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Operation Close Pass in Edinburgh

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  1. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    @threefromleith - you might like to know that the 'cracking social media team' from West Midlands Police are the officers themselves. It's them personally on Twitter and blogging - with much or all of this happening in their own time (i.e. not work hours) as far as I can tell. And they aren't some kind of special cycle unit - but officers with a set of normal responsibilities who have managed to get permission for something new and radical.

    Like the 'roll out' of many an initiative there's a good risk that those starting up the close pass initiative will do the basics and miss how important the wider work of these officers has been.

    But I'm hopeful...

    Posted 6 years ago #

  2. threefromleith
    Member

    "Like the 'roll out' of many an initiative there's a good risk that those starting up the close pass initiative will do the basics and miss how important the wider work of these officers has been."

    Indeed. I'd love Edinburgh to match the amazing work W Mids' officers have been doing, but I'm probably too pessimistic to be too hopeful. It's been over a week and there seems to be no more engagement than the odd posting on Facebook (and I didn't even know they were using FB to give out #OpClosePass updates until the weekend, having been following them on Twitter, where they seem to have been much less active).

    Posted 6 years ago #

  3. Neil
    Member

    Plus, am I right in thinking that in the West Midlands, drivers were fined or officially cautioned? That doesn't seem to be happening up here?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  4. dougal
    Member

    They're claiming it has started to reduce bad driving on the streets of Edinburgh, but since they've been largely uninterested in bad driving up to this point I'm sceptical that they could justify this claim even if it were true. How would they know?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  5. Frenchy
    Member

    @Neil - Some were, but most were just educated. Those who were fined/cautioned/charged were (I think) particularly bad passes and anyone simultaneously committing another offence (on phone, for example).

    @dougal - Possibly by simply seeing the rate of close passes they're having to deal with during the operations decrease. I believe they are also working with researchers at a university to figure out the best ways of measuring success of the operation.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "

    RoadPolicingScot (@polscotrpu)
    02/05/2017, 10:32 am
    #OpClosePass
    Since it's launch, 68 motorists have been stopped in various parts of Edinburgh & given advice about safely passing cyclists

    http://pic.twitter.com/19m19tVstV

    "

    Posted 6 years ago #

  7. neddie
    Member

    Far too early to start claiming that it has reduced bad driving.

    It would have to be run continuously for several years before it filters down to the average driver.

    I suspect the vast majority of drivers know nothing about it.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  8. threefromleith
    Member

    Going by the opinions and views held & espoused by those drivers commenting on the Police's OpClosePass FB page, it'll take generations to get through to most people.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  9. crowriver
    Member

    Yeah, it will be an uphill struggle. Many drivers are so habituated and comfortable in their prejudices that even if they are challenged on their behaviour, they'll see it as unfair, unjust, unwarranted interference, etc. If proof were needed, see the driving public's reaction to parking tickets, speed cameras, 20mph zones, and so on.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  10. Stickman
    Member

    Any idea how long it takes for the police to respond after a 101 report? I've not heard anything since reporting on Friday and advice above was that notice of prosecution needs to happen within 14 days.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  11. Stickman
    Member

    I had a call from one of the cycling officers today and they will be speaking to the driver involved.

    I was very impressed by what she had to say about the operation; first phase is "education" but they'll be moving to prosecution next month.

    She was also happy to hear positive feedback so please keep this up, suggesting locations and sending footage.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  12. Klaxon
    Member

    I wonder what sort of rotation the 'cyclist' role gets

    It would be enlightening for offers not normally cyclists and outside of the 'operation team' to take it on for an hour at a time. It might build a bit of cross-departmental empathy for what they're trying to achieve.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  13. Frenchy
    Member

    @Stickman - good to hear.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Spokes CycleCampaign (@SpokesLothian)
    07/05/2017, 22:00
    June 14 #SpokesMtg Tackling Road Danger--->spokes.org.uk/2017/05/public…

    Posted 6 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Spokes CycleCampaign (@SpokesLothian)
    07/05/2017, 22:00
    June 14 #SpokesMtg Tackling Road Danger--->

    https://t.co/1rBFybX75b?amp=1

    #OpClosePass @markruskell @DrCarolineBrown @suzanne_meade @KirstyLewin

    https://mobile.twitter.com/SpokesLothian/status/861324778908643329

    "

    Posted 6 years ago #

  16. le_soigneur
    Member

    This Mon at 8:30am, police on foot on both sides of Salamander St at Carron Pl plus a further pool of them waiting in the Create/Dreams car park, didn't see a hi-viz cyclist but assume it was #opClosePass

    Posted 6 years ago #

  17. HankChief
    Member

    Good to see them still at it.

    I have tweeted to ask that Gogar Station Road gets a visit.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  18. gibbo
    Member

    I tweeted them about Duddingston Road West.

    From the end of the innocent path to Willowbrae Road, I experienced 8 (!) very close passes.

    That's 8 in 1.5km.

    (And doesn't include the bus that drove out of a side street into my path. Driver didn't bother looking until AFTER he drove onto DRW.)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  19. Stickman
    Member

    Follow up from the police: they visited the driver and showed them my footage of the close pass. He accepted he was wrong and listened to the police advice.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  20. wangi
    Member

    Seems Salamander yesterday wasn't close pass: https://twitter.com/EdinPolNE/status/861881694470758400

    Posted 6 years ago #

  21. Frenchy
    Member

    @Stickman - did you need to chase them up in the end?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  22. Stickman
    Member

    No, there was a problem at their end which meant the report wasn't passed on by 101 immediately.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  23. gibbo
    Member

    Given it's meant to be raising awareness, it's surprising how little they're tweeting about this.

    IIRC, West Midlands Police were tweeting about it almost every day.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  24. threefromleith
    Member

    Yep. Most people I know think it was a 2-day operation and it's long-finished.

    They really need to keep the momentum going, worrying drivers into thinking that every cyclist is a potential undercover copper. Only then might they start driving lawfully around cyclists every day as they're supposed to!

    Posted 6 years ago #

  25. dessert rat
    Member

    Can't be long before there's a Go-Pro or similar, with an inbuilt distance indicator/sensor which is sync'd to the video.

    Would make reporting close-passes so much more worthwhile and remove the 'I said / he said' nature of the current situation.

    I'd buy one.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  26. Frenchy
    Member

    https://www.facebook.com/Houstonpolice/videos/10155214960129720/

    Police in Houston are pretty much doing that.

    (Video should work without a FB account)

    Posted 6 years ago #

  27. gibbo
    Member

    Yep. Most people I know think it was a 2-day operation and it's long-finished.

    Yes, it feels like they're throwing away so much of the value of their work by not talking about it - and not talking about the reasoning behind it.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  28. hunnymonster
    Member

    Of course that could be the plan - keep doing it but not talking about it, hand out a shedload of fines & points and let "Outraged of Oxgangs" kick off about it in the chipwrapper... Social media like it's 1893!

    Posted 6 years ago #

  29. ih
    Member

    Being as generous as I possibly can, maybe the Edinburgh police realise that "driving issues" - particularly the 20 mph limit - is political, and therefore they are in purdah during the election. On the other hand, and more likely, they just don't have the same commitment to it that the West Midlands police do.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    Well rumours (probably a mention on here) suggest there be a fining stage next.

    Posted 6 years ago #

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