At the weekend, I wrote to the Chief Constable following the concern about a high-speed car incident last week in parts of the city, including across the West End.I have had an extremely prompt response from Tayside Police's Central Division Road Policing Unit as follows :
"Cllr Macpherson
I refer to your communication received in respect of the matter involving the car driving at speed through Dundee and found abandoned in Clayhills Drive last Thursday 17 June 2010 and the concerns raised by your constituents.
As you will be aware I echoed your constituents concerns re - this type of behaviour in the media. With regard to the use of CCTV in relation to this type of incident I would comment as follows: As soon as the police became aware regarding the manner of driving of this vehicle CCTV was tasked with trying to locate the vehicle and assist with identification and as you suggest support the co-ordination of resource with the aim of preventing a continuation of this driving behaviour by the most appropriate means. A police patrol who had been in the area and who had become aware of the vehicle travelling at speed in Broughty Ferry Road made efforts to maintain observations on the vehicle with a similar aim in mind and update on its location until CCTV could assist as previously stated. The road policing officers in this vehicle, being fully aware of the likley increased road user activity at this time, continued to update their position and observations to ensure that resource(s) could be tasked, including CCTV, and also that their position and response could be fully considered.
The short timescales involved from the police becoming aware of this vehicle and the resultant abandoning of it in Clayhills Drive did make it extremely difficult to realise and co-ordinate an effective policing response to safely intercept and / or stop this vehicle. Police units were deployed strategically in an effort to lookout for this vehicle as the responding unit had considered its position and was endeavouring to update on the vehicles location and / or direction of travel rather than pursue the vehicle due to the possible risks to all road users.
The CCTV footage obtained and accounts from members of the public who have come forward to our appeals for assistance are all being examined at this time to identify the individuals involved in this incident.
Thank you for your communication and hope that this deals adequately with your query but should you wish anything clarified then please don`t hesitate to contact me direct."