Walsall Council has pledged to continue the clamp down on motorists abusing its Civil Enforcement Officers or ‘Traffic Wardens’, as they carry out their work.
This follows a recent sentencing of a 12 month probation and 80 hours of community service for a HGV driver for assaulting an officer on Marlow Street, Walsall. The officer issued a PCN for parking on a pavement which can cause a dangerous obstruction for the public, including those in wheelchairs, parents with pushchairs and those living with sight loss – forcing them to into the road and oncoming traffic.
Another incident, where an officer was attacked for issuing a PCN for misuse of a Blue Badge, resulted in a suspended 18 month prison sentence and 100 hours of unpaid work. Blue badges are issued to those that need them and officers have the right to investigate if they have reason to believe that they are not being used appropriately.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader of Walsall Council said,
“We have zero-tolerance for any kind of abuse of our Officers – it is unacceptable and whenever it does happen, we work closely with the police and courts to seek tough penalties for those found guilty of it. The welfare and safety of each CEO is our top priority and we encourage our colleagues to report all incidents and treat each one with the seriousness it deserves.”
Each of the officers involved have also been awarded compensation from the courts as a result.
