to think Derbyshire police need to read the LAW and understand that you can't fine people when they are not breaking it

[chomalungma]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-55560814

Surrounded by police, treated like a criminal for driving 5 miles to a beauty spot for a walk.

It is not illegal to drive to exercise.

Also, it's not about whether I agree or not. It is about the consequences. If they can do what they like, then surely everyone can.

They are following the law, not ' just doing what they like'. You seem to be arguing that by following the law they will encourage others to break it?

They weren't breaking the law, but because they were in a position for police to treat them wrongly as though they had broken the law

FFS you could say that of literally anyone walking down the street! In fact that very excuse is used to justify racial profiling

@Dugee

Peter Sutcliffe would've just continued.

He continued for too long because the police didn't care that someone was killing prostitutes.

Precisely. Well said.

The police are corrupt, they look after their own, those women police officers WOULD say that cobsidering in a domestic they are meant to be neutral yet this man (admitted?) violence.

The officers in Basingstoke prosecuted for racist, sexist, discriminatory towards the disabled...etc "banter" does not surprise me in the least.

Rotherham girls too

@Gettinggrumpier I believe supporting the police enforcing laws which do not exist is considerably more draconian than police enforcing extremely strict laws which do exist.

Its bevause these women were easy targets. They were right to stand up for themselves.

If only the police were this efficient prosecuting real criminals!
I’ve lost respect for them completely.

Derbyshire police are in all local parks, National trust properties and Severn Trent water parks this week

They are turning back any who isn’t in their local area, if your area has a park then they expect you to use it not one further away

These ladies passed multiple parks to get to the reservoir so were not exercising locally and normally it isn’t quiet!

As an example Last lockdown cars overflowed from the car park onto the country roads outside and were towed or ticketed anyone fairly local should know this

Our local hospitals are struggling, they don’t need extra work if people crash or otherwise have an accident whilst there

I don’t feel my local force are being heavy handed, it’s time for people to follow the advice and stay local

Why are these 'having an easy day' police people picking on walkers and hikers but not checking who are in cars on a dual carriageway? Getting the virus through socially distanced walking in the open air has let face it a close to zero risk. Multiple people who are not in the same 'bubble' in cars is a very high risk situation for transmission if one person is infected. During the Spring lockdown previously busy dual carriageways were very lightly used. Not so now. So why are the police not checking who are in private cars. They go for public transport policing but are lapse on private cars. Oh and why so many police people for a reservoir. Taxpayers are paying a lot of money for such inefficient use of police people.

www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/women-fined-200-over-eight-4870157

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

I would love a slice of your pie, but unless you are a professional business I do not believe I am legally permitted to leave my house to come and get it.

@Tomnooktoldmeto

Our local hospitals are struggling, they don’t need extra work if people crash or otherwise have an accident whilst there

Accidents are just as likely to happen in the home as out so you still might need the hospital if staying at home

What a sad individual you are Jamesmiddletonsmarshmallows probably a covidiot! Oh and it’s not my local park, I haven’t been in months as funnily enough I’ve stayed local lol

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows of course it’s not relevant, sorry - what I meant is that maybe the poster didn’t realise that Wales and England have different wording of the rules because the rules are broadly the same - stay at home etc etc.

Gettinggrumpier, you've just posted something very similar to the last one.

The point is - as far as police action goes - that people can do what they like as long as it's lawful. It's either legal or not. If it is, it really doesn't matter if it's similar to something that isn't - the police should not be fining, arresting, shaming or similar. We can criticise people and organisations if we don't agree with their behaviour, lobby our MP to try and get the law changed, blog about it, but lawful behaviour is just not a matter for the police.

You say it's not about whether you agree or not, but what's coming through your posts is that these fines were well deserved because the two were doing something they shouldn't be. It's your opinion that they shouldn't be doing it. Others feel differently. Which just illustrates why it's important to have clear laws rather than thinking it's ok to punish people for breaching an undefined 'spirit of the law'.

A covidiot 😂 ok Tubs you just get back to minding the shop now

As I think I said on another thread, the police have got the legislation totally wrong.

It will never be up for them to determine how far a person travels.. the only determination is 'is it reasonably necessary for the person to leave the house at all?'

Once the person has left the house, and they are doing so for one of the permitted reasons e.g. visiting a shop that is permitted to be open (even if they are buying a mocha frappacino), or going for exercise, the distance or mode of travel to that are entirely irrelevant.

Frighteningly, I think a lot of people are perfectly ok with people being fined and prosecuted for behaviour that doesn't actually break the law as long as it's behaviour they don't approve of.

The argument seems to run along the lines of whatever it is not being right, and therefore punishable in the same way as a genuine crime.

Reminds me of the logic behind the DM's whole Enemies of the People thing. The people don't want it to be so, which means it can't be so.

@Tomnooktoldmeto

Derbyshire police are in all local parks, National trust properties and Severn Trent water parks this week

They are turning back any who isn’t in their local area, if your area has a park then they expect you to use it not one further away

These ladies passed multiple parks to get to the reservoir so were not exercising locally and normally it isn’t quiet!

As an example Last lockdown cars overflowed from the car park onto the country roads outside and were towed or ticketed anyone fairly local should know this

Our local hospitals are struggling, they don’t need extra work if people crash or otherwise have an accident whilst there

I don’t feel my local force are being heavy handed, it’s time for people to follow the advice and stay local

But the legislation doesn't specify that people must use their nearest park or supermarket.

It only specified that people should stay local when exercising.

If Parliament intended this to mean the nearest park, etc then the legislation would have expressly stated that. ie those words would have been used. "Local" is open to interpretation and has some discretion, whereas "nearest" doesn't.

The police really are acting ultra vires in a very disturbing way so as to change the meaning of legislation from "local" to "nearest". Its really worrying that the police in this instance cannot correctly read and interpret the legislation.

I can't see this being beyond successful challenge in court.

reverse ferret...

www.derbyshire.police.uk/news/derbyshire/news/news/forcewide/2021/january/force-welcomes-new-guidance-from-npcc-around-about-travelling-during-lockdown/

Force welcomes new guidance from NPCC about travelling during lockdown

All fixed penalty notices during this relevant period that have been issued will be reviewed for compliance. All recipients will be contacted.

Frighteningly, I think a lot of people are perfectly ok with people being fined and prosecuted for behaviour that doesn't actually break the law as long as it's behaviour they don't approve of.

It's really very worrying that some people seem to have absolutely no issues with people being fined for laws that the police have just made up.

I'm staggered anyone thinks this is ok but as this thread had proven many see it as almost a positive! It's a very slippery slope...

However, today we have received further guidance from the NPCC which has clarified the policing response concerning travel and exercise which states

I am sure they have access to the internet and can read the leglisation like other people.

@AlecTrevelyan006,
That's good news, and hopefully it puts Derbyshire Police back in the box they belong - upholding the Law, not creating their own.