Nottinghamshire Police

cookdn

This is for the benefit of other forum users cycling in the geographical areas covered by Nottinghamshire Constabulary (Bassetlaw, Newark & Sherwood, Mansfield & Ashfield, Nottingham City & South Nottinghamshire). I'm currently having a bit of a frustrating time dealing with the Police as a consequence of a motorist that jumped a red light colliding with me on a roundabout. Not sure whether this is unusual to Nottinghamshire, it may well equally apply to other Constabularies. This is what I have learnt.

Nottinghamshire Constabulary have no dedicated road traffic resource. Road traffic incidents and offences are handled by the same response officers that handle general policing duties such as shoplifting, violent crime, domestic disturbances, burglary etc. Consequently road traffic matters that do not require an immediate response are treated as very low priority.

While trying to get things moving forwards this afternoon (it's three weeks on and I still haven't had a statement taken) I had a very pleasant and candid conversation with a female constable. She freely admitted that she has a motorist with whom she needs to speak to in relation to him driving without due care; it has now been pending for three months because of competing priorities. Any prosecution arising out of an offence committed in a road traffic collision has to be started within six months of the incident.

She agreed that cyclists involved in any road traffic collision in Nottinghamshire would be best calling 999 from the scene requesting the Police to attend. Beyond that she recommended that I was not to be patient presuming that it would be handled in due course - in her words “RTAs are always on the backburner because of higher priority matters”. This very much seems to be a consequence of the system rather than the behaviour of individual officers.

This isn't a moan or rant and I hope this helps somebody if the worst happens.

Best regards
David

DrLex

Interesting. If you need details to initiate a civil claim, and the police aren't forthcoming, a V888 & £5 might be the best way to proceed in a timely manner.

cookdn

DrLex wrote:

Interesting. If you need details to initiate a civil claim, and the police aren't forthcoming, a V888 & £5 might be the best way to proceed in a timely manner.

Thanks for that, could be useful.

After a conversation with Mrs cookdn tonight we have decided that trying to deal with Nottinghamshire Police is not helping matters. I had no idea that they would be organisationally so disinterested. My previous dealings with South Yorkshire Police when I commuted by bike in Sheffield were very different.

Best regards
David

mouth

I used to work in a 24 hour petrol station in Nottingham and when the place was robbed at gun point it took no less than 6 days for the Police to attend.

Which part of Nottingham are you in?

cookdn

Mouth wrote:

I used to work in a 24 hour petrol station in Nottingham and when the place was robbed at gun point it took no less than 6 days for the Police to attend.

WTF :shock: And their explanation was? I hope no one was hurt and this all worked out ok.

Maybe the nearest armed response vehicle was too busy dishing out a fixed penalty because a car had a bust rear light. Apparently that is part of the their "unofficial role" in the absence of a road traffic unit .

Mouth wrote:

Which part of Nottingham are you in?

We live in the area of South Nottinghamshire division, the collision happened on Nottingham City's patch. This is part of the problem as the collision has been deemed serious enough to pursue but it cannot be transferred from South Nottinghamshire to Nottingham City without the statement. Apparently the response officers complete an accident card which is reviewed by their Sergeant before statements and interviews are carried out. There is an accident card which has passed the review but no South Nottinghamshire resource to take my statement. Basically it is now stuck in semi-permanent limbo and can only be moved forward by the response officer it is allocated to.

This is exacerbated because most personell in Nottinghamshire Police work a rolling ten day shift pattern. Response officers seem to work two day shifts, two evening shifts, two night shifts followed by four days off. If you discount the days off, the night shifts and the evening shifts that fall on a Friday and Saturday you aren't left with very much.

Best regards
David

Headhuunter

Yes, if you are in an accident, best course of action is to get so baldy injured that an ambulance is needed. If an ambulance attends then the police have to come too. I was recently mown down by some idiot in a van but perhaps unfortunately, despite quite bad gashes to my leg, I didn't ask for an ambulance. The driver drove off so it was a hit and run.

This happened on the 1st of Aug and the police are only just getting round to doing something about it now. I reported my injuries on the "self report form" (the police didn't attend). I was told I should defintely mention my injuries or it would get buried even deeper in the "to do" list...

cookdn

Headhuunter wrote:

The driver drove off so it was a hit and run.

I guess you got the registration. Dr Lex's post maybe of help if the Police aren't very helpful. For £2.50 it might be worth doing anyway.

Headhuunter wrote:

This happened on the 1st of Aug and the police are only just getting round to doing something about it now.

My collision was on the same day. Maybe we can have a sweepstake on which Constabulary will be the slowest to get a statement. :roll:

Best regards
David

ben@31

I think its bang out of order that a cyclist hit in a road traffic collision is classed as a low priority. Yet the police are very quick at sending me a fine through the post if I do 80mph on a straight and empty 3 lane motorway in perfect conditions.

DrLex

Seems you have to be the perpetrator & not the victim before Notts PoPo are interested in cyclists.

mountaincookie

Interesting, I'm in a very similar area to the OP. Interestingly, when my £500 MTB was stolen from the QMC about 2 years ago, the Nottinghamshire police where excellent. The courts weren't (serial known-to-police-and-prolific bike theif only got 6 month suspended sentence, even after refusing to tell them where my bike was). Of course, I havn't had experience with regards to accidents. I am soon to be commuting to derby so.... :?

Kieran_Burns

mountaincookie wrote:

Interesting, I'm in a very similar area to the OP. Interestingly, when my £500 MTB was stolen from the QMC about 2 years ago, the Nottinghamshire police where excellent. The courts weren't (serial known-to-police-and-prolific bike theif only got 6 month suspended sentence, even after refusing to tell them where my bike was). Of course, I havn't had experience with regards to accidents. I am soon to be commuting to derby so.... :?

If you need help choosing a route - ask away. (in a new topic )

mountaincookie

Kieran_Burns wrote:

If you need help choosing a route - ask away. (in a new topic )

Thanks! I'm planning to go via goolges route, I do a lot of cycling with local club, so should recognise the roads.... :?

Kieran_Burns

A road bike may struggle on a couple of bits - specifically the riverside stretch after you turn off the A5010 (25c is okay ish but 23 may be a little rough) as it is light trail along there

CX and anything 28 and above will be fine

mountaincookie

Hmm thanks for that, I'll be commuting on this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70194040@N ... otostream/

with SPD Sls, so it could get hairy, I only have 23mm bikes (long awaited MTB will one day grace my collection...one day...)

Kieran_Burns

Ah.

Summer = dry. You'll be fine.

Winter = wet. I hope you like washing clothes...

This is why I bought a Tricross. That stretch is actually really nice, there's some very rough tarmac as you go through Alvaston Park but generally it's fine. It's just bits of the stretch from the A5010 that can get v muddy.

mountaincookie

haha, lol, I have fitted crud catchers, which do a pretty good job. Eventually, my genesis aether 20 will become the commuter when I a nice dry weather bike, and the ss will be relegated to sweety shop trips. Until then, I have to make do