A VETERAN police officer has broken ranks to say a tough new speed policy will turn people against the force.
Sergeant Phil Wild, who has been with Victoria Police for 42 years, said the push to book people for low-level speeding offences was a bad move.
“The consequences of this flawed and unfair policy will be felt by the mostly law-abiding members of the motoring public, the mums and dads who are struggling to make ends meet,” he said.
“My junior members, the constables and senior constables at the front line of policing will also suffer when the respect and confidence of the public dries up.”
He said there was near-unanimous community opposition to the policy and he could not argue with widespread opinion that it was about revenue raising.
Sgt Wild said vehicle speedometers were not calibrated to be 100 per cent accurate and a driver drifting over the limit by a few kilometres an hour did not represent a significant safety threat.
“Policing in this way would have the effect of turning the public away from the police and the ramifications of that would be horrendous for all,” he said.
“I took an oath to serve the people of Victoria. Nowhere in that oath did it say that I had the right to persecute the public or to encourage my junior members to do so.”
Sgt Wild said he accepted that he ran the risk of “consequences” for going public.
Victoria Police recently announced officers had been instructed to start fining more motorists for low-level speeding offences.
Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said at the time that 15 deaths and 300 injuries could be prevented each year if drivers cut their average speed by 1km/h.
Mr Hill wanted to make low-level speeding as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.
“Research indicates that 20 per cent of our fatalities involve low level speeding,” he said.
He said police officers had discretion about when to apply the law but denied they had been instructed to fine drivers going 1 or 2km/h over the limit.
“A commonsense approach has always been encouraged,” he said.
“While we are disappointed at the comments made by the serving police officer, Victoria Police is committed to improving the safety of our roads for all members of the community.”
