Q Police work overtime to catch up on fines

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Police work overtime to catch up on fines
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

By Darrell Giles

April 19, 2009 12:00am

POLICE are working overtime to make up for lost speeding tickets from recent wet weather, when it was too unsafe for radar traps. But they deny it's revenue-raising.

Police Minister Neil Roberts confirmed the extra police presence, and said it was tough luck for speeding motorists.

"The best deterrent to dangerous driving practices on our roads is the presence of police," he said. "That is why over the Easter long weekend the Queensland Police Service allocated extra resources to undertake traffic enforcement on our roads.

"However, inclement weather in some parts of the state impacted the service's ability to undertake some operations as planned.

"It simply is not safe for officers and motorists to undertake some traffic operations in bad weather."

He said operations which had been delayed were carried out later in the weekend once the weather had improved.

Police sources told The Sunday Mail last week they had been earning big overtime dollars doing the "special" duty to make up for the lost hours.

Mr Roberts said the overtime bill was not excessive.

"These changes in the timing of traffic operations had only a limited financial effect, as traffic operations during the Easter period are funded as part of the Road Safety Initiative Package," he said.

"RSIP funding provides overtime and penalty rates for officers to ensure that during times of high road use throughout the year, traffic enforcement is increased.

"I make no apology for having police on the street, catching those people putting their lives, and the lives of others, in danger by driving dangerously."