More cops being caught speeding

1.00pm - BY STEVE HOPKINS

They're quick to point the radar gun at the public - but police are breaking the rules on the roads in record numbers.

Almost 300 police officers were fined for speeding between July last year and June this year.

That was an 18 per cent jump on the same period last year, when 245 officers were fined.

Speed cameras snapped a total of 730 police staff this year but 431 fines were scrapped after officers proved they were on "urgent duty". Last year 819 officers were caught, with 574 getting off.

Of the 299 officers caught this year, four have been high-ranking policemen including Northland district commander Viv Rickards, Hawkes Bay district commander Grant Nicholls, and central districts commander Mark Lammas.

The fourth officer was a senior sergeant who was snapped at 149km/h and narrowly avoided licence suspension. Police refused to release his name.

Road policing operations manager Inspector John Kelly said the figures were disappointing.

"Police are subject to the same laws and sanctions as the public - 299 tickets is too many, one ticket is too many. The 18 per cent increase is regrettable," he said.

Land Transport Safety Authority spokesman Andy Knackstedt said police should know better.

"We expect them to uphold a higher standard of driving than the public and it is disappointing.

"But it shows they aren't infallible and they are applying the same rules to themselves as they do the public," he said.

The fastest speed a police officer was clocked at in the past 12 months was 109km/h in a 50km/h area. No fine was issued because the officer was attending a job.

All but 23 officers caught speeding this year have paid their fines. Some officers are yet to pay and others are defending themselves in court. All police staff caught last year paid up.

The worst police district for speeding is Counties-Manukau, where 35 tickets have been issued in the past year. This is followed closely by the Central police district with 32 and Wellington with 31.

Other than fines, no disciplinary action has been taken against police officers in the past 12 months for speeding.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY