Road Policing Core Functions And Strategies?

Police performance towards the delivery of the national policing plan is often monitored through the performance assessment framework of the police (College of Policing, 2018). The key policing functions include reducing road casualties, disrupting criminality, patrolling roads, as well as countering terrorism. Notably, these core policing functions have been achievable over the years, owing to the fact that significant forces have been put forth, with the aim of developing a partnership working ethos, and common operating protocols and even procedures with external investigative agencies and responding agencies. Of importance, they purpose to ensure that responsibilities, roles, as well as expectations are clearly followed and defined (College of Policing, 2018). Notably, the UK Department of Transport has ensured that the key functions of road policies ensure that people are kept safe on roads at all times, by ensuring that they provide a key deterrent that stops drivers from breaking the law and risking their lives and those of others.

Moreover, there are strategies that relate to policing of roads, which ensure that the core functions are clearly adopted. Firstly, the government introduced the first-of-its-kind type of joint review on roads policing, as well as traffic enforcement, with the aim of improving road safety. In this review, the government was set to highlight the best practices, and also identify various gaps present in the service of roads policing. Of importance to note, the review had been jointly funded by the Highways England and the Department of Transport, and precisely looks into ways in which roads policing presently works, the rate of its effectiveness, as well as the improvements that need to be made, or rather, bridged (Gov. UK., 2019).

The government has also introduced a pilot programme that is comprised of new initiatives that could assist in ensuring that road policing is at its best. This is set to commence next year. Evidently, the Department of Transport would focus on this programme, together with the National Police Chief’s Council. The programme would precisely be concerned with the review, and as such, consultation feedback will significantly begin the following year (2020). The functions of this strategy will be to set out new initiative or rather, ways of ensuring best practice, with the aim of reducing road casualties. Notably, not only will the review highlight the instances where the police force is working at its best, but also emphasize on the fact that much improvement needs to be done in ensuring road safety (Gov. UK., 2019). In line with this, it will look onto the police roads that are in both rural and urban areas, and the strategic network of roads.

Factually, in aiding towards freeing up police time, the Transport Department has purposed to roll out a Collision Reporting and Sharing software, and a significant smartphone app, to be workable on the police mobile devices and funding, with the aim of buying tablet computers. Notably, the app allows officers to report crash data, as well as locations on site accurately, instead of returning to a police station to transfer paperwork on the computer. In addition, the Transport Department has also developed roadside breathalysers, which would enable the testing of suspected drunk drivers at the roadside, without returning to the police office for a test. As such, the reading can be used in court (Gov. UK., 2019).

References

• College of Policing. (2018). Road Policing. Retrieved [online] from https://www.app.college.police.uk/app-content/road-policing-2/ [accessed on 21st Nov, 2019]
• Gov. UK. (2019). Roads policing review to improve safety. Retrieved [online] from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/roads-policing-review-to-improve-safety [accessed on 21st Nov, 2019].