Cars seized during Kent Special Constabulary operation at Westwood

Operation by the Kent Special Constabulary (Image kentpolicespecials)

Vehicles were seized and motorists fined during an operation run by the Kent Special Constabulary at Westwood just before Christmas.

Volunteer officers carried out stop checks on the Margate Road, by the Stagecoach bus garage, on Thursday, December 23 to ensure motorists had roadworthy vehicles, including car insurance, a driving licence and vehicle duty.

A total of 95 vehicles were stopped, 37 Traffic Offence Reports were issued for a variety of motoring offences and 28 fines were handed out. One motorist received prohibition notices that prevents them driving their vehicles until serious and unsafe mechanical defects are fixed whilst six vehicles were seized for being uninsured or untaxed.

Special Sergeant James Johnston, who led the operation, said: “This was a highly successful operation that sadly demonstrates there are still too many motorists committing traffic offences and putting other people’s lives at risk.

“We will continue to carry out operations such as this in the future to reduce the risk for law-abiding motorists and help make our roads safer for everyone.”

Special Constables are unpaid volunteers who have the same powers as regular police officers. They are required to give up at least 16 hours of their own time every month to help police their local communities, with many juggling full-time jobs in order to do so.

They can get involved in a number of operations including assisting regular officers on the roads by attending collisions, searching for stolen vehicles and responding to reports of speeding, bad driving and other motoring offences.

Anyone interested in joining the Special Constabulary can visit www.kent.police.uk/specials or follow @KentSpecials on Twitter.

22 Comments

  1. Well done the specials those men and women don’t keep moaning about the police they give up thief time to help the police. If more done the same the streets would be a lot safer.

    • Stop letting those into the country that commit these crimes and we wouldn’t need bossy vindictive little people hassling us decent law abiding motorists it’s a shame those dinghies don’t need an MOT before they leave france

      • Its a shame they don’t keep them say in France it would save lives and the smugglers behind it, there would be no point , it would also save this country the huge amounts patrolling our seas.
        Another way would be set up a centre in France , a couple of ferries to ship them right back , it would stop the lot , no point in them risking their lives across the sea.
        This does not include the cost or maybe lives of the Rnli who go out in all weathers or housing costs, money too keep them.
        It would free up housing , overloading of the Nhsto name a few.

        Instead we have the French who turn a blind eye (when they want) , get on the boat you lot , we don’t care if you make it or not , not our problem.

        • Oops I better go put the right plates back on my car, fix the rear bulb and put a headlight in I not had one for years.
          Will have “to arrange an mot” sod taking in , last one I took it too said my breaks don’t work its been like that for years , smoke coming out the exhaust, neighbours got used to it , Speedo don’t work I don’t need one I can see the road through the floor .
          I think the reason it smokes is the chip pan oil I put in the tank.

          Happy new year everyone.

      • If you were a pedestrian not a car-driver you would realize that a high proportion of drivers don’t seem to give a damn for anybody but themselves.

      • Although police are probably trained to get more of a hunch on some cars than others, so I very much doubt its that high

    • It is quite likely that a number of these offences could have been for something as simple as an illegal number plate – there are hundreds of them driving around Thanet.

      It may seem a minor offence but the altered number plate to reflect the owner’s name or similarity to a word avoids speeding fines, parking fines and all the rules that other motorists have to abide by.

      Alternatively, many of the offences could have been drug dealers plying their trade.

      • John

        You are right thanet is over run with illegal number plates from the wrong spacing to being tinted. 1k fine I believe so plenty of money to be made by nicking them.

    • Given the number of cars with defective lights and the number of cars clamped in cliftonville each time dvla does a sweep, quite believable.

  2. I wish there were more of these operations, in random locations, there are too many flouting the rules…
    Regulars and Specials getting on with keeping us all safer.

  3. Police would make a very very lot for the nhs in fines for speeding along Newington road Ramsgate , its most of the day but best time is about 7 AM , I seen cars doing 70 (at a good guess) at this time.

  4. Why invest in ANPR systems? Clock the drivers and track their movement. Fines do not work, the drivers invariably never the fines or turn up at court. Just remove the cars from the road at every opportunity. The unfortunate fact is owning a car is becoming really expensive.People will look at cutting significant but illegal corners to drive.

    I also think they need to look at the amount of heavily modified cars and their insurance. If a car is modified, those mods need declaring to the insurance companies. I very much doubt they’re being declared.

  5. This should be a on going project not just a one off, so many vehicles on our roads of thanet have defects, ie lights not working, white lights at rear, except for number plate lights, coloured lights under vehicles, and blue head lights ,side lights, more of this will stop vehicles on the road with out tax ,insurance, mot’s.

  6. It’s not clear whether these cars were randomly stopped or whether there was something to arouse suspicion in the first place ?

    If random, it is staggering that a third of cars on our roads are worthy of penalties being issued and roughly 1 in 15 wasn’t taxed or insured.

    Fully supportive of this being repeated, especially to go after those that aren’t taxed or insured (or lacking MOT)

  7. As an former front line police officer of over 20 years. It saddens me to think that special constables are utilised in this way. They would be far more effective, patrol streets and neighbourhoods of high crime areas, and area’s of anti social behaviour. Thus reassuring the publicans forging bridge’s with the community.
    Targeting motorists is not the way to win hearts and minds…..

    • Maybe if all the anpr’s and cameras that the police and council spent lots and lots of money on worked then would catch them rather than having to do stop, check points!!!!
      Also if the police when in their cars actually stopped people who commit offenses in front of them that would also help!!!!!!!
      Lot of wasted tax payer money for sod all and then get praise for wasting more time money and resources!! Well done!!!!!!!

    • Targeting illegal motorists is a productive use of their time.Thanet’s roads are in themselves high crime areas. These illegal motorists are driving without insurance and mot’s. Taking dangerous uninsured cars of the the road is a necessity. The same motorists who drive with no insurance are the same drivers who usually drug drive and could potentially kill or injure while driving high on illegal drugs.

      Thanet is also plagued by boy racers who have modified their cars to make them faster and louder. The majority of the public are sick of hearing boy racers speeding down residential streets with their illegal exhaust’s. Taking these people of our roads is a priority to save lives and stop the constant antisocial and reckless driving we all have to suffer on a daily basis.

      Thanet needs more police events like this to target more of the drivers who willingly endanger other road users and pedestrians and drive without insurance raising insurance premiums for the rest of us.

    • A crime is a crime. Just because motorists and cars are involved, doesn’t make the crimes any less serious.
      In 2020, 1,460 were killed on our roads, and over 115,000 injured.
      I have no doubt that faulty cars, and faulty drivers, were responsible for most of these injuries and deaths.
      Taking these criminals and their cars saves lives.

Comments are closed.