From My Bottom Step

New Funding for R.I.D.E. Checks

A media release from London Police Service. Published by FMBS as a public service.

Police Release – Lorne Avenue Standoff

On Monday April 20 2009 London Police attended a residence on Lorne Avenue near English Street to assist the City of London by-law staff regarding property cleanup under the Clearing of Land By-law. At approximately 11 am a male barricaded himself inside of the residence and is believed to be in possession of a weapon. Lorne Avenue Public school was on lock down as a precautionary measure, then students were transported to Western Fair Agriplex south side of Florence by LTC buses. All are safe. Parents can pick up children there. Three occupants of the residence, two adult females and a teenager exited the residence and are unharmed. Police are still on scene and the male remains barricaded inside of the residence. More updates will be given when available. Continue Reading

Another Hit-and-Run

According to the LFP website (”Police seek food-covered car…”) a 40-year-old woman is in hospital for “not life-threatening injuries” after being struck in the area of UWO around 6:15.

More details if they become available.

My 2008/11/12 Email to Sgt. Tom

Don’t kid yourself. Police enforcement is as much a complaints-driven political system as is public transit or anything else.
From: Gregory Fowler
To: Thomas O’Brien
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 4:34:56 PM
Subject: FYI

Sgt. O’Brien
Traffic Management, London Police Services

More video for you to examine. Continue Reading

Are You a Jackass Driver?

Today’s rant is courtesy of the dolt driving the pickup who decided that making a legal right-hand turn onto Commissioners Road from the hospital’s parking lot yesterday would be too inconvenient.
Actually, I think that I’ll save the rant. The picture speaks for itself. Click to get a larger high-res image.

London’s Traffic Enforcement Stinks

Three weeks ago, Phil McLeod penned an editorial in The Londoner which concluded that there needs to be more police enforcement of speed limits in London (’Needed, more enforcement of speed limits.’) Sgt. Tom O’Brien (London Police Services) responded with an article of his own (’More Enforcement to catch speeders won’t be enough’). What did we learn?
Phil referred to “red light jumpers at … Continue Reading

Obstructive Drivers

At one of the city’s strangest intersections (Commissioners/Adelaide) it isn’t at all unusual for vehicles exiting the plaza to block the pedestrian roadway (ie sidewalk). Typically, there’s never a cop around when you need one.

Why Bother Having a Fire Code?

As a result of the 2008/01/10 Limberlost Road condominium fire that sent a man and his wife to hospital in critical condition, and a teenaged son in serious condition, the London man plead guilty for failing to provide at least one smoke alarm on each story of his home as required by the Fire Code. And received probation.
Continue Reading

British Cellphone Crackdown

Although the use of cellphones while operating an automobile was outlawed in Britain in 2003, it’s estimated that “half a million motorists flout the ban each day.”
Continue Reading

Technology Exists; Political Leadership Is Absent

“Surveillance cameras at major intersections dramatically reduce the number of drivers who barrel through red lights, two new research reports say.” In “Research: Red-light cameras work”, Larry Copeland (USA TODAY) attributes a senior transportation safety engineer as saying that “There’s a dramatic change in driver behavior when red light cameras are used.”

In her latest column (”Another useful tool to stop those speeding drivers”; … Continue Reading