Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright has raised the possibility of using discreet speed cameras mounted on lamp posts as part of a “purge” aimed at targeting speeding drivers.

Mr Bright was speaking at Cambridge’s East Area Committee on the 29th of October 2015. Councillors were told that the stealth speed-cameras under consideration could be quickly moved from place to place.

If Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner introduces the stealth speed cameras on lamp posts he will be going rogue and contravening Department for Transport guidance which states a high-visibility approach should be taken to speed cameras which should be “publicised, signed and visible to roadusers”. The guidance states:

Fixed speed camera housings located within an area of street or highway lighting should be coloured yellow either by painting both the front and back of the housing or covering both the front and back of the housing with retro-reflective sheeting. In an area not covered by street or highway lighting, the speed camera housing should be treated with yellow retro-reflective sheeting.
…
speed camera housings (including tripod-mounted cameras) or the camera operator or the mobile enforcement vehicle should be clearly visible from the driver’s viewpoint

My View

I agree with the Department for Transport guidance. I think stealth speed cameras are unfair and their use risks damaging public confidence in policing. The core principle of policing by consent is put under threat by underhand policing.

I think we need clearly posted speed limits, and those limits ought reflect the road environment. Where cameras are used the aim ought to be to reduce speeds and reduce injuries and deaths – that aim is furthered by having visible cameras and signage indicating cameras are present.

The use of stealth cameras hidden on lamp-posts will result in complaints about the use of speed cameras to generate income for the police rather than to make roads safer.

We need to tackle dangerous driving, and particularly the use of hand-held phones by drivers. Having our country patrolled by fully empowered PCs who can deal with traffic offences, rather than by PCSOs who cannot, would be one way this could be addressed.

The primary aim of any policy on speed camera visibility should be to reduce deaths and injuries. I also want to live in a liberal and fair society; we shouldn’t punish people for things which are technically offences, but which do no harm. Policing of speeding, as with policing in any other area, needs to be proportionate.

There are times and places where average speed cameras make sense for example motorway roadworks where people are working on or near the road and the the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon when it is operating dangerously over-capacity. I support well signed, highly visible speed cameras at accident black-spots.

Others’ Views

The UKIP Candidate for Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Nick Clarke, has tweeted:

.@RTaylorUK @eddiemurphy4pcc It is important to strengthen the relationship between public and police. Stealth cameras will create wedge

— Nick Clarke (@nickclarkecambs) October 29, 2015

Some commenting agreed:

@RTaylorUK @eddiemurphy4pcc @nickclarkecambs not that we break the law but as a delivery business we strongly oppose stealth speed cameras.

— Cambridge Fruit Co (@CambsFruitCo) October 29, 2015

others disagreed:

@Puffles2010 @RTaylorUK @nickclarkecambs brightly coloured cameras say "it's fine, speed everywhere else"

— Al Storer (@Al__S) October 29, 2015

.@RTaylorUK The speed *limits* should be very obvious and well signed. The cameras are better hidden.

— Tim Ward (@TimWardCam) October 29, 2015

Transcript of Police and Crime Commissioner Graham Bright’s Comments

Nowadays you can have a speed camera which you can actually put on a lamp-post and they will work in the same way so you can move them around quite quickly. I’m quite keen that we try to do that.

So that when we find hot-spots, and there are hot-spots everywhere actually, to get the police to start issuing some tickets to people because there’s nothing like having a purge and the news getting round that you know don’t chance your luck because you’re going to get a ticket for it.

But also the discreet use of cameras. And I say I can’t tell you exactly where we are on this but we had a conversation about portable cameras that can be sort of put in a place for perhaps a week or whatever and really start dealing with a problem areas. So we’re onto it.

Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner is often rambling and imprecise but I think I have fairly interpreted his words.

See Also

• Speed cameras hidden in tractors criticised – Article on Humberside Police from September 2015