Great Southern police speeding inquiry continues

An inquiry into why a speed camera operator was let off with only a caution for driving 31km/h over the speed limit in the Great Southern during a double-demerit weekend is still ongoing, despite the Police Commissioner expecting it to be finished last week.

Commissioner Chris Dawson revealed late last month he had been briefed on the investigation and it was nearly complete.

“Once that is finalised in its fullest entirety we’ll be coming out in public on that,” he said.

An inquiry was launched after it emerged two Great Southern police officers decided not to book a camera officer caught travelling at 111km/h on Albany Highway near Kojonup in September.

The incident happened on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend on a section of road where the speed limit had been reduced from 110km/h to 80km/h because of roadworks.

Although there were no workers on the road at the time, the signs had been left in place to reduce the risk of flying stones caused by the unstable surface.

The camera operator would have lost his licence had he been booked, and police used their “discretionary powers” to issue a caution, allegedly amid concerns the signs were confusing.

Mr Dawson later revealed another motorist had received an infringement after being caught speeding on the same stretch of road on the same day.

He said the inquiry was taking longer because police were now reviewing “quite a number of motorists and incidents that took place in that particular area”.