More Cops Needed On South Yorkshire’s Roads
More traffic officers must be hired to patrol South Yorkshire’s major highways, the county’s police Federation has said.
The number of officers working in traffic units have plummeted nationally over the past decade, with just 3,889 cops at the end of March – a drop of 22% since 2015.
Steve Kent, Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said a “lack of police presence on the roads” was among the public’s top concerns.
He said: “The amount of people killed on the roads is almost ten times the number who are murdered each year.
“It’s a massive issue for the public.”
While speed cameras act as a deterrent for most, some people who know the roads can avoid their penalties by slowing down at the right times.
Steve said the “randomness” of patrolling officers would help to catch those flouting the rules.
“I haven’t seen a motorway patrol car for the period I’ve been the Chair – that’s seven years,” he added. “It’s not acceptable.”
The impact of having a small team is having an impact on officers, who are dealing with repeated and sometimes uninterrupted incidents of trauma.
Steve continued: “There is something specifically concerning about the specific pressure traffic officers are under at the minute.
“They are going through horrendous incidents on an almost daily basis and their numbers are so small.”
The Federation has been briefing officers on the counselling available to them, with Steve saying he is “worried about the cumulative effect” of a lack of rest.