Top Cop's U-turn On Gatsos

The growth in speed cameras has to be halted before lasting damage is done to the police's reputation - that's the amazing call from the top cop who was responsible for putting Gatsos on our roads.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Richard Yarrow

04th February 2004

Peter Joslin, retired chief constable of Warwickshire, said traffic officers shouldn't get a reputation for only nicking drivers. He said: "Having been responsible for persuading Government we should introduce speed cameras, I now feel it's gone too far. If the public is so upset - and there's no doubt it is - perhaps it's time to take a fresh look. Policing is about balancing priorities and keeping the public on your side."

Joslin's involvement with speed cameras began in the late Eighties, as chairman of the traffic committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers. He campaigned for them, but insisted: "I was always conscious that it shouldn't become a fund-raising exercise, as opposed to a law and order one."

The roadside devices had an impact on his family, though, as all three of his children have been caught on film. "That's amazing to me, as I know how they drive. None of them has had any accidents and they are good behind the wheel," he explained. One son has been caught twice and now has six points on his licence.

Joslin also feels strongly about speed limits - particularly variable ones. He said there was no point in enforcing a 20mph zone that's outside a school at weekends, or when it's not term time. He also said that 75mph on motorways in good conditions could be too slow.

One of the main aims of the Auto Express 'Cameras Action' campaign - run at the end of last year in conjunction with the News of the World - is supported by Joslin. Like us, he wants more traffic officers on the roads. "They are the force's eyes and ears. If there are more of them on the streets, there is a better chance of hardened criminals getting arrested," he said.