I watched a great bit of filming being shown on Facebook, it was about a mobile speed camera and the guy filming was asking some questions of the operator, anyway it turned out that the guy in the van was a civilian police employee and the cameraman was saying to him that he had no right to film speeding motorist as only a qualified police trained technician was supposed to do that job, the only experience he had was to pull the trigger of the speed gun pointing at the suspected vehicle.
After filming this went home and was shortly visited by uniformed officers, he argued with the female one saying she was trespassing on his property ( she had one foot inside the door ) so he kindly asked her to leave the property a number of times, he never admitted it was he who had filmed the speed camera van and so told her that he wasnt under arrest, they did not have a warrant etc, but she then questioned his integrity and mental state, he told them that the guy in the van had admitted to being a civilian, to which the filmer said was not legal, the police then left with a final caution that the matter would be taken further, and all of this happened in Wales.
Now i wonder if it is written in the rules that civilians are allowed to operate mobile speed cameras, and whether it could be challenged in court, not a lot of people know that it could be a form of defence if it was taken up in a court of law as to whether the operator was in fact a civilian. What are your thoughts.
There is not, and never has been any legal requirement for a police camera operator (whether for speed enforcement or any other form of evidence gathering) to be a police officer. There are many aspects of police work which do require that the person carrying them out be a constable (and sometimes also to be wearing his uniform) - but operating a camera is not one of them.
I think the guy needs to get a life and realise that you speed, you deserve to get caught. Peoples lives are ended by mindless speeders. Perhaps he should put his time and effort into people stopping on yellow boxes or keep clears, parking illegally, using mobile phones or not wearing seat belts. Put his time to something useful that might help someone one day.
I saw the same video and his main gripe was that the guy was impersonating a police officer by being in a vehicle marked as a police vehicle, it had Police and Heddlu on it and the South Wales Police badge, when he was in fact a civilian.
The main thing I took from the video is the guy is a bit of a ■■■■. 
Big Jase:
parking illegally
There are a few camera sites around here wherr the van parks illegally in order to set up. One of them is on a clearway which as a civillian they are not allowed to do.
The video maker was stupid to suggest that the bloke in the van was impersonating a police officer, he wasn’t.
I’m surprised some of those speed cameras are operated by civilians, because it’s not being operated by a police officer I’m guessing that you could legally stand in front of the camera and stop it checking peoples speed.
To be fair to the bloke who made the video, the police woman was completely wrong to stand with her foot in someone’s house after she’d been asked to move, this is typical of the police who see themselves as being above the law, that police woman would not have been spoken to so politely if she did that to me.
watched the video earlier.
Everyone in that video from the camera man, the camera van operator and the police are shown in a bad unprofessional light. very sad.
It is very tempting to park right behind one and get your sandwiches out. 
m1cks:
Big Jase:
parking illegallyThere are a few camera sites around here wherr the van parks illegally in order to set up. One of them is on a clearway which as a civillian they are not allowed to do.
Clearway restrictions only apply to the carriageway itself - not if they are parked on the verge (which, somewhat perversely, is normally part of the Highway). But anyway, most of the exemptions and exclusions from traffic law restrictions relate to the vehicle and the purpose for which it is being used (i.e. “for police, fire, ambulance etc purposes”), rather than the status of the driver.
Coffeeholic:
I saw the same video and his main gripe was that the guy was impersonating a police officer by being in a vehicle marked as a police vehicle, it had Police and Heddlu on it and the South Wales Police badge, when he was in fact a civilian.The main thing I took from the video is the guy is a bit of a ■■■■.
Lots of civilians working for the police use police vehicles. My mate who is a CSI (formerly SOCO) is a civvy. He drives around in a police van complete with blue lights but is not allowed to use them.
I think your last sentence is spot on.
Welshman owns welsh plod…question 1.why is it that when theres a plodman,and a plod wifey,the wifey always gets to drive the plodcar…and always is the one with the in your face ignorant attitude while plodman looks on waiting for you to tell her to ■■■ off so he can be a hero?? are the plodguys told to let her drive so that it looks like she is doing something usefull,or what? searching other wifeys and telling someone that their relatives are dead are the only 2 things I can think of apart from that, it cant be coincidental that its always the wifey driving.same as the ambulances,its always the wifey they let drive…and question 2 for the legal eagles,is it not illegal to drive onto the other side of the road,and park facing the oncoming traffic?
tachograph:
The video maker was stupid to suggest that the bloke in the van was impersonating a police officer, he wasn’t.
I’m surprised some of those speed cameras are operated by civilians, because it’s not being operated by a police officer I’m guessing that you could legally stand in front of the camera and stop it checking peoples speed.To be fair to the bloke who made the video, the police woman was completely wrong to stand with her foot in someone’s house after she’d been asked to move, this is typical of the police who see themselves as being above the law, that police woman would not have been spoken to so politely if she did that to me.
I do wonder if the vans are in fact liveried up to mislead they are operated by the police and to deter any members of the public from giving them grief.
Usually less stroppy than burger van occupants if you park in their lay by.
I do think there is a genuine issue with the police that, through their actions, they have alienated a large section of society and struggle to get their heads round it.
Own Account Driver:
I do think there is a genuine issue with the police that, through their actions, they have alienated a large section of society and struggle to get their heads round it.
that is one of the most pertinent statements which is VERY TRUE ON TNUK! 
correct 100% 
The Welsh accent cracks me up. I laughed when he was arguing with the woman.
And yes they really don’t like it when you park behind them.
Is the story true that someone noted the number plate on one of these North Wales police speed camera vehicles, had a set of plates made up then bombed past the camera vehicle a few times so they could catch themselves speeding? Or is that another urban myth?
How sad that people have become so indoctrinated that they can’t realise how corrupt the Police service has become.
They are probably the biggest culprits of abuse of process and malfeasance in the country, and when someone stands up to that they are ridiculed.
I’ll give you one personal example of how corrupt they are…
In my town a few months ago, there was apparently a parade being held by the Scouts. I was returning home when I reached a 4 way junction controlled by traffic lights. My light was on red, and you cannot see traffic approaching from left at all, and from the right only at the last second due to the layout and buildings.
Stood in the road was a large gentleman dressed in black motorcycle leathers, no hi viz no other identifying badges.
He waved me through the red light, I declined to proceed as a) he wasn’t a police officer so had no authority to instruct me to pass a red light and b) I had no view of traffic approaching on what would be green light.
He got very upset kept waving me through…when the light turned green and I attempted to move off, he stood in front of my car and prevented me from doing so.
A short discussion occurred where he admitted he wasn’t a police officer and that if something had hit me as I went through a red light it would be down to me. He claimed they had a traffic order which gave him authority to direct traffic at that location…I asked to see it…surprise surprise he couldn’t produce it.
Upon returning home, I phoned our local Police service and reported the incident as the gentleman caused me alarm, distress and harassment.
6 weeks later, on a Sunday evening, 2 Police officers knocked on my front door and tried to deliver a bollocking to me for the incident. I asked them to produce the traffic order, they couldn’t, I asked what they had done about my report, nothing. I then asked the mouthpiece what his connection with the local Scouts was…he suddenly had to leave and that no further action woukd be taken!
I knew that he was involved with the Scouts as I had seen him at the local carnival the day before!
So…one example of how they use their authority to suit their own agendas…
If for arguments sake I was to flash other motorist warning them that a speed camera van which was being operated by a civilian was in operation,I surely could not be done by the police for obstructing the police in the execution of their duties ast they are not actual police officers. On another note why is it when you pass through some of these towns and villages and you get the local residents out with their high vis on and a hand held speed gun you get a letter from the local plod warning you of your actions and if you get caught again you will receive a summons.Todd
“i dont like being filmed with out my permission”
he missed one when he said that, what about all the people hes taking pictures of without there permission 
toddmck:
If for arguments sake I was to flash other motorist warning them that a speed camera van which was being operated by a civilian was in operation,I surely could not be done by the police for obstructing the police in the execution of their duties ast they are not actual police officers. On another note why is it when you pass through some of these towns and villages and you get the local residents out with their high vis on and a hand held speed gun you get a letter from the local plod warning you of your actions and if you get caught again you will receive a summons.Todd
If you are caught flashing at others as a warning, always take it to court. I was questioned by police for this, and they mentioned perverting the course of justice. They said I was preventing them from catching speeding motorists. I countered this by arguing that I was trying to get others to slow down, thereby helping to prevent an offence being committed. I thought that was the end of it, until I was told that the CPS were bringing a charge of “obstructing a police officer in the lawful execution of his duties”. I went to court and told them that as the purpose of speed cameras is CLAIMED to be to encourage drivers to slow down, I was actually assisting a police officer in the lawful execution of his duties. The magistrates dismissed the case!
Hiya…my wife got stopped by the police for warning drivers of a police van in a layby. the police car
was in front of her when she flashed, he slowed down then pulled her, he said why are you flashing to lorries,
she said which one, the copper said the green one. she said that,s my hubby i haven’t seen him for 3 days.
copper said off you go.
John