WhoDat, you make many blind assumptions in your defence of the officers.
I was there, you were not. I think I am in a better position to judge whether there appeared to be any valid reason for the speed of these two police cars. I didn't mention that there was a third police car at the petrol station, but as I didn't see it on the road, I am in no position to comment on the behavior of the driver.
You make a very implausible hypothesis that the officers might have been on a call that was cancelled, then on another call, with time for petrol in between (I never said anything about donuts - but the officers seemed quite unhurried at the petrol station).
Certainly, in this country we are all innocent until proven guilty, but I was there on the road and was passed on a blind bend over a crest. Even the most urgent responce does not make this a "reasonable" use of speed.
No, sorry, these guys or girls were just plain stupid and irreponsible. End of story. Don't go trying to stick up for them, when you are completely ignorent of the circumstances.
I'm not police bashing, by the way. I have some very good friends who are police officers, and it is a small percentage who are gung-ho cowboys, but these cowboys/cowgirls need to be pulled into line.
Do the laws apply to them? Of course they do. As pointed out, unless it is in the reasonable execution of their duty. In this case, I think not.
I have had a number of cases where I have been passed by a police car, usually on the Hume freeway between Melbourne and Sydney, only to find the same police car parked a few km further on with speed camera in hand.
The motto of the Victorian Police is "Uphold The Right", and it is the responsibility of all police officers to not only be doing the right thing, but to be seen to be doing the right thing. Police officers have a responsibility to lead by example and not to flagrently breach laws which are there for the protection of the public.
Most police do the right thing and should be recognised for it, but some don't and should be canned for that.
Watto
