EXCLUSIVE: Claims have been made that the Isle of Wight is set to lose its Roads Policing Unit, with vehicles already disappearing from the Island, Island Echo can exclusively reveal.
Rumours have been circulating that the Isle of Wight’s specialist unit, which deals with road traffic collisions, road crime and road safety, is to be disbanded with firearm officers taking up the slack.
Despite assurances from Hampshire Constabulary that they are committed to road safety, Island Echo can confirm that traffic officers are set to return to normal constable roles with firearm officers being given two-week training in general RPU duties.
An unmarked Police car, used as a tactical tool to catch unsuspecting motorists, has already been taken away from the Shanklin-based unit. The Skoda Octavia, which has only recently returned to the Island after being repaired following a crash, returned to the mainland on Saturday evening on the 18:00 boat from Fishbourne.
Recently the Island’s RPU also lost its Sergeant, a position that has not been filled following the departure of Sgt Dave Sanderson.
In a statement issued last week, Superintendent Lucy Hutson said:
“We can assure all residents of the Island that Hampshire Constabulary remains absolutely committed to road safety.
“There is work underway to look at how the resilience of specialist policing functions, including firearms and roads policing can be further improved on the Island to ensure the best possible service to residents and visitors.
Article continues below this advertisement “Within this work, we remain committed to providing specialist roads policing skills and expertise on the Island”.
The news has been branded as ‘disgusting’, with fears that firearms officers don’t have the experience necessary to carry out the role of the current dedicated team.
It’s currently unclear as to the extent of the cuts and as to whether or not the remaining vehicles – 2 cars and 2 motorbikes – will be taken away from the Island’s roads or transferred to firearms officers.
Two BMW X5s (featured photograph) are understood to be the oldest in the Hampshire fleet, indicating that the disbanding of the unit has been on the cards for sometime.
