could be better used to target dangerous behaviours
- How technology can assist in enforcing road traffic law now and in the future and,
- How to better understand the value of enforcement in influencing road user behaviour and the current enforcement capability.
The Roads Policing Review Call for Evidence has now been published with the Federation urging members to use this opportunity to share their views and experiences.
“The cuts to policing budgets had a massive effect on the police service but roads policing was particularly hard hit and that has had a devastating impact on road safety,” says Liz Groom, chair of Cambridgeshire Police Federation.
“Earlier this year, a report from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) was critical of cutbacks in roads policing and highlighted a widespread belief that downgrading roads policing was a contributory factor in the failure to cuts the number of deaths on the road.
“Roads policing is, in my opinion, woefully under-funded and this is something that needs to be urgently addressed. I would urge all members to contribute their views to this review so that the Dft can fully understand the reality of roads policing.”
A thematic Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection has looked at how roads policing is currently delivered and is due to make recommendations for the future in its report which is due to be published soon.
The call for evidence runs until 5 October.