3 days Ago By Katie Hawkins
A quick disclaimer before I get started, I am not an expert on traffic enforcement. I’m certain that an examination of my work history within the police would reflect that I have very little natural ability for this aspect of police work. To be honest, I never thought I’d ever be writing about road policing, but recently folk have been coming up to me and remarking on seeing increased police activity on our local roads.
They have told me that they think “something’s up”. Allow me to explain and to do so requires a quick economics lesson, as explained to me by Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming during his recent visit to our station. It goes like this: The government collects taxes from most of us and uses it to provide various services for all of us.
One of those is road safety enforcement. In this country, the only entity providing enforcement activity on all of New Zealand’s roads is the police. Now, does the government give the police the money and tell them to get on with it? That answer is “no”.
The money intended for road safety is firstly given to the New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA), which then negotiates an agreement with police for the provision of enforcement activity on all roads. Put as simply as possible, the LTSA gives police $420 million and police use it to fund 1348 coppers, cars, fuel and donuts. .
..you were thinking it, so I said it!.
We also undertake to breath test 3.3 million drivers and keep driver speed down by writing 430,000 infringements. If police can deliver those outputs, then there is an additional $24 million coming our way.
I think it’s fair to say that police bosses not only want everyone safe on our roads, they also want that money! And that leads me neatly to why there is increased police activity locally. Last Friday and Saturday nights, police checkpoints were placed on local roads including State Highway 1. Thousands of drivers were screened for alcohol and, unfortunately, 15 of those drivers made the poorest of choices.
They will now make appearances in court after testing over the legal limit. And, the police operation on the weekend is not going to be an isolated occurrence. I can say with complete certainty that similar work will be ongoing for the remainder of this year and into next (3.
3 million breath tests is a lot). Please accept my warning, folks. In the immediate future, expect to see police breath-screening checkpoints as a matter of routine police business.
If you are stopped by police, day or night, you are getting breath-tested for alcohol. So, before you set off to your mate’s party, bottle of Matakana’s Oleanz Estate Big Cock Red in your hand, have a plan for a safe trip home. When you have a concrete plan, you are way less likely to make a terrible decision, affected by drink, on the spur of the moment.
Safe travels everyone!.
