POLICE drivers need better protection in law \u201cquickly and urgently\u201d, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said, after the Government \u201cneglected\u201d changes to legislation that would enable them to better do their job.<\/p>\n
Under existing legislation emergency responders who drive outside of the careful and competent driver legal standard can be jailed for dangerous driving. In addition officers could be subjected to gross misconduct proceedings.Work that had been going on with the Department of Transport and the Home Office to change this has stalled in parliament due to Brexit negotiations.<\/p>\n
Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman, said: \u201cThe Government has neglected this. It\u2019s almost like they\u2019ve shelved this while they perceive they have got bigger things to deal with. But this is literally affecting the way the police work operationally. This is about protecting peoples\u2019 livelihoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdvanced police drivers go on an eight-month training course. We say we\u2019re holding them to the same standard of driving as somebody that\u2019s passed a normal driving test. It\u2019s absolutely ludicrous. So yes, we need some protection from the law. We need it very quickly and urgently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve used the example in the capital around tactics involving moped chases, adding: \u201cOur colleagues in the Met need protection as well for their tactics around mopeds which is huge and it\u2019s vitally important they do it because again the public back us in doing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we need to have that sort of protection and it should be a matter of urgency. Yes, Brexit is going on but no one\u2019s telling me that they can\u2019t look at this as a side issue and get this sorted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Home Office has reassured police officers that they will not be prosecuted for pursuit drives, but this guarantee amounts to nothing more than \u201cwarm words\u201d and has no meaning, a legal expert told delegates at this year\u2019s Police Federation of England and Wales\u2019 Roads Policing Conference.<\/p>\n
Steve added: \u201cOur force has said it will support officers in terms of going through that process, however, our force doesn\u2019t have any control over what happens in the courts.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo warm words are not good enough; there needs to be action. I think we\u2019ve got a broad, common sense, public support behind us in that we need to do our jobs, but until this is clarified officers need to be conscious of the risks and aware of the risks, and aware that they are constantly risk assessing everything they do as they go about their business. At the moment we are in this limbo because the courts still haven\u2019t got definitive measures to be able to back us. It\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n