Yahoo Lifestyle Unmarked cop car caught in 'sneaky' act sparks heated debate about speeding fines
The vision comes as authorities grapple with a skyrocketing number of road deaths in NSW so far this year.
Police have been accused of “straight up revenue raising” after footage emerged of an unmarked patrol car blocking a bicycle path, and appearing to book drivers while hidden behind a concrete wall on a double demerits weekend.
Australians are divided after the vision surfaced, showing a NSW Police Highway Patrol vehicle parked behind a barrier along the Alfords Point Bridge in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, with some branding the officer's move "a parking violation" but others insisting the incident is a "non-issue".
The video, shot on the Anzac Day weekend, has attracted thousands upon thousands of interactions, with people from all around the country weighing in with their differing views.
"This is bulls**t," motoring journalist David McCowen began in his video, which has so far clocked more than half a million views on social media.
"This is a highway patrol dude that is blocking a cycleway and running path here at Alfords Point Bridge between St George and Sutherland Shire, trying to book people... on a double demerits weekend on a long downhill descent on a bridge.
"That’s just crap. That is not serving the community. That is straight up revenue raising and I’m not about it. You can’t see him."
Aussies divided over highway patrol officer's act
Although, as some responding pointed out, police and emergency vehicles are exempt from stopping and parking restrictions under NSW road rules, many weren't impressed the car had cut access to the bicycle path. Others called out what they said was "sneaky" behaviour on the officer's part.
"Wonder what the punishment would be for a private citizen to park there? What a joke," a man wrote.
"There's reasonable law enforcement and then there's this," a second man said.
On the flipside, several others leapt to the defence of the patrolling officer, urging people not to speed.
"Easy. Don’t speed," one person said. "Don't break the law and this is not an issue," said a second.
"In reality, if they are speeding, then they're speeding — no excuses," another man wrote. "Go say something to him then, instead of sooking on the internet," a fourth man quipped, while another said the officer was "hidden for a reason".
When Yahoo News Australia contacted NSW Police for comment with regard to the footage, a spokeswoman said they "are aware of the video."
In NSW this year, there has been a total of 116 lives lost on the roads. By this time in 2023, that figure sat at 105. In addition, a staggering 10,000 people have been hospitalised with "serious injuries" so far in 2024 — a figure up by some 400 people on 2023 levels, according to Transport for NSW.
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