Police and traffic police

[heart-of-wessex]

Hello all,

I cannot find any info online, if anyone works for the police force, or knows someone that does, you'll probably be able to answer this.

Is there such thing as Police and Traffic Police (or cops or traffic cops). I was under the impression that theres the normal police division for crime etc, and another division solely for traffic like checking vehicles, speed camera's etc.

Do they do either job, or is it all done by the police doing traffic and other stuff?

 

[jon0844]

I believe that for some time, traffic police have been increasingly expected to work away from traffic duties.

It's ridiculously rare to see traffic cars these days. Sure there may be more unmarked cars, but marked ones must deter people.

Given the problem now with people texting and social networking at the wheel, I suspect they really are rarely out and about doing traffic duties.

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[AlterEgo]

Traffic officers are, in most forces, a "different species". They have white tops to their peaked hats. They don't drive "Traffic Police" cars but instead drive "ANPR interceptors", don't they?

 

[ComUtoR]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highways_England_Traffic_Officer_Service

The Highways England Traffic Officer Service (TOS) is an operational unit within the Highways England in England.

In April 2004, Highways Agency Traffic Officers (HATOs) began working alongside police on motorways in the West Midlands.[1] The roll out of traffic officers was completed on 18 July 2006 and they now cover all of the motorway network within England, i.e. that which is owned or managed by the Highways England[clarification needed], and some of the all-purpose trunk road (APTR) network. They work alongside the police in England to reduce congestion caused by incidents. Overall it was estimated to cost the UK economy £3 billion a year with the closure of one lane estimated at up to £400,000 an hour[citation needed]. The introduction of the officers was aimed to reduce the 25% of delays caused by collisions by around 5%.[1] A similar service exists in Wales, staffed by Welsh Government Traffic Officers.

On April 1, 2015 the Highways Agency became Highways England, a government-owned company. Summer 2016 sees The National Infrastructure Constabulary being decided on by Parliament. It is expected that Highways England Traffic Officers' will be combined with British Transport Police, Port Police and the Nuclear Police and therefore have an extended remit and powers.

Where I am we have these guys/gals driving up and down. I see them almost daily on my stretch of motorway.

 

[DarloRich]

The Highways Agency chaps direct traffic, move broken cars, put the cones out and try to keep things moving allowing the police to focus on thier main job. They have no powers of detention or search, they cant issue fixed penalties or report for summons for any motoring offence. Not the same as a policeman!

Some police forces have abandoned thier separate road policing units while some have merged to create larger joint units ( cf: Central Motorway Police Group/North West Motorway Police Group). The remit for the remaining "traffic cop" units has expanded away from sole focus on motorways to trunk routes and dealing with traffic events in towns.

 

[Busaholic]

I believe you can still catch 'Motorway Cops' on YouTube and it focuses on different police force areas, but certainly West Midlands and North Yorkshire were featured in later episodes, often working well away from motorways too, but most definitely 'Traffic Police' with distinctive caps. Devon and Cornwall used to have loads, but I think they were done away with some years ago. I do know that about twenty years ago when I had a lot of windows broken in my shop at the same time and two brave locals held the culprit a traffic car was first responder and arrested the man.

 

[CatfordCat]

Not a current / former police person here, although have had varying contact in past jobs.

As has been said above, the highways agency 'traffic officers' are not police officers - although they do have some legal powers in terms of directing traffic

(where traffic wardens are employed by police forces - or where they were - they had some legal powers in directing traffic which council / council contractor parking staff don't have)

Traffic police are police officers, and have the same powers of arrest and so on as any other police officer - there are several specialisms within the police, e.g. dog handlers, mounted police, public order, criminal detection (and various specialised bits within that, e.g. fraud), traffic, and so on.