Until
now all attempts to stop illegal motorcycling in the UK have been made by
authorities attempting to use the powers vested in them. Exercising
these powers takes resources that are limited and are often seen to be
better employed elsewhere.
That approach is essentially top-down, the
powers being exercised from above.
Even when the public are asked to help they are told to report every
incident of illegal motorbiking immediately to the police, and the
police will come and deal with the incident on the
spot,
there and then.
Unfortunately, the British police know from bitter experience that by the time
they arrive on the scene the incident will probably be over and the offenders
long gone. The resulting perception is that the police respond in that way only
occasionally, on a token basis, and the public become disillusioned and
say to themselves "Why bother?".
(Immediate Reporting. Since
creating this website, and particularly since November 2008, the
immediate reporting of incidents has resulted in commendably rapid
response from the
local police and the catching of some offenders. These incidents
have
demonstrated the benefit of immediate reporting and we now strongly
recommend it in addition to the taking of photographs.)
THAT TOP-DOWN APPROACH IS INSUFFICIENT
CAMARM's approach is different; it is a bottom-up
approach. In encouraging walkers to photograph number plates, CAMARM is trying to mobilise a multiplicity of concerned individuals
and
to provide a focus for them all to act in concert. If CAMARM can
recruit sufficient members of the public to act in this way,
this
bottom-up approach can succeed.
Rogue motorcyclists will not stop their illegal and antisocial activity
until they come to realise that, if they persist, they will be
photographed and reported to the police.
One further difference and advantage in CAMARM's approach is that,
although the photographs must be taken at the time, the police do not
have to take immediate action. The police can act upon the photographs "at their leisure", when they can
process the evidence
and pursue the offenders at a time that fits into
their schedule of
priorities.
Reporting every incident immediately to the local police is also
important (see Immediate Reporting in SOLUTIONS). Used in
conjunction with CAMARM’s approach in a pincer movement ...
CAMARM's BOTTOM-UP APPROACH CAN
WORK.
It must
be made to work. If it doesn't work, either rogue motorcyclists will
continue to desecrate the open spaces of Great Britain with impunity or the Final
Solution will have to be seriously considered.
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CAMARM's approach is NOT
vigilante-ism. In no way is it acting as the law, or above the law, or
as taking the law into individuals' hands. It is confined to the
gathering of the evidence that is necessary for the police to act.
Without that evidence the police cannot act, and the menace will
continue.
VIGILANT? - YES
Ask not “Why they don’t do
something about it” – Ask “What you
can do to help to stop it”
Go CAMARMed
Go ARMed with a CAMera
Go armed with CAMARM