Bobbies board buses to catch texting drivers
A POLICE force that has been struggling to tackle burglaries and robberies is getting officers to travel on a doubledecker bus in order to catch motorists using their mobile phones.
Earlier this month stiffer penalties were introduced for those who use their phones while driving, with fines doubling to £200 and offenders facing six penalty points.
While most forces have relied on road patrols to spot those breaking the law, Devon and Cornwall police commandeered a double decker bus from a local transport company in order to help enforce the rules of the road.
The bus gives eagle-eyed officers the perfect vantage point for peering into cars and seeing drivers who are texting or chatting while at the wheel.
They were also able to easily spot motorists who were committing other offences such as driving while not wearing a seatbelt.
Once an officer spotted an offending motorist they then radioed colleagues who were standing by in patrol cars and unmarked vehicles to pull them over.
Over one weekend the operation resulted in 39 motorists being caught using a mobile phone and 36 not wearing a seatbelt.
PC Andy Llewellyn of Devon and Cornwall Police said: “The doubledecker bus is great to catch people looking down on their laps using phones.” But critics have questioned whether the scheme is a sensible use of resources, at a time when burglaries and robberies have risen in the region and the force has been accused of allowing morale among officers to decline.
Last month, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constables criticised Devon and Cornwall Police for failing to record major crimes properly under an “inadequate” system.
At the same time, the “poster girl” for the force, Laura Beal, quit and made her damning resignation letter public on Facebook. Ms Beal, whose face appeared on police posters and on the cover of the force’s annual report, said she had been left suffering from anxiety, depression and stress.
According to figures published by Devon and Cornwall Police for the 12 months to February 2017, home burglaries for the area were up 15 per cent year on year, and robbery up 12.1 per cent.