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Operation Push leaflet (Northants Police).jpgNorthamptonshire Police under fire for ‘educational’ leaflet aimed at cyclists
Northamptonshire Police has come in for criticism for Operation Push, an initiative where leaflets will be placed on bikes “to highlight basic rules of the road and consequences.” The leaflets inform cyclists they could face a £50 fine for a series of offences, several of which have been questioned.
The force says that PCSOs in St James, Northampton, will be attaching the leaflets to bikes.
PCSO Andy Emberton said: “Our aim is to inform the riders of their responsibilities when riding their cycles. This action forms part of our education process and is intended to inform riders of some common offences.”
Cyclists in St James to be educated on safe riding https://t.co/HhraKqz0Ef pic.twitter.com/zqslms0Vmi
— Northants Police (@NorthantsPolice) March 24, 2017
The leaflet has been translated into four languages on the reverse side.
“If a leaflet has been attached to your pedal cycle, don’t assume that you have done anything wrong but please take time to read it and note its content,” said Emberton.
“We recognise that cycling is a healthy pursuit but riders must realise that they have a responsibility to obey the rules of the road. Further cycling operations will be carried in the St James and Spencer areas throughout the coming weeks.”
Cyclists were quick to point out that if it were an offence to carry more than one person on a pedal cycle, that would be bad news for anyone who owned a tandem, such as Alexander Dutton and his wife who were recently told by the force that ‘cycling isn’t a priority’ after they were forced off the road by a bus.
@ChrisC_CFC @BCCletts can @NorthantsPolice advise how clean lights need to be?
— Real Gaz of Trumpton (@gazza_d) March 24, 2017
It was also pointed out that while cycling on the footway is an offence under section 72 of the Highways Act, Home Office guidance is that police officers should use their discretion.
West Midlands Police, the originators of the pioneering close pass initiative that is now being rolled out by several other forces, were unimpressed with the measure.
@beztweets @pedalparity As we police the real "causes of harm" to our communities rather than the vexations of the few, we won't be printing
— CMPG - Road Policing (@Trafficwmp) March 24, 2017
The operation was also promoted by local councillor Rufia Ashraf, who went further and emphasised the enforcement aspect over the educational one.
PCSO Emberton is getting ready to enforce powers on cyclist who offend. You could face £50 if caught. @NorthantsPolice @Npton_Labour pic.twitter.com/xj1kIPBqjB
— Rufia Ashraf (@rufiaashraf) March 24, 2017
Last month, Hampshire Police were forced to apologise for a leaflet sent out by one of its neighbourhood policing teams as it featured an inaccurate list of ‘endorsable’ cycling offences, including “cycle helmets used correctly.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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39 comments
Also, how is it about morons on bikes? Those who obey the highway code and law don't need this illiterate littering on their precious bike, those who don't will pay no attention!
How come there haven't been leaflets left on car windscreens telling them not to jump red lights, use mobile phones, close pass cyclists etc.
"You have been stopped because it's an offence to:
or fail to stop when directed to by a traffic warden..."
Leaving aside the dodgy grammar, you've been stopped because you didn't stop?
...on an already stationary bike...
Where's the tickbox for:
Illegally parked in a cycle lane.
Anyway, thanks, i hadn't thought as far as searching to purchase this kind of thing.
yplac.com is great, highlights one simple reason why so many drivers shouldn't have a licence.
This is very nicely timed I must admit.
I've been in touch with Northamptonshire Police over the last couple of months, over the close pass initiative that West Midlands Police have instigated asking when is Northamptonshire Police looking to implement such a strategy. The latest reply I got was this week telling me that close passes are not an issue in Northamptonshire and the data they have backs this up. However, a previous conversation reveals that they do not have data on close passes in the county.
So since they have no data, it isn't a problem in Northamptonshire and as such, they cannot afford the resources to instigate the close pass initiative, for something that does not exist.
I've also wrote to the local council and the UCI Women's Tour of Britian suggesting that they should make it mandoratory that a county hosting such an event, actually goes someway towards making the roads safer for cyclists. Especially when the number one reason for women not cycling from my experience, is that they feel vulnerable due to close passes.
You simply cannot make this up!
Maybe it's time to start collecting actual evidence of the dangers on Northants roads and challenge their false claims, either directly or through Cycling UK's campaign.
Aside from the numerous passes within 1.5m it's the few, though thankfully rare, genuinely deliberate and life threatening passes on the county roads that have led me to fit Cycliq cameras front and rear.
Whilst I would still report an incident direct to the Northamptonshire Police creating that body of evidence could have greater authority, with the support of Cycling UK and other police forces, in challenging their claims that there is no issue in the county.
Could open a whole new form of policing. Not only attaching leaflets to cars warning motorists not to commit all the offences they are clearly itching to commit, but why not attach them to passing pedestrians as well?
And of course, stick them on the doors of houses and business (especially banks!) sternly warning them off of all the criminal acts we all know those inside are busy plotting.
Then there are the churches, the mosques, council offices, and of course the police stations...
I'm sure such a leaflet campaign would be well-received by all parties.
As I learned a couple of years back - most Police dont give two f***s about cyclists. Even when something really bad has been caught on camera. There is this cognitive dissonance, they are trying to appease ranters and bigots in the hope it stems their cuts. It wont and it hasnt. And all this wastes money and time that could actually be used to deal with offences that have actually happened.
Why indiscriminately put these on bikes where the riders have committed no offence? The note clearly says you have been stopped for an offence, when that is bollocks. Are they just trying to get rid of old paperwork?
Also, the bike on the notice has no brakes or pedals. It could be argued that it isn't a bike.
Your first response was about right, I was just wondering what took you so long. I thank you.
Thank you for that Jharrison5, are there any proper traffic wardens left?
I myself, am waiting with great anticipation SuperPython59's response to this.
Shame that I can't buy that new pair of Church's shoes made in Northampton as the council and police clearly don't want me to cycle there.
I'm happy to be corrected but I think some of you are confusing traffic wardens with parking attendants. I believe that traffic wardens have rather greater legal powers.
Maybe, but I thought they'd got rid of all the "proper" traffic wardens and replaced them with the cheaper ones who have no powers. Like getting rid of the police and replacing them with PCSOs.
It seems that we are both correct. The final traffic wardens were eradicated from Scotland in 2014 and England and Wales in 2015. Great Britain has no traffic wardens.
Could attatching that notice to a parked bike possibly be construed as littering do you think?
Yes. Especially when it falls off onto the floor (which it will do).
£50 fine.... Yawn. Won't be paying that matey.
West Midlands Police have it right as usual.
This is an example of police targeting the relatively trivial dangers to others while not tackling those who pose much more danger to others. There is no sign of them tackling close passing of cyclists, unlike several other police forces (see https://rdrf.org.uk/2017/03/09/what-kind-of-policing-do-we-need/) .
A classic example of institutionalised discrimination in favour of careless/dangerous/rule or law breaking/criminally negligent/incompetent driving.
How many people were killed or at a financial loss that necessitated police resources on this?
Maybe we need an FOI request on Northants Police Force to find out.
Since when did a Traffic Warden have legal powers to stop a cyclist?
Kevinmorice, it isn't cars I am upset about, it's drivers.
Do 'traffic wardens' have statutory powers to direct or stop traffic? Their powers are confined to enforcement of the civil contract between vehicle users and parking authority, I thought. Can we get a legal opinion on this please?
As always the road.cc crowd rush to be offended and blame cars.
Cars do get similar leaflets. They also gets MOTs to enforce that they have lights and that they work, occassionally pulled over for failing lights.
They also get immediate prosecution without anything like as much discretion.
Rather than be upset about cars, try being upset at the bad cyclists who have made this move reasonable in the eyes of the police and council.
I think you have this website confused with the Top Gear website.
when the day arrives I dont see cars driving around with one headlight out, Ill be sure to remember that.
I'm sorry, but that is IMO total and utter horrocks
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