VASCAR Reliable or Defective?
 
4th February 2009
 
In a bizarre day of reporting ACPOS the Chief Officers association of Scotland ordered the cessation of enforcement by VASCAR units because of allegations of bogus readings being created when operated near police radio systems called ‘airwaves’.
 
By mid afternoon the BBC following intervention by the Home Office the decision was reversed as ‘there was no possibility of interference when guidelines were followed...’
 
So, what were the stories, what did the retractions say and what are the guidelines?  
 
Read on:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By mid afternoon the picture had changed, as reported by the BBC:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By the 4th February further comment was made by Scottish Police Forces:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So, questions remain:
 
    For the police to bar the use of all devices there must have been good reason, there        
    must have been a repeatable spurious reading, there must have been a trigger.  
 
    To link it to the use of Airwaves, there must have been a cause and effect.
 
Now there is talk of guidlines for the siting of Airwaves radios.  As we all know, VASCAR units are normally mounted in the dash or console area of the patrol car.
Police Airwaves radios are worn by operators and mounted in convenient places in patrol cars.
 
Patrol cars can be used as base stations.
 
One thing is certain, there is silence both on the subject of guidelines and the operating procedure.  We are left with the device being valid as long as procedures are followed.  But the motorist has no way of knowing if they have or have not.
 
As with other enforcement devices, shortcuts are taken by operators and mistakes will occur.  Without access to operating standards and systems defective prosecutions must be continuing.
 
For that, it will be up to Advocates to secure the information, ACPO are blank on that content within their Codes of Practice.  Additionally, not being type approved by the Home Office, they are ‘approved’ by ACPO themselves.
 
Until someone sees the Operators Manual, the Manufacturers Instructions and / or the missing ACPO guidance, one primary question must remain; what was it that triggered the spurious reading and the link to ‘Airwaves’.