This news just came up on my MS news feed, and I have to say that, if true, I am delighted. Equally, though, I have to say that I think Tim Rogers of the Police Federation is both wrong, and being particularly British in his stodginess.

As they are, I have always thought the Road Patrols to be borderline useless.

Very wrong and the start of privatising police in my opinion.

Why not just a different branch?

I mean, if they’re government approved with a different area of focus and a well-defined remit, then what’s the problem?

They exist all over Canada, and there has never been any confusion between the different forces.

No different to PCSO’s and the limited powers they have.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117572/pcso-powers.pdf

Why not just a different branch?

Maybe we could call it the Traffic Dept and give them white tops to their caps to differentiate them?

I see this in a number of public services such as Healthcare and the Police where jobs dumbed down and shifted to lower paid workers. I see this creep as wrong and would prefer we invest in these services and pay appropriate recruited, trained and monitored staff do the jobs.

Surely we could just give them good cameras and plain cars, let them snap pictures of people on their phones or driving badly, and the police can nick the perps?

Often wondered what they actually do for society.. just seem to drive Shoguns around at 55mph day in, day out.

Surely we could just give them good cameras and plain cars, let them snap pictures of people on their phones or driving badly, and the police can nick the perps?

Not the most efficient way of doing it. Employing spotters then having to trace drivers later. Properly fundec police traffic depts using a mix of marked and plain cars it the way to go.

The UK has been going the other direction.

The number of traffic police in England and Wales fell 23% in four years, according to official figures.

The total number dipped from 5,635 at the end of March 2010 to 4,356 by the end of March 2014, according to a government response to a parliamentary question.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31260003

I too am delighted. I’m going to apply, do a three hour course, mount my trusty steed and with a ‘hi ho silver’ ride off into the sunset nicking all and sundry. Bloody over-trained and over-paid cops, who needs ’em? Get with the program Tim Rogers.

I’d quite enjoy driving around all day getting drivers fined for facebooking at the wheel. Where do I apply?

Highways England are a “Government owned company”.

WTF is that? How is that different from being nationalised?

Is it set up in such a way it will be easy to sell to Richard Branson in a few years, once they can use the powers to fine drivers as a revenue stream?

Not the most efficient way of doing it. Employing spotters then having to trace drivers later.

You make it sound like they’d have to put a team of detectives on the case. 95% of the time all they’d have to do is input the vehicle reg into the same system they use for NIPs generated by speed or traffic light cameras.

Thankfully the Highways Agency patrols don’t exist in Scotland, nor do PCSO’s.

Often wondered what they actually do for society.. just seem to drive Shoguns around at 55mph day in, day out.

Well they do all the bits that traffic police used to deal with that you’d think “why is that the job of police officer” – like removing debris, blocking closed roads / lanes, helping motorists change wheels in safety, warning traffic about queues, helping to get roads open again after accidents etc.

As you’ve seen it is very common for them to appear to be “doing nothing” waiting for an incident to happen. IMHO if they can deal with poor driving at that time it is a good thing. However they only operate on trunk roads so it isn’t going to help vulnerable road users on quiet roads. Also, I believe that road policing units regularly come across people wanted on warrant, carrying drugs or weapons etc. I’d be concerned if this was used as a way to reduce the role of the police – and thus make life easier for criminals. I’d also guess they aren’t going to be doing any pursuit driving – so does that mean generally law abiding citizens are more likely to stop but hardened criminals will be inclined to try and evade them putting others at risk in the process?

Overall though I think if you drive past one of them at 90 or on your phone you deserve to be prosecuted. And as has been discussed here many times, the probability of detection not the size of the penalty is the important deterrent.

Okay, I have read your responses, and I still don’t get the suspicion/cynicism.

Let me use an example from Canada to illustrate why I would support increased powers for Road Patrols.

Back in 1997, I was working in Northern Saskatchewan, and had to drive in to the nearest city for groceries and (funny enough) to take my bike into the LBS. I had only just moved there from Montreal, Quebec, where approaches to speed limits were quite liberal. Consequently, I was driving like an idiot.

On a 100 km/h highway, I was doing 140, when suddenly a car coming towards me turned on his flashers, did a U-turn, and pulled me over for speeding.

One of the reasons I felt fairly free to speed is that I knew there were no RCMP detachments anywhere near me, and so did not expect a patrol car on the highway for a while yet. Except that the patrol who pulled me over wasn’t a Mountie. He was a member of the Highways Patrol, whose job it normally is to monitor HGV traffic for weight violations, to locate and protect stranded motorists, etc. Indeed, I had no idea they had arresting powers.

Turns out, they were fully-trained in policing, but with an exclusive focus on the highways. And they had always existed.

Their presence on the roads simply enhanced what the RCMP were able to cover, but also meant that roads (at least ostensibly) were safer places in many respects.

So why is that idea such a big deal here?

We have these stupid GATSO cameras up all over the place; why not humans instead? Humans who can do a lot more, help out a lot more, and use discretion when they see fit?

Well they do all the bits that traffic police used to deal with that you’d think “why is that the job of police officer” – like removing debris, blocking closed roads / lanes, helping motorists change wheels in safety, warning traffic about queues, helping to get roads open again after accidents etc.

Exactly… considering how stretched they are, I’d much prefer it if the Police were busy with more serious matters, and a dedicated team could take care of traffic enforcement (which doesn’t seem to get done at the moment). Obviously the ideal solution would be more actual Police Officers but that doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon!

If people were actually getting fined/prosecuted for shit driving/speeding/using phones/etc then I’m sure the quality of driving would improve sharpish!

Often wondered what they actually do for society.. just seem to drive Shoguns around at 55mph day in, day out.

When they are in situations when just stopping your car risks your life and getting out of the car is a matter of incredible bravery, I would say quite a lot.

A couple of years ago I was shunted on the M1 by someone too busy with her mobile phone to notice the traffic was slowing leaving my car un-driveable and stranded in carriageway with my 78 year old father and two children under 10 one hysterical and one with neck injuries. Cars and lorries were overtaking us on both sides. The highway patrol officers stopped the traffic on the inner lane, did a quick triage of us towed the car too the hard shoulder so that the motorway could be re-opened, calmed my youngest son while I looked after the other, got the details of the other driver (avoiding a fight), took witness statements and stayed on the scene till the ambulance and recovery vehicle had gone.

None of this required police powers (although it would have been nice to know the other driver had been prosecuted for using her hand held mobile when there was clear evidence and at the time she was too shaken up to deny it) but was carried out with bravery and professionalism.

It would be nice to know that they did have defined powers to avoid the slowing down of the traffic till they are close enough to see they are highway patrol and then speeding up.

Personally I can’t see a problem with it

You make it sound like they’d have to put a team of detectives on the case. 95% of the time all they’d have to do is input the vehicle reg into the same system they use for NIPs generated by speed or traffic light cameras.

Not the same thing. Stopping drivers at the time allows proof that the thing he was holding was a phone. Prosecuting mobile phone use isn’t as straightforward as speeders.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7366887.stm

Speeding is easily proved by GATSOs. Getting photographic/video footage of mobile phone use not so easy. In the absence of proof many drivers will go to court.

Traffic cops can deal with any crime they see. Seems a false economy having a separate organisation paid slightly less which duplicates traffic police but can’t carry out the same range of duties.

I’ve found them most helpful, they helped me change a tyre on the M6 hard shoulder once. Luckily they had a crow bar in their Shogun, so I could get the wheel off the Hub after removing all the bolts, it was absolutely stuck fast.

Also, nice having a 2 tonne 4WD protecting me from oncoming traffic (offside wheel).

We already have quasi Police Forces in the UK (is that the right word?). For example the Mersey Tunnel Police (who answer to the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority rather than the Home Office). We also the The Port Of Liverpool Police who answer to the DOT. I’m sure there must me others!

Well let’s all stand together and give em’ a good old clap then.

If they actually did something proactive then all the stupid accidents that happen at 7-8am on the M27 near me would be cleared by 9am, instead the motorways are closed for 3 hour minimum.

But, shouldn’t you be able to change your own flat tyre?

But, shouldn’t you be able to change your own flat tyre?

Ever tried to change one on the hard shoulder of the motorway,…..at night ….. in the cold…..with a six year old and a 5 day old baby, and the wife?

I didn’t fancy it, so called RAC ( got six months free when I bought the car)

Stood well away from the side of the road . Highway patrol came out first and were quite happy to leave us at the side of the road, until I insisted they took the wife and kids to the garage a mile down the road to wait.

I’ve failed both times I’ve tried.

On the M6 I could get the wheel nuts off etc but the wheel has seized to the hub and the Highway patrol guy used a crowbar to get it off (quite common they said, hence they all carry one with a pad so as not to dent the alloy).

Second time was at GF’s house and I could get enough torque on the spanner to undo one of the bolts even standing on it, so called out the RAC who has a super long wrench and loosened it for me…

@ rockhopper, there are loads of “non-home office” Police Forces
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/list_of_private_police_forces

Second time was at GF’s house and I could get enough torque on the spanner to undo one of the bolts even standing on it

Carry a 1m long breaker bar in the van for just such instances ( although not on the Mway thanks) 😉

instead the motorways are closed for 3 hour minimum.

Long road closures normally mean someone has died.

dmorts PCSOs do exist in scotland – but not on the streets ( much). They run custody suites act as drivers and so on – and we do have “specials” who are sort of volunteer cops with no real powers

Thought special constables (the hobby bobby) has all the powers. For some reason my brother in law is one and he’s got all the skills of a proper copper, not just a PCso.

Thankfully the Highways Agency patrols don’t exist in Scotland

We have a similar service in the Trunk Road Incident Support Service (TRISS). Why you would think this a bad thing I don’t know. They provide help and assistance to many people.

http://www.transport.gov.scot/road/trunk-road-incident-support-service-triss

@ TJ, Special Constables have the same powers as a regular officer,
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_constable

dmorts PCSOs do exist in scotland – but not on the streets ( much). They run custody suites act as drivers and so on

I knew someone would post this 🙂

Yes, PCSOs (Police Custody and Security Officers) in Scotland are completely different to the PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) in England and Wales

We have a similar service in the Trunk Road Incident Support Service (TRISS). Why you would think this a bad thing I don’t know.

The TRISS up here seem to be the right idea, but down south in England the HA Traffic Officers have just been used to substitute* Police Traffic officers. It’s really rare to see the Police actually partolling on the motorways

*Aptly demonstrated by the article that started this thread stating that they want to give them Police powers

Turns out, they were fully-trained in policing, but with an exclusive focus on the highways.

The Canadian Highway patrol might be fully trained in policing but I can’t imagine the government are planning the same here. It will be done as cheaply as possible. I anticipate a leaflet and an online training package.