The totally off-topic thread

[Pushka]

In most cases the 'unfathomable' part is because people aren't knowledgeable or trained in that area.

Well, I have served as a police officer and pretty sure they were stumped by the decision to allow him bail.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So guess where me and me cobber are tonight?

 

[Pushka]

The cricket!

 

[serfty]

Kooyong?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Clowns!

Mind you it did take me a while to get him into RLA - he picked up these chicks outside and invited them into his own personal entrance:

 

[anat0l]

What was the reason for calling off "high speed" chases (i.e. the policy)? I think we have this in Queensland as well.

I remember the reason being related to preventing more people being killed. I can't remember the exact reasoning, as apart from the general "fair trial / presumption of innocence" or any hostages in the offending vehicle, I don't think many people would be too concerned about the consequences - even fatal - that would befall someone who is actively endangering other lives maliciously.

What was the reasoning in the case that the chase gets called off? Do they assume they let the perpetrator get away and find another way to track them / find them that does not involve actively chasing the vehicle?

 

[Steady]

I front of a big screen at the sports bar....

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>
I am more cranky with the magistrate letting him out on bail. Mental health issues, drug use and increasing violence and nothing gets done? Once again no one would expect this, but I would have thought serious domestic violence should absolutely been anticipated (and in fact did happen).

Heard on ABC news tonight - so it might be true (but might not!) that it was an 'after hours' bail something-or-other - layman ?unpaid position?? who let him out, not a magistrate. It seems Victoria is the only state that does this - not call out a magistrate for bail etc when out-of hours.

Who would have guessed that this type of system might result in something awful ? The 'rights' of the alleged offender to be dealt with quickly beats the rights of the community to be safe.

 

[RooFlyer]

So guess where me and me cobber are tonight?

View attachment 89347

Have Buzz's wine tours been upgraded?

 

[Flying mermaid]

What was the reason for calling off "high speed" chases (i.e. the policy)? I think we have this in Queensland as well.

I remember the reason being related to preventing more people being killed. I can't remember the exact reasoning, as apart from the general "fair trial / presumption of innocence" or any hostages in the offending vehicle, I don't think many people would be too concerned about the consequences - even fatal - that would befall someone who is actively endangering other lives maliciously.

What was the reasoning in the case that the chase gets called off? Do they assume they let the perpetrator get away and find another way to track them / find them that does not involve actively chasing the vehicle?

just googled this - in the ACT alone there have been 9 deaths in 12 years, as a result of car chases - most of the people killed had nothing to do with the person being chased. They include a nurse who was mown down using a pedestrian crossing outside Canberra hospital.

As I understand it if the police know the name of the person they are chasing, so they can arrest them at a later stage, they call off the pursuit.


Police pursuits: Nine deaths in 12 years in Canberra - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

no doubt the policy will be reviewed and new guidelines issued..

 

[Pushka]

On the other hand in SA we have had deaths from car chases that were called off a couple of minutes/seconds? prior.
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-...t-called-off-before-crash-kills-woman/7948796

I was a passenger in a couple of police pursuits and they are absolutely terrifying. Adrenaline through the roof and heart racing. Takes a very long time to return to normal.

 

[RooFlyer]

What was the reason for calling off "high speed" chases (i.e. the policy)? I think we have this in Queensland as well.

I remember the reason being related to preventing more people being killed. I can't remember the exact reasoning, as apart from the general "fair trial / presumption of innocence" or any hostages in the offending vehicle, I don't think many people would be too concerned about the consequences - even fatal - that would befall someone who is actively endangering other lives maliciously.

What was the reasoning in the case that the chase gets called off? Do they assume they let the perpetrator get away and find another way to track them / find them that does not involve actively chasing the vehicle?

The main reason I believe is that a pursued 'alleged' crim will get more reckless if being pursued (run red lights, overtake recklessly etc, likely causing more mayhem, deaths). Again, reasoning is that letting some-one get away is better than having someone killed.

Most times there are methods for picking up the trail down the road (heli surveillance, or just cops looking out), or even later (having traced the rego plate & 'known associates'), so 'getting away' in absolute terms is unlikely, but if they do, then judged better than a further innocent fatality.

I gotta say its easy to see that the strategy is reasonable. but as ever, with laws and regs designed by office wallahs, its down to the poor cops to make the decision on the fly and live with the consequences.

In this tragedy in my mind its down to the person (not magistrate) who let this guy get bail, and then the politicians who introduced then lived with this system.

 

[Pushka]

The decision to terminate is usually over the radio after calling in the details.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Heard on ABC news tonight - so it might be true (but might not!) that it was an 'after hours' bail something-or-other - layman ?unpaid position?? who let him out, not a magistrate. It seems Victoria is the only state that does this - not call out a magistrate for bail etc when out-of hours.

Who would have guessed that this type of system might result in something awful ? The 'rights' of the alleged offender to be dealt with quickly beats the rights of the community to be safe.

yes I posted a link to the volunteer bail system - it appears you don't have to be qualified - akin to being a justice of the peace - seems crazy to me

http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/utility/volunteering/bail+justice+position+description

 

[JohnM]

My brother was a traffic officer for a long time. He was telling me that as a driver in a pursuit, a form of 'tunnel vision' as he expressed it, sets in. He related an incident many years ago in which he and other cars were involved in quite a long pursuit in the early hours of the morning. He was later informed that he turned right in front of an oncoming ambulance (not on an emergency) at a major intersection. He had no recollection of doing so.

There was a particularly nasty fatal in Perth a few years ago where a police car early in a pursuit went into a large roundabout and slammed straight into a car entering on a green light from the left, killing the driver.

 

[whatmeworry]

In the 90's, the Victoria Police had 10 Subaru WRX's for pursuits. The traffic cops had written off 9 of the 10 and the last WRX was quietly retired or so the rumour goes. Another was the bigger cops disliked the small cramped WRX.

 

[Pushka]

In the 90's, the Victoria Police had 10 Subaru WRX's for pursuits. They traffic cops had written off 9 of the 10 and the last WRX was quietly retired or so the rumour goes. Another was the bigger cops disliked the small cramped WRX.

We drove Chargers in the '80's.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Spare a thought though for the bail justice whoever s/he is - can you imagine the feelings of guilt at the moment over their decision.

 

[amaroo]

My thoughts are more with the families of the deceased.

 

[Milboo]

Yes. And the judicial system in general. We seem to be caught in the see-saw of police action that seems too heavy handed - that then grabs media attention, so everyone backs off to the extent that civilian safety is put at risk. Put this with a judicial system that makes unfathomable decisions.

I understand it was a bail justice - so a volunteer position without being a legal person. He was not before the courts for bail as he was bailed on a Saturday.