Getting In The Way of a Safety Camera Van

Over the past few years, safety camera van operators and police have noticed an increase in the amount of people attempting to obstruct safety camera vans. A lot of the time it’s so they can film themselves being obstructive and post it online for easy likes, but it’s not such a good idea…

Apart from restricting the safety camera vans from achieving their purpose, and the operators doing their job (keeping speeds down and the public safe), under Section 46(2) of the Police Reform Act 2002, it’s an offence to wilfully obstruct a designated person in the execution of their duty, carrying a sentence of up to 51 weeks imprisonment.

Obstructing the police

What does that mean in simple terms? Safety camera officers in some circumstances may not be police, but the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police has given the operators the same Section 38 powers. So, if you stop them doing their job properly, it’s as if you did it to a police officer, and can land you nearly a year in prison.

All of the vehicles the Merseyside Safer Roads Unit Enforcement officers operate have 360 degree CCTV and Dashcam facilities. The operators also deploy with body worn cameras. This is for their protection, the protection of members of the public and the availability if required to use footage in a potential prosecution.

Making it harder for someone who’s just trying to do their job isn’t very nice, and there are definitely easier ways to get likes – ones that don’t result in a prison sentence.