Dumb Victorian cops

SOUTH Australian motorists are being fined by Victorian police for not displaying registration stickers - despite the labels being abolished more than a year ago.

Concerns that hundreds of Adelaide fans who drove to Melbourne for yesterday's AFL preliminary final would be targeted by Victorian officers ignorant of SA's rego laws prompted an appeal on Friday by Public Sector Minister Michael O'Brien to Victorian Police Minister Paul Ryan.

"The South Australian Government would appreciate a reminder being issued by Victoria Police command to officers of the legal situation and their ability to verify registration by entering licence plate details into the electronic database," Mr O'Brien wrote on Friday.

Yesterday, he said some Victorian police were "causing aggravation and inconvenience for SA motorists" who are not breaking the law: "There is no offence committed and Victorian police should damn well know that and there's no excuse so it's a case of harassment."

Independent State MPs John Darley and Bob Such raised the issue with Mr O'Brien after being contacted by SA motorists who had recently been fined for not displaying a rego sticker.

Mr Darley said he knew of two motorists who were fined in the past four weeks. "I understand they had to get confirmation from motor registration that their cars were registered and send that to Victoria Police to have the fines withdrawn," Mr Darley said.

Stawell police acting sergeant Mark Stevens admitted yesterday there had been an "anomaly" where SA motorists had been fined after the law change. "We had a statewide email go out (approximately two months ago) saying SA motorists were not required to have a sticker," he said yesterday.

The stickers were abolished in July last year in order to save $2 million a year.

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