Traffic policing has always been a core function of policing in the UK and the preservation of life through effective road safety measures, and proper education coupled with rigorous enforcement remain laudable objectives. In 1997 local Road Policing Units (RPU’s) were set up on each Operational Command Unit in the West Midlands with twelve officers dedicated to the function. Highly trained and hugely effective they also led the way in tackling road-
related crimes such as vehicle theft. At the centre a core specialised traffic function was retained. Nowadays following cut-backs in resourcing levels and ever-changing new priorities you are far less likely to see a dedicated traffic vehicle on our roads. The sad thing is that the criminals know it and so do those who choose to flout road traffic laws.
