7 years after the Isle of Wight’s dedicated Roads Policing Unit was scrapped, it’s back, with PC Michael Alchin and PC Andrew Ball tasked with cracking down on dodgy drivers and educating motorists.
As well as looking to identify and stop those driving whilst impaired and speeding across the Island’s roads, PCs Alchin and Ball will be working to educate drivers – including the elderly.
Speaking to Island Echo earlier today, PC Ball said:
“The Roads Policing Unit isn’t just about tickets and enforcement, it’s about education as well. Part of our role is going to be making sure we are working with our partners, including Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue and the Isle of Wight Council’s Roads Safety Partnership, to ensure there is education out there.
“In our arsenal of disposals are driver awareness courses for speeding, mobile phones and seatbelts, as well as for those drivers who are not quite up to the standard they used to be, perhaps due to eyesight or frailty. We’ve got the ability to educate them through awareness courses rather than just ticket enforcement”.
Addressing concerns that 2 officers cannot Police the Island the same as the former 9-strong RPU team, PC Ball said:
“The plan is for us to justify our position and that there is a requirement for an RPU on the Isle of Wight. If we can do this, by showing how many people are committing offences and reducing road deaths, then from what I understand the idea – if there is the funding – is to grow the department over the next couple of years to work towards what we had pre-austerity measures”.
“The first thing we swear to as Police officers is to save life and limb, so if we can have an effect on reducing road deaths on the Isle of Wight then that will be a positive for us both and the whole Island”.
When asked what the duo’s priorities will be, PC Alchin said:
“Statistics show that Fatal Four offences – speeding, drink and drug driving, driving while distracted and non-wearing of seat-belts, as well as mobile phones – cause a lot of serious and fatal road traffic collisions, so this will of course be a priority for us”.
The new RPU team will continue to work alongside Armed Response, who will continue their dual role. Both teams are based out of Newport.
It was in 2015 that Island Echo exclusively revealed that the-then Shanklin-based Roads Policing Unit was to be shelved – something that took several months to be confirmed. Then, in 2017, the last 2 RPU officers were lost from the Island’s Joint Operations team.
In recent months the lack of an Island-based team and a second-class service for Islanders has come under fire, with Bob Seely MP, Council Leader Lora Peacey-Wilcox and HM Coroner Caroline Sumeray all campaigning for the return of a Roads Policing Unit. Island Echo ran a letter from a former traffic cop who backed the campaign.
It was in February of this year that Hampshire Constabulary confirmed the Isle of Wight would once again benefit from an enhanced roads policing service thanks to the re-introduction of a dedicated team, despite the Force saying 2 weeks beforehand that there were no plans for a return.
Speaking previously, Bob Seely MP welcomed the news by saying:
“Road traffic incidents can have long-lasting and devastating consequences for families. These additional officers will focus on making our roads safer.
“I am grateful to Police & Crime Commissioner Donna Jones for listening to the concerns of Island residents and allocating more resource to the Island to tackle these issues.”
Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has said:
“When I was elected, Island residents told me they had concerns about road safety and bad driving. They told me it was a big worry for them, their family, their communities, and they felt it wasn’t being taken seriously, with no specialist police team to target motorists who were putting other people’s lives in danger.
“As Commissioner, I listened to these concerns and worked with the Constabulary to bring back this dedicated unit. Since being elected in May 2021, I have been committed to recruiting additional officers so that I can get the right resources in the right places.
“I am delighted to see the Roads Policing Unit on the Island finally in action and I look forward to seeing more and more proactive roads policing operations like Operation Wightwash to make the Island’s roads safer.”
Hello
And about time
Surely you mean hello hello hello, what’s going on ere then.
The fella on the right needs a darn good shave!
Gone are the days when our police force were clean-shaven, in proper uniform and wore a hat to complete their professional appearance AND confirm their warranted identity. Too little too late re THIS apparent excercise to try and reassure the public.
Great news. Now let’s get those illegal vehicles and drivers busted.
Is that all we are getting? Shameful. Also shameful is Island Echo again mentioning elderly drivers. All drivers committing traffic offences should be targeted. One car is going to be pretty stretched, especially in the summer months. Perhaps some more cop cars will be along soon
Lol. Stupid Comment. Read the damned article. It’s all we get ‘for now’. And your comment about the elderly is wrong. They make up a significant number of issues, and cause more accidents than people realise.
Stupid reply. Thats all we get for now usually means that all you get. I’ve heard it all before. In this case i realy hope I’m wrong. The comment about elderly drivers was a criticism about the reports, they always seem to mention the drivers’ age, usually old or elderly, whatever the circumstances. It would make a nice change to report some young nipper finishing up in a hedge again. You have taken my comment out of context. and significant doesn’t always mean the majority. View the stats.
27% of accidents involve over 60’s, not necessarily caused by them but involved.
Put them all down, save on pensions
Should be fatal 5 ELDERLY
In which case you have to include fatal 6 YOUNG
No worries giving up a licence, just do what the youngsters do, drive without one – or insurance.
Proven problem I’ve seen it first hand and yes, I’m ‘elderly’. drivers incapable of travelling at a reasonable speed. Incapable of reversing, pressing the accelerator instead of the brake…They can be a menace…
Watching drivers try to reverse into a parking place is my entertainment every day. Then to watch them struggle to drive off again… Do they not teach people how to reverse on a driving test / licence. ?
Also those that have no idea how wide their vehicle is… many slam on brakes when another vehicle approaching even though both are on left of the centre line… how many road users know the width of a standard road, from the edge to centre line ? Then measure the width of your vehicle… !!
You ageist cretins make me laugh, don’t you know you will be elderly unless you do the planet a favour and pop off early.
At last, but it’s only a start in the right direction, they will have their hands full that’s for certain.
Let’s hope and believe they will not be continually pulled away to other duties, due to lack of resources/manpower.
This Island has become a traffic nightmare and too many are repeated offenders, be it drugs/alcohol boy racers or just poor driving. It has to stop!
Let’s hope those caught for serious offences are jailed by the courts as if not all the Police work and time will do little to prevent the innocent from being maimed or killed
A step in the right direction anyway, as long as they ignore any minor indiscretions by moi
How about drafting in some robber stoppers, that would be very beneficial…
Let’s hope they’ll be able to pull some night shifts. Don’t think towns should be racetracks.
Is that it then, two men and a car, might as well not bother.
Two men and a car better than we had
I’ve come to the conclusion some people will just moan about anything.
Might be a good idea to target idiots who park on pavements.
Fine them heavily and use the money for a good cause.
It will be good if their car is ANPR equipped. Hampshire police refuse to confirm if any of the Island’s police cars are ANPR equipped.
They do have ANPR on some cars.
Wow ! Over 100,000 cars on the Island and only one police car and two officers….
So the police are finally going to be doing some real policing beware do not park on double yellow lines
Fantastic news! These 2 officers have a ‘gigantuan’ task of their hands. So many speeders and bad drivers on this island. What so many fail to understand, if they were to slow their speed down a bit, it gives you time to see what’s going on around you and sometimes you can anticipate other road users bad driving and avoid he having an accident. Good luck lads!
The point is that we as an Island have lost a lot of Police support and presence since having a joint operations team, run mainly by Hampshire. These two will at least be based on the Island and they are going to have a very busy time reading the press lately.
Oh everyone thinks they are an expert don’t they well come your day. Keep your mouth shut about elderly drivers because guess what …yes, you’re going to be next elderly driver…or will you hand in your license, NOT. While I’m on here you irresponsible big headed know it all’s stop bigging up your piles of >>> drinking and driving smoking weed then driving and putting your foot to the floor at every possible opportunity thinking you a big flash person your nothing but a tw@T.
Useless lip service so that the fat woman can massively increase the police precept next year by telling us all how great she was in getting us a roads policing unit. The coppers were already working here in the armed response unit, they are not “new”. We have been given nothing and are being lied to as usual.
He would make a good pirate in a pantomime arrrr.