Ban Police From Special Traffic Treatment: THE VOTER
Long-time Bulldog reader and commenter The Voter thinks police officers should be treated like everyone else:
How about officers appear in court like the rest of us do to explain what they were doing in traffic cases.
When you break the law, there’s a process to be followed. If your story impresses the judge, maybe you won’t be hit with the penalty. Otherwise, you walk out of the courtroom with a lighter wallet just like the rest of us.
And that should be the police officer’s personal wallet, not the taxpayer’s. It’s usually the case in traffic court that a reasonable explanation of what happened will result in either the charges being thrown out or reduced. A police officer has access to that just as you or me would. If the charge stands, then the judge has determined that the police officer had no good reason for whatever was done. Without good reason, it should fall on the officer to bear the consequences whether that’s a fine, licence suspension or demerit points.
Police Hypocrisy On Traffic Laws Is Astounding
There is only one set of laws and they apply to all of us no matter what our occupation. I don’t get to have my boss decide what happens with a traffic ticket. Why would a police officer be treated any differently?
If anything, the standard should be higher for someone sworn to uphold the law.
—
Don’t miss our regular features
Everything Ottawa Full Local Bulldog Canadian
Opinion Comments Breaking News Hood Hub
Ontario World Get Cheap Gas Big Money
Pop Gossip Your Home Relax …
Bulldog Weather Full Local Sports
Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
– The Bulldog – News Feed Enter 
The law with respect to photo radar and red light cameras is that it is the owner of the vehicle that receives the provincial offence notice and not the driver.
I agree that officers should be responsible for driving offences, but the same traffic laws provide exemptions to all emergency responders in performing certain essential duties (all can go through red lights and speeding by taking specified precautions).
In most cases, and in my experience, people who call for help want that help (paramedics, fire department, and yes, police) right away. Even if it is a non-life threatening situation, for example a crime in progress, people who dial for help want that service as quickly as possible so that potential offenders can be apprehended. It may not be a lights and siren situation but it may require responding officers to drive faster to get there.
The other side of this coin is that first response services are constantly measured by their response times and face public criticism for excessive response times.
So what is it to be?
Folks:
Just for the sake of context Larry Hill is the former deputy chief of the Ottawa Police Service.
Former chief medical officer of health Robert Cushman calls him the best chief of police Ottawa never had. Coming from a person of the superb quality of Dr. Cushman, that’s high praise indeed.
Now retired, Hill is one of the finest people you would ever want to meet. A real stand up guy. And big, damn big.
Hill’s opinion is to be respected and were he the police chief now, the OPS would be a solid organization.
The Voter and Hill … two fine people who I’m proud to have participate in The Bulldog. And two interesting points of view.
The community is lucky to have these good people … even when The Voter criticizes me. You always know it is coming from a thoughtful place.
cheers
kgray