found this, interesting bits highlited. And they say theres no revenue raising imperative!!
Friday, 20 September 2002 at 13:05
By PETER MICKELBUROUGH, chief police reporter SPEED camera operators fear for their lives at the hands of angry motorists who physically and verbally attack them. Operators say they are abused and harassed almost every shift, with one or two physical confrontations reported each week. In one frightening incident youths punched a 57-year-old operator, pushed his car bonnet into the windscreen and ripped the handset from his two-way radio. Police are still hunting the youths, caught on camera by the operator. "It's amazing the lengths some people will go to to take out their rage on you," said another operator, who asked not to be named. He said some female operators took colleagues with them for protection. Tenix, the company contracted to operate speed cameras, confirmed arrests had been made over threats to operators. In other recent attacks: A DRIVER hurled a 30cm rock at a horrified speed camera operator. The missile hit the window frame, leaving the operator shaken but uninjured. A FEMALE operator was the target of thugs who threw a spanner at her car before driving off in a car without number plates. A VAN driver ran across eight lanes of the Princess Freeway, jumping a centre concrete barrier, to abuse a fearful operator, who filmed the attack. The attacks have sparked calls for greater security for the state's 70 speed camera operators, who took over from armed police in 1998. Community and Public Sector Union secretary Karen Batt said safety was a key issue in the operators' push for better pay and conditions. "They are paid just $15 an hour, work shifts at all times of day and night, often on isolated stretches of road and their only protection is a two-way radio," she said. "Our people are saying to us that it would be rare that they didn't face some sort of harassment or verbal abuse by motorists on almost every shift." Ms Batt said calls for police back-up were common, with one or two physical confrontations a week. Ms Batt said working in teams, increased police patrols where speed cameras operate and uniforms were ideas that could be looked at. "They have to present with a status of authority that is equal to what the public perceived when the work was being done by sworn police," she said. Tenix spokesman Liam Bathgate said the company would continue to develop policies to protect operators, who already had access to a dedicated radio and mobile phones to report trouble. He said harassment and threats were reported to police as soon as possible. "Police are very responsive and they investigate and proceed to prosecution if it is justified and there have been a number of successful prosecutions." Eight camera operators stood down when they refused to complete paperwork last weekend were reinstated on Wednesday. About 20 operators had imposed work bans over claims for a pay rise and better conditions. The stand-downs cost the State Government about $10,000 in fines and put Tenix at risk of penalty payments of up to $24,000 for failing to meet its monthly quota of 6000 speed camera hours. [Source: http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/...5E661,00.html, 20 September 2002]
for the state's 70 speed camera operators The stand-downs cost the State Government about $10,000 in fines and put Tenix at risk of penalty payments of up to $24,000 for failing to meet its monthly quota of 6000 speed camera hours
Friday, 20 September 2002 at 13:05
By PETER MICKELBUROUGH, chief police reporter SPEED camera operators fear for their lives at the hands of angry motorists who physically and verbally attack them. Operators say they are abused and harassed almost every shift, with one or two physical confrontations reported each week. In one frightening incident youths punched a 57-year-old operator, pushed his car bonnet into the windscreen and ripped the handset from his two-way radio. Police are still hunting the youths, caught on camera by the operator. "It's amazing the lengths some people will go to to take out their rage on you," said another operator, who asked not to be named. He said some female operators took colleagues with them for protection. Tenix, the company contracted to operate speed cameras, confirmed arrests had been made over threats to operators. In other recent attacks: A DRIVER hurled a 30cm rock at a horrified speed camera operator. The missile hit the window frame, leaving the operator shaken but uninjured. A FEMALE operator was the target of thugs who threw a spanner at her car before driving off in a car without number plates. A VAN driver ran across eight lanes of the Princess Freeway, jumping a centre concrete barrier, to abuse a fearful operator, who filmed the attack. The attacks have sparked calls for greater security for the state's 70 speed camera operators, who took over from armed police in 1998. Community and Public Sector Union secretary Karen Batt said safety was a key issue in the operators' push for better pay and conditions. "They are paid just $15 an hour, work shifts at all times of day and night, often on isolated stretches of road and their only protection is a two-way radio," she said. "Our people are saying to us that it would be rare that they didn't face some sort of harassment or verbal abuse by motorists on almost every shift." Ms Batt said calls for police back-up were common, with one or two physical confrontations a week. Ms Batt said working in teams, increased police patrols where speed cameras operate and uniforms were ideas that could be looked at. "They have to present with a status of authority that is equal to what the public perceived when the work was being done by sworn police," she said. Tenix spokesman Liam Bathgate said the company would continue to develop policies to protect operators, who already had access to a dedicated radio and mobile phones to report trouble. He said harassment and threats were reported to police as soon as possible. "Police are very responsive and they investigate and proceed to prosecution if it is justified and there have been a number of successful prosecutions." Eight camera operators stood down when they refused to complete paperwork last weekend were reinstated on Wednesday. About 20 operators had imposed work bans over claims for a pay rise and better conditions. The stand-downs cost the State Government about $10,000 in fines and put Tenix at risk of penalty payments of up to $24,000 for failing to meet its monthly quota of 6000 speed camera hours. [Source: http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/...5E661,00.html, 20 September 2002]
for the state's 70 speed camera operators The stand-downs cost the State Government about $10,000 in fines and put Tenix at risk of penalty payments of up to $24,000 for failing to meet its monthly quota of 6000 speed camera hours
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