Cameras on Patrol Cars
| Published date | 01 January 1939 |
| Date | 01 January 1939 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X3901200103 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Cameras on Patrol Cars
A
PRACTICAL
SCHEME
FOR
THE
USE
OF
ROAD
TRAFFIC
PATROL
CARS
By A
BEDFORDSHIRE
POLICE
OFFICER
SER GT . L.
TOMPKINS,
of the Bedfordshire Constabulary,
under the directions of the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire,
Lieut.-Colonel F. A. D. Stevens, C.B.E., D.L., has developed a
method of obtaining evidence in cases of dangerous and careless
driving which, for ease, simplicity and certainty, can only be
compared with the speedometer as a means of checking
excessive speed.
The
results obtained have been brought
before the courts frequently, and the justices have expressed
their appreciation of the method as greatly facilitating their
task of deciding cases. Afull description of the method is
here given, and any further information required will gladly
be supplied.
The
outstanding feature of the scheme is that absolute
justice is assured.
It
must be borne in mind that "Photo-
graphs, unless verified upon oath, are not of themselves
evidence"
(Hindson v. Ashby, 1896, 2Ch., p.
21,
per A.
L.
Smith,
LJ
.). But if the officer who witnesses an event and
takes a photograph of it produces that photograph in court
himself, and, being on oath, testifies that it is an "untouched"
photograph, the photograph will be admitted by the court as
evidence of the event which it depicts.
The
defendant, if
convicted on the evidence of the photograph, cannot labour
under a sense of grievance: he cannot accuse the Police of
magnifying the case against him: he knows, and indeed often
admits, that it is " a fair cop."
Suppose that a reasonable patrol driver has seen what he
really believes to be a case of bad driving and has taken a
photograph of it. On development it is often clearly seen
that
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