Policing teams on the Isle of Wight are embarking on a new coordinated initiative to keep the Island’s roads safe, as it seems 2 Roads Policing officers just isn’t enough.
Operation Mile will see Neighbourhood teams (NPT) and Response & Patrol (R&P) teams across the Island each given an individual stretch of road where there will be additional dedicated patrol activity and enforcement work.
The allocation of roads will be intelligence-led, looking at data surrounding hotspot areas for serious collisions and dangerous driving behaviours, and utilising the ever-important information provided to Police by members of the public.
Inspector Matt Gooding said:
“We know how much of a concern driving standards on the Island are to the public. Isle of Wight police receive lots of calls and reports relating to road matters, which range from our most serious ‘Fatal Four’ driving behaviours – drink and drug driving, driving without a seatbelt, driving whilst using a mobile phone, and speeding – to anti-social issues such as vehicle noise and nuisance. This is in addition to our response to collisions on our roads.
“We have recently brought on board our 2 new dedicated Roads Policing officers, who are already doing a fantastic job alongside their dual skilled armed response and roads policing (RP/ARV) colleagues to proactively take action against road users who pose a risk behind the wheel.
“It’s important for the public to understand that whilst NPT and R&P will be providing support to our roads policing priorities, this does not mean that they will be neglecting their other workloads or response to other crime types. These teams still have very important roles in working alongside our communities to address crime trends, and also to respond to emergency calls. That will not change and will not be impacted by this new initiative.
If you have video evidence of a road incident, you can submit this to Police via Hants Snap here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/police-forces/hampshire-constabulary/areas/hants-snap/hantsnap/hants-snap—report-an-incident/.
Lewis Campbell, Road Safety Officer for Isle of Wight Council, has said:
“Having additional officers involved with important Roads Policing activity means a wider coverage of traffic-related enforcement activity across the Island. Not only does this act as a deterrent, the initiative brings a renewed awareness for road users that poor driving standards can have serious consequences for themselves and their communities.
“We’re grateful for our police colleagues efforts and welcome the additional enforcement which, alongside our awareness campaigns such as Project Pictogram, helps to save lives.
As modern digital cameras are so clear, with video and still shots perfect, and with the cheap price of them and the small size, surely by now the Police could hide dozens of these on various roads, moving them easily and catching and fining thousands of speeding cars and dangerous driving’
Pointless having highly paid officers doing something hi-tech can do and, if hidden, then instead of ‘motorists’ flashing a warning to every oncoming car warning of such, the ‘hit rate’ would be 100 fold what it is now, making our roads safer, and the fines greater to actually ‘pay’ for such.
Get on with doing it then YOU can catch other low life which ever street now contains.
Your talking HIDDEN cameras, i guarantee with a good solicitor on your side you would have a great case for entrapment.
Let our police do the job and with enough of them the job will get done.
Aware of that, so the law needs changing, as the days of mostly decent, British people are long gone.
If you have nothing to hide then hidden, or hi-vis would not be an issue.
Don’t get me wrong, I would be caught out every day, but IF I knew hidden camera’s were a possibility then I would likely after a few hundred in fines drive with an eye on the speedo, not on the known rare Police speed traps areas.
You know these cameras also have to accurately measure the speed of the vehicles, yes?
And be able to prove the measured speed is accurate.
Remember. The offence has to be provable in court to the UKs “beyond reasonable doubt” requirement. If there is any loophole for a skillful solicitor to exploit, they will do so.
This cannot be achieved by hiding a bunch of GoPros in the undergrowth.
The Island is full of bad drivers for a large amount of differing reasons, the police like the public know that, it is only by the public commenting in general that things will change. For to long it has been far far to easy to get away with it, with the belief (correctly) that you can get away with it! That is about to start changing and none to soon.
The sooner this situation is dealt with the better, the belief you will get caught the better, a punitive fine and a couple of extra points is not enough, and when driving whilst disqualified crush the car in front of them, as many times as it takes.
Dont crush the car sell it at auction for charity
Come to Ryde Esplanade between the pier and the canoe lake, every day young idiots speeding, tailgating and the boy racers with extra loud exhausts which if they have modified and not told their insurance company could invalidate their policies.
All around the Island speed is an issue.
Shanklin Esplanade, Military road, Great Preston Road to name a few.
Zero Law and Order on Island Roads.
20 is plenty.
Traffic calming, ANPR etc is required.
When the C40 or 15 minute cities arrive on the Island.
that will put an End to Speeding Motorists
See what is happening in Oxford and Canterbury.
Really positive approach from the force….unfortunately you only have to watch the seniors stagger out of the town club ryde pie eyed on a sunday and swerving up the road….not gona be there tho
If you read the post, it states the Police rely and act largely on what information is given to them by the public. Have you reported this problem via 101? It’s no good moaning on here, island echo can’t deal with this issue and catch these idiots!!!
Good news, though they’ll ‘have their work cut out’
A waste of taxpayer’s money, I spend 10 hours a day on the islands roads driving from one end to the other, most vehicles that are 5-10 mph over the speed limits, are working, probably are having to rush after being held up by dangerous drivers who are the slowest and are normaly the cause of accidents /poor road sense/confused? Should=3points or by the poor traffic management=fine or is there a prankster with a van full of road closed and diversion signs. The money would be better spent on better planning and development? Or a Nhs dentist /ambulance/doctor/cost/benefits/pros new/ young / workers/ trainees/ next & now workers, are the only people the 2 extra police will be policing, and tourists, why? Wot benefits this island???
Just 2 dedicated Road Policing Officers were never going to be enough. Way too many drivers who can’t drive safely and think speeding is ok. Finally this problem is being addressed. Cars with loud exhausts need to be pulled and ordered to quieten them down, some are just so loud it’s ridiculous!
hopefully that would include the brain dead cretins who have altered their engines / exhausts to backfire, sad thing is they think they are very clever but if they have not informed their insurers that they have modified the car they will find the insurers will void their cover.
Pop & Bang map I think you are referring to.
Bloody ridiculous. Must be a moron if they think it sounds good!
Operation Mile, in theory introduced to enforce driving standards? Seems ironic given it was introduced the day a police car crashed into a taxi. Sounds like the Police need to work on their own people first?
The biggest problem is ONE main police station… NEWPORT… there used to be one in every town.. 9 police people to cover and protect over 140,000 people… great odds !! And how many cars are there on this Island ? 80,000, legally ? Maybe.. so that would work out nearly 10,000 vehicles per policeperson.. great odds of not being caught !!
Portsmouth population just over 208 thousand people… Isle of Wight, just over 140 thousand people… Portsmouth Police force 259 !! Isle of Wight…. 9 ? or is it 11 now ?…. good odds eh ??
Need to bring back Isle of Wight Constabulary… have police people that actu
ally live here all the time, and work here all the time. Imported Police from mainland are not really clued up to the people that live here, all the time. When each town had their own police station, the ‘ bobbies’ knew near everyone.. plus they were out walking a beat… not like now, maybe see a police car once every few days.. that is actually out doing other than shopping… Plenty of police cars parked up in various places, like Ryde police station, Newport Police station… BUT not often does one see any walking police…do you know your local police person ?
I would like to see more illegal number plates taken off vehicles.I’m sure owners take them off for MOT and then replace them after a pass.