Increase in seizures of illegal ebikes

[brommieinkorea]

Those are blue shirts, PCSOs. They dont have the power to stop a vehicle for motoring offences in the first place, so it was unlawful from start to finish.

Details, what means blue shirt, PCSO ?

 

[Drago]

Details, what means blue shirt, PCSO ?

It means "not a copper, has no powers."

 

[Dogtrousers]

Details, what means blue shirt, PCSO ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_community_support_officer

 

[Alex321]

It means "not a copper, has no powers."

Has fewer powers, not "no powers".

 

[Drago]

I sense a hair being split - I could recite their powers off by heart if you wish, seeing as I used to supervise a team of 6 of them, so don't really need you to tell me what they can and can't do.

Essentially they have no more powers than a normal citizen. In fact less than that, because they are not allowed to use their "any person" powers of arrest, for example. The few extraordinary powers they have are authorised at the whim of each individual chief constable, or can only be exercised when assisting a constable.

 

[Badger_Boom]

I was out walking the dog whilst at my daughter and son in laws. They are based in Leuchars which is a British army base in Fife. The housing is no longer in the base and just part of the village housing, some is even let to Asylum seekers.
I got wizzed by a young lad on a electric scooter looking like he was heading to the village shop. I did wonder about saying something but I didn’t fancy having a row with some giant squaddie.

If you don't fancy addressing soldiers using illegal transport off base directly, feel free to contact the guardroom or HQ. They usually (or certainly should) take a dim view of that sort of thing.

 

[Alex321]

I sense a hair being split - I could recite their powers off by heart if you wish, seeing as I used to supervise a team of 6 of them, so don't really need you to tell me what they can and can't do.

Essentially they have no more powers than a normal citizen. In fact less than that, because they are not allowed to use their "any person" powers of arrest, for example. The few extraordinary powers they have are authorised at the whim of each individual chief constable, or can only be exercised when assisting a constable.

The law seems to suggest they have quite a few powers
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/30/schedule/3C

And I can't see where in the law it takes away their "any person" powers of arrest (and Wiki still thinks they have those, though I know Wiki isn't always reliable). The law excludes the constable powers of arrest without warrant, but not as far as I can see the "any person" powers.

 

[presta]

And legal e-bikes being seized too:
Tern Cargo Bike
Looks like the Birmingham Police are not up to speed with things yet. TBH, finding illegal e-bikes in Birmingham City Centre is like shooting fish in a barrel. I recon if I stare out of my window for longer than a minute, I will guarantee to see one.

And I know the bike shop in question - a legitimate business that has been around for a while. Unless the Police are objecting to the flags that they have in the shop....

Cycling UK have decided that this one's worth dipping into the Cyclists' Defence Fund kitty for:

View: https://x.com/WeAreCyclingUK/status/2079589937234497626

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Apparently West Midlands Police have withdrawn the ticket
and will compensate the hire company that owned the bike

And not use the faulty (other words occur - dumb being a polite one) test any more

 

[annedonnelly]

It's good to see someone admitting their mistake and (hopefully) learning from it.

 

[Drago]

Hopefully the cost will be docked from the wages of those responsible.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hopefully the cost will be docked from the wages of those responsible.

But was that the bloke on the beat who did the test

or was it someone "more senior" who told them what to do and how to do it

or is it both due to the lack of intelligence in the test and lack of thinking to connect the actual law/regulations and the test method

 

[Drago]

I suspect, from my own experience, the bods on the ground were making it up as they went along.

 

[Alex321]

Hopefully the cost will be docked from the wages of those responsible.

Hopefully it won't.

Last thing we want is police (or PCSOs) with resentment towards cyclists, which getting docked for an honest mistake (no matter how stupid) will do.

 

[Dogtrousers]

All this reminds me of a video of a cyclist being sternly told off by a copper for riding on the footway. "But it's a cycle path" "No it isn't"

Cyclist points to enormous bike logo painted on the ground.