A campaign being led by Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely to bring back a dedicated Roads Policing Unit (RPU) to the Island is gathering support with Isle of Wight Coroner Caroline Sumeray adding her views to the debate.
Mrs Sumeray referred to a letter she sent to Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney dated 7 April 2021, in which said she was concerned that officers with specialities like armed response, were expected to carry out road policing responsibilities without the same training in the areas that their mainland colleagues receive.
She said: “In my view… this could allow the public to believe that they are getting a second-rate standard of Roads Traffic Policing compared to that which is available in Hampshire which cannot be right or fair.”
Mrs Sumeray added: “It is disappointing to read that these Officers have asked to receive this more specialist training (to accord with their duties) in line with their Hampshire colleagues, but that this has been refused by Hampshire Constabulary.”
“I struggle to understand how it can be justified for those Officers who carry out their duties on the Isle of Wight to not be trained to the same high standard as their colleagues in the rest of Hampshire – which, it goes without saying, is the same Police Force.”
Mrs Sumeray said she has accepted that there is no need for Isle of Wight RPU Officers to be trained on motorway driving and major trunk roads because there are none on the Island, however she does support further training and a dedicated RPU for the Island.
Mr Seely has also written again to Police & Crime Commissioner Donna Jones, reiterating his call for a dedicated Roads Policing Unit for the Island following serious recent road traffic incidents.
In the letter he said: “Road traffic incidents are indiscriminate, dangerous and often tragic; reminding drivers of a strong police presence along the Island’s roads could reinforce safe driving habits and the creation of a Specialised Roads Policing unit would be timely and potentially life-saving.
“Many Islanders agree that they feel less safe on Island roads. As mentioned in a previous letter, the House of Commons library has informed me that, in 2020, the killed/serious injury rate from road accidents on the Isle of Wight was the highest rate outside London, well above the South East’s average.
“I continue to receive correspondence from concerned constituents about dangerous driving, high speeds and noise related issues caused by illegal exhausts. A specialist RPU would go some way to ameliorating these issues. I am asking you to seriously consider the need for a dedicated Roads Policing Unit on the Isle of Wight.”
Mr Seely’s campaign has also gained support from the Leader of the Isle of Wight Council with some town and parish councils also on board.
