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Facebook page telling motorists how to avoid getting caught 'defeats the purpose' - police

June 9, 2018

Christchurch Police Checkpoints, which has over 40,000 followers, is the work of a man known to police for reckless driving.

A Facebook page telling motorists how to avoid getting caught is dangerous and irresponsible, police say.

'Christchurch Police Checkpoints' - which has over 40,000 followers - is the work of Christchurch man Jordan Mason, who made headlines in 2002, aged 17, for causing a near-fatal accident.

"We already know the carnage that is caused on our roads these days. Why anybody thinks it was a good idea to enable people to avoid protection is beyond me," national road policing manager Steve Greally said.

One law expert says the Facebook page isn't illegal.

"If you're specifically helping someone that you know is driving drunk or is driving illegally to avoid the police, then that could be a criminal offence, but simply telling the world the police are here and leaving it up to people to avoid them - nothing in law says you can't do that," Otago University law professor Andrew Geddis said.

However, police say checkpoints also catch people driving illegally-modified cars who could be putting motorists at risk.

"We do checkpoints for a good reason. They have to be spontaneous, they're done on risk, but when everyone knows where they are, it defeats the purpose," Mr Greally said.

Mr Mason said he sees nothing wrong with the page, and believes he is doing the public a service.

"Nothing in law says you can't set up a page like this, just as nothing in law says you can't text your friend to warn your friend that the police are running a speed trap," Mr Geddis said.

The popular page is now also a source of income for Mr Mason, with businesses paying to advertise to his thousands of followers.

Similar pages are popping up across the country, and police are not impressed.

"If you are designing those websites or participating with updated information on those types of websites, you may be assisting someone to kill someone you love," Mr Geally said.

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