Road Policing Unit

The Road Policing Unit (RPU) is based at Force Headquarters in Enderby and has an excellent track record in policing the roads of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. 

The dedicated team of police officers and police staff are fully committed to promoting road safety and providing specialist support to the rest of the Force by policing the motorways and major roads across the county.

The road policing unit works to the National Roads Policing Strategy which has five strands; casualty reduction, counter terrorism, anti-social use of the roads, denying criminals the use of the roads and public reassurance by high visibility patrolling of the road network.

This is delivered through enforcement, education, engineering, evaluation and engagement with partners.

The department includes the Collision Investigation Unit (CIU), the motorcycle section and Traffic Management, who all work together to ensure the county's roads are kept safe and secure.

Officers in the road policing unit patrol the major roads of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland paying particular attention to known accident location. They also provide valuable  expertise at the scenes of fatal and life threatening road traffic collisions. 

A great deal of campaign work is also carried out by officers in the road policing unit to further promote road safety messages such as drink-driving, the illegal use of mobile phones whilst driving and speeding.

ANPR

Driving criminals off the roads of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is the main priority of the Force’s ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) teams.

ANPR is a computerised system that allows number plates to be read by a camera which can either be vehicle-based or static working from CCTV. The number is then fed through a variety of databases including PNC (Police National Computer) and information from the DVLA via an ANPR reader.

When the cameras record a number plate that causes a 'hit' on one of the databases, the computer system alerts the operator who in turn will notify other members of the team who will stop the vehicle and deal with what has caused the 'hit'.

ANPR is run through a Project Manager, who is part of the Roads Policing Team.

Road Safety

Education and prevention is at the forefront of the department's work and officers from the road policing unit regularly go into the schools and youth clubs to talk to pupils about road safety and how they can stay safe when they are out and about.

Of particular concern are the young or inexperienced drivers who form a significant number of the serious and fatal casualties that the road policing unit deals with.

The department holds several seminars throughout the year to offer members of the public safety tips on driving and advice on how best to deal with different situations.

RPU Motorcyclists

Motorcyclists from the section

The motorcyclists within the Roads Policing Unit are an asset as they can provide a fast response to collisions and other major incidents.

They are also used for a variety of other work, including city centre patrols, carrying out speeding checks and escort duties for royal and VIP visits, abnormal loads and football coaches.

All motorcycle riders hold dual authority, which means they can use both cars and motorcycles when needed.

BikeSafe

A large number of the casualties dealt with by the road policing unit are motorcyclists. As part of the education aspect of their work the motorcycle section take part in a national project called Bikesafe.

BikeSafe is an initiative run by some police forces around the UK to reduce the number of motorcycle rider casualties.

By passing on their knowledge, skills and experience, police motorcyclists can help you become a safer, more competent rider. They help you to increase your ability and confidence, so you can get even more enjoyment from riding your motorcycle.

Each force organises events in their area to promote BikeSafe and also offer information on a range of motorcycle courses.