Late bloomer
* Most get set to retire at 52. Not Joe Logan of the Victoria state police in Australia. He's just embarked on his new career as a policeman becoming the Victorian force's oldest recruit!

The former bank manager recently graduated from the Victoria Police Academy, having initially applied for a police career 35 years earlier but failing height tests. The entrance requirement was lifted and the father of four quickly re-applied.
He said: "I really wanted to work with the community and do something of value - a job which presented challenges."

Policing is a family affair for Joe whose younger sister and brother are a senior sergeant and senior constable respectively.

"My sister and brother have always spoken highly of the job, and I'm sure I'll be looking to them for advice."

Looks like it's never too late to start in the best profession there is!

Cover blown
* As our laser speed guns return to operation in HK, South Yorkshire Police in the UK have taken a unique decision - to blow their own cover and tell drivers exactly where their mobile speed cameras are! They post weekly updates for motorists on their official website, revealing speed camera locations for that week. Their traffic head, superintendent Stuart Chapman, explained: "We want people to slow down. If we don't catch anyone speeding by publicising where our speed cameras will be, then we will have succeeded."

The element of surprise will actually hit drivers thinking it's safe to speed outside the 'camera areas' as patrol cars with speed-detection equipment will still be operating on all other roads!

The Yorkshire officers sign off their webpage with this thoughtful little anecdote: "What's the difference between a school and a mortuary? Five miles per hour."

Drink-drive decoy

* Speaking of driving enforcement, our mole in New Zealand brings us the story of traffic officers patrolling outside a bar on South Island noticing a man seemingly too drunk to walk. Stumbling around the bar's car park, he tried his keys on five vehicles before finally locating his, and a number of patrons drove off in the several minutes it took him to start the car.

While fumbling with wiper switches, flicking his lights and indicators on and off, and tooting the horn, some more vehicles left. Finally driving slowly away, the officers hit their flashing lights and pulled the guy over for a breath test. Amazingly, the breathalyser read 'zero'.

The dumbfounded officer said: "You'll have to accompany me to the station, this breathalyser must be broken." To which the driver replied: "I doubt it, tonight I'm the designated decoy!"