Dated: 19 Nov 2020
POLICY TITLE: Roads Policing
OWNING DIRECTORATE: Local Policing and Operations
AUTHOR: Chief Inspector, Tactical Operations
CONTACT DETAILS: 101
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT: Complete
AUTHORISED PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (APP) NATIONAL GUIDANCE: AVAILABLE
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AIM OF POLICY: To make safer roads by working in partnership to create an approach which focuses on the reduction of harm to all road users and prevents criminality on the roads network. By applying an intelligence led roads policing presence combined with professionally judged enforcement, education and preventative engineering, Northumbria Police aims to create a positive influence over driver behaviour and achieve the strategic goals of safer roads and increased public confidence.
BENEFIT OF POLICY: Roads policing impacts on all critical areas of police business and a visible roads policing presence will lead to increased safety and greater public confidence.
REASON FOR POLICY: To address roads policing issues and to support and achieve the aims of the current National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC)/ Home Office and Department for Transport Road Policing Strategies.
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Northumbria Police will adopt the principles of the NPCC Roads Policing Strategy (2018 – 2021) 'Policing Our Roads Together'. This will be done via the five key strands:
- Safe Roads
- Safe Speeds
- Safe Vehicles
- Safe Road Users
- Post-Crash Response
The priorities for roads policing in Northumbria Police are:
1. Reducing Road Casualties
- Reduce casualties by using professionally judged enforcement and education to influence driver behaviour thereby creating a culture of habitual compliance amongst road users.
- Identify and engage with high risk groups who are over represented in road collisions and positively influence their behaviour e.g. young pedestrians, motorcyclists and young drivers.
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Conduct thorough investigations into fatal and serious road traffic collisions (RTC), identifying causes and taking appropriate action.
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Identify collision hot spots and work in partnership with other agencies to reduce risk through information exchange and collaboration.
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Develop and contribute to casualty reduction initiatives relevant to local needs.
- Ensure the effective investigation of collisions where there is death or serious injury.
2. Disrupting Criminality
- Provide a visible police presence on the roads network to reduce the fear of crime and provide reassurance to the law abiding public.
- Pro-actively focus enforcement activity to identify and disrupt criminal activity on the roads network through adherence to principles of the National Intelligence Model.
- Utilise information sharing to promote joint enforcement activity with partners to provide cost effectiveness.
- Use technology to identify and intercept known offenders using the road network in support of the policing plan.
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Pro-actively target Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) to gather intelligence and disrupt criminal activity linked to OCGs.
3. Combating Anti-Social Road Use
- Northumbria Police will target behaviour likely to cause collisions or that is anti-social to other road users.
- Partnership activity will be utilised to provide solutions or alternative activities and locations to replace anti-social vehicle use.
- Minority groups with potential to engage in anti-social vehicle use will be identified and positively influenced.
- Where necessary, the anti-social use of vehicles by drivers will be enforced robustly utilising all legalisation available.
4. Countering Terrorism
- Northumbria Police will make best use of investigative and intelligence technology to deter, disrupt and arrest those engaging in terrorist activity on the road network.
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Through identifying vulnerability and those involved in criminality, Northumbria Police will effectively contribute to the PREVENT strand of the counter-terrorism strategy.
5. Increasing Public Confidence and Reassurance
- Public confidence will be increased by providing intelligence led high profile patrols on the road network.
- Northumbria Police will increase reassurance by targeting those using the road network for criminal purposes.
- Northumbria Police will work with partners to address issues identified by the public in relation to the road network.
- Northumbria Police will use the media and all other means to promote the work carried out by the Force and its partners to make the road network safe to increase confidence and reassurance.
6. Identify and Address Vulnerability
- Through proactive and intrusive policing, Northumbria Police will identify vulnerability in its various forms; where it is identified, Northumbria Police will take action to protect vulnerable persons from harm.
- Northumbria Police will take action to prevent the trafficking of vulnerable persons utilising the road network.
- Northumbria Police will work with partners to ensure adequate support is provided for vulnerable people encountered.
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SOURCE DOCUMENT: N/A
GROUPS AFFECTED: All Police Officers
ACCESS AND DISCLOSURE RESTRICTIONS: None
