The Poltifract Safer Neighboroughoods Team, which is part of West Yorkshire police have had great results from their Facebook page with debates on many subjects; the subject that created the most debate … yup, pavement parking.
I was particularly pleased to see this report on a visit to a particular street by the police: “PCSO Paul Guest visited a street in Pontefract yesterday after reports of a number of vehicles parked on pavements. PCSO Guest was suprised to find that not only were the vehicles parked on the pavements, they were double parked and some vehicles were parked on the bend at the end of the street”. They went on to say: “PCSO’s will continue patrols in this area and if the same vehicles are seen parked on the pavement again, fixed penalty notices will be issued.” Also that “The pictured vehicles are both illegally parked. As you can see prams and wheelchairs cannot safely pass the vehicles on the footpath. They would have to go into the road to pass the vehicles”. Great stuff.
West Yorkshire Police say this car is causing an obstruction
Not all police forces agree that totally blocking a pavement is obstruction, for example the police in Bristol apparently deemed that this car was not causing an obstruction.
Police in Bristol said that this car was not causing an obstruction
Personally I am very interested is West Yorkshire’s use of Facebook. Many public bodies seem to shy away from debating anything in public. My experience locally is that the police are far better at this than local councils. Hopefully we will see many more Facebook pages for communities to debate with authorities on many subjects in the future.
Pedestrian Liberation 
PCSO Guest was surprised to find that not only were the vehicles parked on the pavements, they were double parked and some vehicles were parked on the bend at the end of the street
Was he really surprised? I’d say that what he was surprised about is actually the norm in many places.
What I find surprising (and encouraging)is that they are taking an interest & hopefully doing something about what is a big problem.
:>)
This is what we need to see. Oh I do wish that I had seen this report earlier today as I have just finished a meeting with an Inspector of Cambridgeshire Constabulary on the very question of obstruction.Why can’t the Pcso’s from West Yorkshire come down to Cambridgeshire and teach our PCSO’s a few lessons.
This is the problem when police forces are allowed to use there discretion.