ASHFORDLY POLICE STATION

This Station (like many others) is now Closed

2009-10-01T22:00:00.005+01:00

Like many areas of traditional policing (as we once knew it in the UK), this station has now closed down. The last encumbent, one of the many 'Edmund Davies' babies, has now completed his thirty years, has no interest in continuing until the age of 55yrs and has shuffled off into blissfull retirement... Do I miss it? Only a little bit but what saddens me the most is; the police service that once

Gone Fishing!!!

2008-03-12T18:45:00.006Z

The stress and strain of modern policing may be getting too much however, retirement is on the horizon and I'm spending the last few weeks taking it easy and doing what I want instead of what the job wants!I may well continue with the views of a bitter and twisted retired old sweat but for now... I've gone fishing!!!

Do we have Safer Neighbourhoods?

2008-01-08T16:32:00.001Z

Well that's it... Christmas & New Year over with for another 12 months and back to some sort of normality... Maybe, but should we carry on accepting what we now call normality? Is it normal to have kids killing each other with knives and guns? Is it normal for our town centre streets to be controlled by groups of foul mouthed drunken idiots? It's certainly not a level of normality I am proud of..

Season's Greatings - póg mo thóin

2007-12-28T10:11:00.000Z

Well that's it more or less... The first part of the annual seasonal mayhem is done and dusted and now we only have the bringing in of the new year left before it's back to normal. To those who have worked all over Christmas commiserations and to those who managed time with family and friends, I hope you had a peaceful and enjoyable time. No doubt the January credit card bills will evidence the

Mr Brown you need us...

2007-12-20T12:59:00.001Z

Police Officers are furious that CSOs are to get the full pay rise, including back pay that has been denied to fully sworn officers and rightly so! But police officers are not the only ones who question the actual worth of the CSO. James O'Brien of Friction TV suggests we should actually Get Rid of Community Support Officers! There are many who would agree however, I believe that perhaps they do

Cat Burgler Brunstrom!

2007-12-17T14:13:00.000Z

The Chief Constable of North Wales police broke into his own HQ building this week (link). Richard Brunstrom said it was to 'test the security during building work'? I would have thought that due to the mirriad of gaffs, phopars and embarrasing situations attributed to him since appointment, is it not more likely he had to break in because his colleagues had locked him out!!! He might have gained

Working in Partnership???

2007-12-02T17:52:00.000Z

Have you noticed how every bit of paper you pick up in the office these days has some fancy buzz word logo about 'Partnerships'. Police Bosses continually bang on about 'Working in Partnership', especially when a media opportunity arises and, how every local newspaper or the evening regional TV news includes a headline on the same topic. Ashfordly Bugle: Local Residents Up In Arms... "we have

WANTED

2007-11-28T16:31:00.000Z

Female - White European - Lt Brown collar length hair - proportionate build - early to mid 40s - known to frequent the Redditch area - ex teacher - previously 'dabbled in marijuana'. This woman is part of a gang who have consistently stripped the nation of its assets, lied to cover up their actions and continually deceived others about their true purpose. They have robbed people of their

Toad Prohibition!

2007-11-23T18:53:00.001Z

World News: A man was 'lifted' for toad licking? Apparently the Missouri man had intentions on getting a 'high' from licking the toad's venom glands. He was arrested for the 'possession of an hallucinogenic toad'. How much street cred would that generate for our maladjusted street urchins?"Ya got some shit bro"?"Na but yo gets a lick o'me toad for fifty squid... It's well cool init"!

Government CSO claim is false...

2007-11-23T18:50:00.001Z

Half of Britons do not feel safer with police community support officers (PCSOs) patrolling the streets, according to a new poll. This topic also got an airing recently in the Tonight with Trevor McDonald programs about 'The Thin Blue Line'. Unsurprisingly, commenting on the poll, a Home Office spokeswoman trotted out the usual clap trap about CSOs being "an invaluable addition to policing". I

The British Motto?

2007-11-16T10:14:00.001Z

Whilst listening to BBC Radio 2 on the way to work the other day Sarah Kennedy was commenting on the fact that our illustrious Prime Minister has suggested we should develop a 5 word motto (see earlier video report) that accurately reflects all that is great about our Country, a difficult task? Sarah quipped that perhaps an apt suggestion would be... What's In It For Me!However, back in September

Booze Babies!

2007-11-13T17:50:00.001Z

BBC NEWS: Alcohol disease 'hits young hard' Branwen Jeffreys (BBC Health correspondent) reports that "More women and young people are developing health problems due to alcohol". Doctors say the social acceptability of heavy drinking was the most important influence on young people and, a new alliance of 'experts' calls for a rise in alcohol taxes, and a bar on TV advertising before 9pm. Professor

Local News

2007-11-10T18:51:00.000Z

Police Communications???

2007-11-08T13:45:00.001Z

There seams to be more and more problems these days with members actually getting a timely response from the police. Police stations that are never open, the response/neighbourhood resource availability issues and centralised call centres, all come in for regular criticism by the public an in the media. Apparently the following is supposedly a true story (supplied by one of my readers in the

JCDM Verdict?

2007-11-01T19:19:00.000Z

BBC: London's Metropolitan police force has been found guilty of endangering the public over the fatal shooting of a man officers mistook for a suicide bomber. As expected, the media is teaming with viewpoint and comment, good and bad about today's verdict. The court found the force guilty of breaking health and safety laws when officers pursued Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes and shot him

Trick or Treat?

2007-10-31T20:05:00.000Z

BBC Magazine: Trick or treating is against every rule in the parent handbook, and in a new monthly column on family life, one writer says the biggest fright is what kids expect of Halloween today. The writer goes on to ask; should we be encouraging them? Is it harmless fun or an irritating excuse to annoy the neighbours? The subject is one that has always annoyed me no end in fact, a lot of

The Faces of Modern Management?

2007-10-31T17:09:00.001Z

Being a little busy of late I haven't posted to the blog for a while. This probably isn't a major issue unless that is, there are readers out there waiting with baited breath for my next words? Yep, hardly likely I know! That said my despair and regular condemnation of various elements of our society along with discussions about what is wrong with today's police service haven't faltered, it's

'Bobbies Are Not Natural Bureaucrats'

2007-10-15T17:48:00.001+01:00

Police Oracle: Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has outlined how criminal justice processes could be changed to reduce excessive bureaucracy in policing...Really? A large proportion of our 'bureaucratic process' actually originates from our leaders! It's my intention to comment further however for now I'll just reproduce it in full for those who haven't seen or heard it yet (see below):'

Pensioner Speed Cops

2007-10-12T16:54:00.000+01:00

First it was baby Community Support Officers in the Thames Valley area, now we have old age pensioners working as traffic cops! What is policing in the UK really coming to? Apparently a pair of pensioners have been recruited by North Wales Police to clock speeding drivers. The idea, was another 'brain child' of North Wales Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom, who is renowned for his controversial

WPC Bloggs now in print

2007-10-07T20:32:00.000+01:00

The book by WPC Bloggs Diary of an On-call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line is now in print and on sale and as the Mail On Sunday reports; 'Being a WPC is part Orwell, part Kafka...and part Trisha, reveals serving officer'... I'm looking forward to reading the book as the blog has always been a good read. It would also appear that the majority of those posting comments to the newspaper

Red tape 'threat to Poppy Day parades'

2007-10-07T10:15:00.000+01:00

The Telegraph: The petty bureaucracy of local authorities and the police threatens to halt Remembrance Sunday parades, Service veterans said. Here we go again! Organisers of parades are being threatened with street cleaning bills, told to carry out 'risk assessments' and the like? My cynical head makes me think the 'political correctness' lobby are putting obstacles in the way of remembrance

North Yorks Funding Crisis

2007-10-05T16:05:00.000+01:00

The York Press have asked; why is everyone so upset about the possibility of the Government taking £10 million in grants from the high-achieving North Yorkshire Police? There is no doubt any funding cuts will hurt the force and it's ability to provide policing services to the county. But the Government will be laughing all the way to the bank. After all, should the crime rate rise, they can

PCSOs 'should not be used to replace police'

2007-10-05T15:10:00.000+01:00

York Press: "POLICE community support officers (PCSOs) must not be used to replace fully-trained bobbies - that is the verdict of North Yorkshire's police federation". Branch chairman Mark Botham was speaking out after the news that PCSOs in some parts of the country are to be given more powers to ease the burden on front line cops. Mark summed up the whole issue when he said; "But they are what

Sings; "These boots are made for walking" etc. etc.

2007-10-05T10:10:00.000+01:00

BUY your own boots - police officers in North Yorkshire are told! Uniformed officers across the county have been told they will have to buy their own boots as the force tightens its purse strings. Some officers have hit out at the decision by management to stop issuing Magnum boots however, when I joined we didn't even get boots 'issued'. Perhaps that's why I've never got around to putting a

Postman Pat is unhappy

2007-10-05T08:30:00.000+01:00

No postman banging on the door this morning at some god unearthly hour because the letter box isn't big enough! The BBC report: 'Royal Mail workers have started the first of two 48-hour walkouts in a protest over pay and fears of job cuts'. It appears that the posties are unhappy about their pay... At the centre of the mail dispute is the CWU's objection to the Royal Mail's 2.5% pay offer and

Many arrests in North Yorkshire crime blitz!

2007-10-04T17:35:00.000+01:00

York Press Headline: 4,000 people have been arrested in North Yorkshire as part of a regional crime crackdown. They went on to say; "Police in the county also handed out 3,500 fixed penalty notices and carried out 147 warrants during Operation Impact, which finished on Sunday. The operation was today hailed a success by North Yorkshire Police as it was revealed that crime figures dropped by ten

I'm sick. What's the big deal?

2007-10-01T23:19:00.001+01:00

I was sat this morning with a pot of tea and the paper, waiting for 8am when I could ring the doctor’s. You have to ring for an appointment; you can’t just turn up any more. It’s funny how they call it an ‘appointment’, gives the impression of booking an exact time slot... Not so! You’re only ringing to see if It’s possible to actually see a doctor during surgery and that’s once you get past the

Want a Beer?

2007-09-28T22:13:00.001+01:00

Yes I'd love one but no, that's not the purpose of this post's title! Beer (and other alcoholic drinks) are frowned upon by many. Lots of people see drinking as the 'root of all evil' however, it's not the drink that is the problem in itself no, it's the idiots who drink to excess and have no thought or care for anyone else, let alone themselves. Trust me, after nearly 30 years in the police I

The Pub Philosopher Agrees

2007-09-28T21:47:00.000+01:00

Whilst on patrol of all the usual Blog Spots I was heartened to read the comments of The Pub Philosopher and his thoughts on Sir Ronnie Flanagan's Review of Policing he said; "Ronnie Flanagan is right to say that a culture change is needed but that does not just apply to police forces. Government, the media and the public have to give the police back some of the leeway and discretion that they

No Money means no cops!

2007-09-27T12:13:00.000+01:00

The BBC report that the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police has described possible cuts to the force's budget as "potentially devastating". Apparently the government is considering changing the way in which grant funding to police authorities is calculated and, our grant could be cut by as much as £10m! The Chief has said this will "jeopardise jobs if the changes went ahead". Hardly

Try the Charles Bronson method or get a 'Trunk Monkey'?

2007-09-27T10:30:00.001+01:00

The law on "have-a-go heroes" is to be urgently reviewed to give honest members of the public more confidence to step in, Justice Secretary Jack Straw is to announce. Not content with preventing the police from patrolling the streets due to mountains of paperwork or, replacing those officers with pretend cops in the form of the PCSO, the government is now actually going to encourage 'Jo Public'

Bye Bye PC Copperfield

2007-09-22T18:33:00.000+01:00

I expect I'm probably the last one to know, or at least comment on it, but I see our dear friend PC David Copperfield of The (original) Policeman's Blog is emigrating and joining the Edmonton Police in Canada. I can hardly add anything to the myriad of complements and best wishes already posted on your blog. Suffice it to say, here is another copper who understands totally your reasons for going

What do community support officers do?

2007-09-22T17:33:00.001+01:00

Now I (like PC Bloggs), was going to do a piece about the GMP Pond incident where the small boy died and the PCSO's got a hammering in the media but I will refrain. Apart that is to say; my thoughts go out to all those who have been touched by the boy's death and my condolences go to his family.Like PC Bloggs, I wasn't there so can't comment on the details of the incident however, what this has

Ronnie Reports...

2007-09-12T18:18:00.001+01:00

BBC News 12th Sep 2007: Police officers in England and Wales are bogged down in red tape and afraid to use their own judgement, the chief inspector of constabulary has said. That’s nothing new; police officers have been saying this for ages! However, today the Home Office published Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s ‘interim report’ on police reform so what’s actually in his review? Here are some of the key

Sir Ronnie Flanagan

2007-09-11T13:17:00.001+01:00

Sir Ronnie Flanagan who has been HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary since February 2005 has had his appointment extended to January 2009. The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, has been quoted as saying; “This extension will ensure continuity in this crucial area during the year ahead as the police service continues its challenging reform programme and Sir Ronnie takes forward his independent review of

The Conservatives on Police Pay?

2007-09-09T18:16:00.001+01:00

Police Pay - The Conservatives: At a time when we (the Police) appear to be needed more than ever before, the last thing we should have to worry about is the financial security for ourselves and our families. Edmund Davies gave us (and the Government) an ‘agreed’ method to calculate increases but this Labour Government have refused to honour it once again. The question has to be asked however;

Johno Hills (Ex Sussex Detective)

2007-09-09T16:25:00.000+01:00

Johno Hills (Ex Police Officer): As a police officer of four years with Thames Valley and latterly Sussex Police, Ex DC Johno Hills understood early on in his training that the level of crime depended on the opportunity for it to actually occur in the first place before it could succeed. In short prevention is better than cure! Some have suggested that Mr Hills may

Hoisted by our own petard

2007-09-08T15:02:00.001+01:00

The ‘father’ of modern day policing in the UK Sir Robert Peel, engineered the creation of the Metropolitan Police Service in the same decade the term ‘sociology’ was coined. Auguste Comte in 1838 believed ‘all human life had passed through the same distinct historical stages and that, if one could grasp this progress, one could prescribe the remedies for social ills

Social decline or just too damn soft?

2007-09-08T11:08:00.001+01:00

Thousands of mourners gathered in Liverpool for the funeral service of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones recently. The media and our Nation are united in grief and disgusted. People are rightly asking how something like the murder of a small boy can happen. And just as importantly, what can we do to prevent it happening again?Winifred Robinson (BBC reporter), recalls her childhood in

United Front to challenge Govt.

2007-09-06T23:21:00.000+01:00

Police Oracle Report: Superintendents To Call For Policing Review - The president of the Superintendent's Association will call for government police performance measures to be scrapped, a review of policing, and an end to the police pay dispute at their 2007 annual conference... Now it really is time for the government to sit up and listen! No longer is it just the 'winging' federated ranks '

Chek Dis!!!

2007-09-06T22:11:00.000+01:00

Yo, Here me now and chek dis man is seriously well cool, init! Happarentley dis is for real, me bredren he says like, I is ere! wif a big blac pen on da wall. Dats wicked bro, Peter Addison is well cool, wot e rote in his best hand writing like also de crew tag... 'Adlington Massiv'! Boyakasha, I(BBC Report: An 18-year-old burglar who vandalised a children's campsite building was caught because

Supermarket Incident

2007-09-05T17:38:00.001+01:00

Now I'm no racist and some of my greatest friends have been from different ethnic backgrounds. I have always believed in taking people on face value whatever their background. However, this tale (which you may already have heard elsewhere) was relayed to me by a visitor to the station. It may be controversial but I think is worthy of an airing here?A woman dressed in a Burkha was standing with

Tickets Please...

2007-09-04T23:40:00.000+01:00

The Daily Mail: 'Police to be issued with traffic warden-style ticket machines'. Here we go, another piece of bloody kit for the bobby to carry! Now the I will admit the PND is a useful tool in the justice armoury but not, to the exclusion of process and arrest, which is now often the case! We all know that 'tickets' are only being used epees the 'bean counters', they have little to do with the

Now they are taking the piss!

2007-09-04T20:21:00.000+01:00

I have it on good authority (from a colleague in the west of the county) that officers have received an updated process instruction... Basically any officer who finds someone urinating in the street should adopt the 'new' policing method and proceed via issue of a PND for Sec. 5 Public Order and under no circumstances, report for summons (the 'old' way). But why has NYP just thought of adopting

TOAST?

2007-09-03T19:22:00.001+01:00

Yesterday evening I received a Royal Commandment to watch ‘The Queen’. Fortunately it wasn’t some last minute Royal Visit with the usual scrabble for police resources or some inane public function with masses of self important civic dignitaries or even, a Freddy Mercury concert (he’s dead any way). No this was the film portrayal of HRH by Dame Helen Mirren on ITV. The ‘Royal Command’? Oh, that

No Crime - It's just kids having fun...

2007-09-02T19:44:00.001+01:00

Today the BBC report: ‘Almost 3,000 crimes were committed last year where the suspect was too young to be prosecuted’. So what’s the answer? Change the age of criminal responsibility, simple! Overnight every police force in the country has a substantial increase in their performance figures and everyone is happy? More evidence to support the fact we just manipulate statistics to prove whatever

Old Chestnuts!

2007-09-01T13:18:00.000+01:00

BBC report: Concerns have been raised for public safety as Taser stun guns are made available to more police officers in England and Wales. Predictably, the old chestnuts of 'untrained police officers' using them 'indiscriminately' has tripped off the tongues of human rights groups, notably Amnesty International. Their 'Arms Programme Director', Oliver Sprague said: "We're worried that this could

Despondent? Me?

2007-09-01T11:35:00.000+01:00

I have always been happy to be British and enjoyed all that is good about our Nation. I remember the feelings of pride on taking my oath as a police officer and during the final passing out parade at PTC Dishforth. Today I’m finding it harder to know what the ‘good’ things are, where the ‘Great’ in Britain has gone and even more worrying, how I’m often embarrassed to let anyone know what I do for

Sick Copper Syndrome?

2007-08-28T21:41:00.001+01:00

Lost your drive or feeling off colour? Always got that ‘Monday Morning Feeling’ no mater what day it is? Don’t worry you’re not alone! Organisations such as the CBI would have us believe the UK has ‘some of the highest sickness levels in any Western Civilisation’… Not so!A major study found the British are ‘much less likely to take a sickie than workers in any of our major European Union

Traffic Resources increasing?

2007-08-28T16:25:00.000+01:00

I picked up the latest copy of Police Review in the office today and found that thankfully, I'm not alone in my recent Road Policing thoughts. Derek Barnett of the Superintendents Association is quoted as saying; "we are beginning to see a return of resources to specialist roads policing duties". The article reports that the service has 'ignored' the public's concerns about speeding motorists and

Smile your on Candid Camera?

2007-08-27T22:14:00.001+01:00

I noticed today in the Auto Express that some 160,000 British motorists have nine penalty points on their driving licences! Can't help thinking this is due to the proliferation of speed cameras across the Country and not down to 'Officious Traffic Officers' as some of the motoring media would have us believe. You can travel for mile upon mile these days and never even see a patrol car, let alone

Isn't Technology Wonderful?

2007-08-26T17:28:00.001+01:00

Isn’t Technology Wonderful? - In a moment of thought and reflection about changes in the job, whilst enjoying my pot of tea and a fag, I got to thinking about how technology is helping the police? And, whilst thumbing through a local paper I found, Police to wear video cameras in battle against street crime – Coppers are going hi-tech in the war against crime - by wearing video cameras on their

Today's Ten Penneth!

2007-08-26T11:37:00.000+01:00

I was going to write a missive but the sun is out again! Sgt Blaketon is up at Division so I'm going to sit outside in the exercise yard and read my paper... Think I can hear the phone from there???

Yipee! Bank Holiday Weekend

2007-08-25T21:31:00.001+01:00

August Bank Holiday and at last there's some sun? At least that's what I think it's called, so long since we've seen it you could easily forget and, in the words of my mentor and great grump Mr Victor Meldrew... I don't bloody believe it! Any way, time to divorce myself from the humdrum of rural coppering and spend some time at the pub, reading a book or two, maybe have a meal at the local or,

Evening All... PC Dixon reporting for duty!

2007-08-24T17:23:00.000+01:00

A NORTH-EAST chief constable yesterday (230807) introduced "the Dixons of Dock Green for the 21st Century" as he unveiled plans to put hundreds of officers onto neighbourhood beats. Cleveland Police are to ‘flood local communities’ with officers in the hope of driving down crime and restoring public confidence in policing. At the launch (see BBC Video Report), Chief Constable Sean Price likened

Rampant Rabbit in shop raid

2007-08-21T17:02:00.000+01:00

No, not the fluffy kind... The fabled 'woman's friend'! The Guardian reported that; Robber jailed for sex toy 'armed' raid at a bookmakers shop... Apparently he went into the shop demanding money whilst brandishing the vibrator inside a carrier bag. Maybe our hapless robber had read some of the sales blurb before borrowing his girlfriends toy? "This bad boy bunny is nothing short of genius", or "

The Soapbox?

2007-08-21T14:24:00.000+01:00

I suppose filling a blog with all your personal thoughts about this and that, is as much a personal escape valve mechanism as it is a platform for your 'diary' or personal life story. We may well share the funny stories and gaffs of our working lives but for many, blogging is borne out of sheer frustration. The blog becomes a personal soapbox and a megaphone for those political and social issues

PCSOs are just Cheap Cops!

2007-08-20T19:30:00.000+01:00

Reports today have suggested; Community Support Officers only solve one crime every six years, and consequently they aren't worth employing, according to figures obtained by a FOI request and reported in The Daily Mail. The government immediately countered by saying detecting crime was not in the CSO remit. That's correct, but it's also not their remit to take the place of fully sworn police

Black military officers to fix youth problems?

2007-08-20T17:10:00.000+01:00

It has been reported in The Guardian that; Black military officers are to be drafted in to work with youths at risk of being sucked into inner city teenage violence. Apparently high ranking officers (military & civilian) from ethnic minority groups have been approached by the government to tackle the gang problem? They will be asked to identify junior colleagues in the armed forces and police

'Urgency needed' on knife crime

2007-08-20T16:46:00.000+01:00

There must be greater urgency behind the fight to tackle knife crime and anti-social behaviour, the innovation, universities and skills secretary says. The BBC have interviewed John Deham MP who said: "The knife crime we have seen recently and some of the drunken behaviour - shows we are not where we need to be on those issues," You don't say??? Mr Denham also hinted at "powerful new

ACPO are busy officers!

2007-08-20T16:35:00.000+01:00

When we moan about senior officers who can't make a decision, perhaps we should take into consideration how busy they are actually making those decisions? You can almost hear them muttering to themselves like the little Eskimo on that banking advert... Questions, Questions? So many Questions!I heard a story on the canteen grapevine the other day which is apparently gospel (or the majority of it

Yob Culture

2007-08-19T17:21:00.000+01:00

'A spate of assaults and killings has added to the mood of a society unravelling - and often alcohol is to blame'. The GuardianLast Friday night Andy Holland 16yrs, was stabbed in the neck in his local takeaway in Greater Manchester and died shortly afterwards in hospital. He is the latest statistic in a spate of recent murders and serious assaults across the Country. Our society is increasingly

Police Station Attacked

2007-08-19T12:41:00.000+01:00

A police station in Norfolk came under siege in the early hours of the morning when a group of about 100 people hurled beer and wine bottles at the building. Surley not? There was a time when the only bottles aimed at a police station were, the gifts of thanks left on the doorstep by grateful locals on Christamas eve! How society has changed in the last 20 years or so.

Policing by Consent...

2007-08-18T23:26:00.001+01:00

A fundamental cornerstone of successful law and order in Britain has always been the concept of ‘Policing by Consent’. Perhaps our increasing lawlessness (actual or perceived), particularly amongst the young, is due to an underlying decrease in that level of Consent? The nine principles laid out by Charles Reith in A New Study of Police

British Managers - 'Bad decision makers'

2007-08-18T14:12:00.001+01:00

The Institute of Leadership & Management have recently reported on a study carried out by YouGov for Investors in People. The study highlights the that poor decisions made by managers have a negative impact on employees. It states; Nearly half of employees believe their managers are poor decision makers, blaming incompetence and lack of confidence for their indecision. In contrast, the majority

Should parents be forced to act on underage drinking?

2007-08-18T14:02:00.000+01:00

After the recent controversial comments from Peter Fahy, the Chief Constable of Cheshire Police about drunken youths, the BBC News give the public an opportunity to comment. Add your comment HERE or read the feed HERE.

Man rejects bin theft counselling

2007-08-18T13:29:00.001+01:00

Teesside man left baffled after being offered counselling over the theft of his wheelie bin. The man has branded the offer "ridiculous" and said real victims were in need of help. I have to agree with the gentleman, but the quote from Victim Support said; "A 'theft' could be anything from a wheelie bin to the Mona Lisa. If we don't know the exact details we offer emotional support in case it's

Work Related Blogs?

2007-08-18T11:06:00.001+01:00

Continuing my 'research' into the phenomenon that is Blogging, I found an excellent resource entitled Work Related Blogs & News. Now I suppose I (like many others) came to blogging out of sheer frustration. Of not being listened to by managers and a feeling that 'experience' often appears to count for nothing in the workplace!It is amazing how often you experience the 'reinvention of the wheel'

Police bid to stop 'tombstoning'

2007-08-17T23:29:00.000+01:00

Apparently police in Cornwall (along with the RNLI) are concerned about "an increase in the number of people seen in Bude jumping off the town's harbour wall and canal lock gates into the sea". To deal with the problem they are considering the use of Dispersal Orders? Now I know we have an obligation to the 'protection of life and property' however, it's likely these halfwit lemmings are the

Man stabbed in road rage attack

2007-08-17T23:16:00.000+01:00

A driver has been stabbed in a road rage attack in a Cornish town. The victim, a 27-year-old man, was taken to hospital for stitches and later released. Police are searching for a man aged 65 to 75 described as having grey hair, sideburns, a bulbous nose. This must have happened prior to the recent Home Office advice or some sort of reincarnation of Paul Kersey with a Death Wish!

Now Ear This!

2007-08-17T23:06:00.000+01:00

Interesting piece in the news; England's exams watchdog says the way a tiny wireless "spy" earpiece is being marketed to students is "disgraceful". Must admit I was surprised at the furor? I thought items such as these must be issued as standard now, considering the ever increasing pass rates and high marks!

Curfew & Care Orders for drunken kids

2007-08-17T22:20:00.000+01:00

The CC of Cheshire, Peter Fahy has done well for news coverage this week. His latest reported comment states children should be taken into care if their parents refuse to take responsibility for their underage drinking. It's a refreshing change to see an ACPO officer with the same thoughts as his 'foot soldiers' and, even more refreshing to hear them speak out publicly in that vein. Mr Fahy also

Don't 'ave a go... Tell the police!

2007-08-16T23:00:00.000+01:00

News broadcasts today gave coverage to the 'new' Home Office advice which has been offered to citizens on the subject of tackling ASB, they suggest... Don't 'ave a go yourself - Contact the Police! Good stuff, we don't want a nation of vigilante individuals trying to intervene in booze fuelled crime, brawls and violent disorder, do we? The undoubted consequence for our colleagues in the

We require better performance and whilst your at it, save some money!

2007-08-16T19:38:00.001+01:00

I was sat covering the office one morning this week, something to do with the office clerk needing some ‘urgent time off’. I think it was for shopping or something? As I peeled my hard-boiled egg and waited for our next ‘customer’ I started reading the latest edit from senior management, a document about the Force CCR. Apparently CCR stands for Capability & Capacity Review and, according to the

Concerns Over Airwave Effectiveness

2007-08-16T17:21:00.001+01:00

Poor coverage and unexpected user problems could still hamper the police response to terrorist incidents in London... As the Metropolitan Police continue with their roll out of the 'Airwave' digital secure radio system, numerous deficiencies in the £2.9 billion product have been identified, problems that are also likely to affect forces across England and Wales.Many people in differing walks of

Condemnation of 'chav-hunt' spoof

2007-08-15T22:00:00.000+01:00

One of Scotland's top private schools has condemned a video which showed ex-pupils staging a mock "chav hunt". "Class Wars" was posted on the Internet site YouTube by former students at Glenalmond College, near Perth. The film showed teenagers wearing shell suits being chased by classmates dressed as aristocrats. Apparently the school is up in arms about the posting describing the spoof as "

Middle-age most miserable for men

2007-08-15T21:51:00.001+01:00

Men in their late 30s and early 40s are the least satisfied members of society, according to a survey. They are even more dissatisfied than teenagers and the elderly, a study for the government found. Apparently the survey also negates the "angry young man" phenomenon which is not borne out by the statistics? May this have some bearing on the amount of blogs being penned by police officers of a

Chav Scum?

2007-08-15T20:49:00.001+01:00

Like many other areas of this green and pleasent land, even the rural parts are now suffering from the phenomenon which is, The Great British Chav. I decided to do some research about the little darlings...'Chavs' otherwise known as; Hoodies, Neds, Townies, Kevs, Charvers, Steeks, Spides, Bazzas, Yarcos, Ratboys, Skangers, Scutters, Janners, Stigs, Scallies, Hood Rats, are Britain's peasant

Police Chief Hits At Drinks Culture

2007-08-15T17:48:00.000+01:00

In the aftermath of a man being kicked to death, The Chief Constable of Cheshire Peter Fahy, has spoken out on the role of bad parenting and cheap alcohol in underage drinking... For some time now police and organisations such as Alcohol Concern (AC) have warned that under-age drinking has reached nightmare proportions, much of which can be attributed to trendy 'alcopops' and the proliferation of

Yorkshire home to a million 'dangerdrinkers'

2007-08-14T21:04:00.000+01:00

Shocking figures out today reveal nearly one million people in Yorkshire drink hazardous levels of alcohol – the highest rate in England. The Yorkshire Post reports that a study into regional differences in drinking habits found that nearly a quarter of the population drink "hazardous and harmful" levels of booze but in Yorkshire the figure is even higher. Yorkshire also has the highest rates of

Sir George Young Bt MP - On a lighter note!

2007-08-14T20:07:00.000+01:00

Whilst trawling the net for a little light relief from policing our dismal society, I came across the musings of Sir George Young, MP for NW Hampshire. And, whilst flicking through the On A Lighter Note section of his website I found a piece entitled, Police Parliamentary Scheme and read on... It would appear that the 'scheme', one of many similar ones, is designed to let an MP experience the

Man killed trying to stop damage to his car!

2007-08-14T19:30:00.000+01:00

Garry Newlove, 47, was assaulted by teenagers in Station Road North in Warrington, Cheshire, on Friday night. He died in hospital on Sunday. Apparently neighbours said Garry was attacked when he approached a gang of youths causing damage to his car. And there's more... South-East London; A man has died a week after being attacked by two teenagers he confronted for throwing litter into a car

Sex on duty

2007-08-14T19:07:00.000+01:00

Police inspector had sex on duty: A senior police officer met a woman for a sex session in a room at Gatwick Airport whilst on duty, a court has heard. Now can't say too much at this stage because the case is still continuing and, everyone is Innocent until proven guilty according to British Law. Although I must say it's usually 'guilty until proven Innocent' for cops! The defendant Insp. Khan (

Police Recruit 'Kids' as PCSOs

2007-08-13T17:12:00.000+01:00

The press and media have been full of it today; Thames Valley Police have recruited two 16-year-olds as PCSOs in a move that has triggered a row....Two 16-year-olds have been recruited as community support officers, it has been confirmed. The teenagers are undergoing training after passing their assessments, said a TVP spokesman.The current Affairs section of http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/ under

Paramedic Vehicles To Combat Domestic Violence

2007-08-13T17:11:00.000+01:00

North Yorkshire Police and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service are launching a brand new initiative this week to tackle domestic violence as part of Operation Impact, an eight-week campaign to gain a sustained reduction in crime across the region.A sensible initiative I'm sure. After all, how many times do you go to a drunken domestic and need to call for an ambulance to treat the aftermath of the

Communications technology is bad for you!

2007-08-12T13:11:00.001+01:00

Not only do we suffer from masses of bureaucracy in the police service, to the extent it often hinders our efficiency, now it’s confirmed that the electronic technology that supports most of it is also bad for our health!Office Workers risk Blood Clots: Workers who spend excessive amounts of time at their desk could be putting their lives at risk, research suggests.Office workers risk back

Nah then lad, owt goin' on?

2007-08-11T23:36:00.000+01:00

The BBC says; Concerns are being raised over the future of the Yorkshire Dialect. New research says our traditional way of speaking is being watered down and may eventually die out. The way we talk, what we say and how we say it, is as much a part of who we are as the place we were born. If you're lucky enough to be from the 'broad acres' of Yorkshire you'll know how important this is!I wasn’t

Young uns these days... I ask you!

2007-08-11T18:23:00.001+01:00

Why is it that youngsters allways think they know more than their elders? Does experience of life count for nothing these days? No matter how you try to pass on your knowledge to those less experienced than yourself, it just gets thrown back at you... That's wrong, never heard of that and I couldn't find it on t'internet so it can't be right are stock replies to offered guidence. Have they never

Council says; Get orf our land!

2007-08-11T15:41:00.000+01:00

A pensioner has been told she must stop tending a public flower bed unless she agrees to wear a fluorescent jacket, put up warning signs and use a lookout. June Turnbull, 79, of Urchfront near Devizes, has nurtured the blooms on the plot for six years. But now she is being told to obey health and safety rules after being spotted by a county council official... Now the well being of the lady

1000 Days At Sea

2007-08-11T14:06:00.000+01:00

Looking at 'Other Blogs of Interest' I came across a link for 1000 Days at Sea, which caught my interest. After a quick flip through the blog I went for a look at the supporting website (or should it be the blog supports the website?) however, according to Capt. Reid Stowe; "The object of the voyage is to leave the land and all support, sail for 1,000 days, non-stop at sea without receiving help,

Blogging Duplication

2007-08-11T09:47:00.001+01:00

I was thinking the other day about content for the blog and, whilst scanning around the net and reading the blogs of other police officers, I noticed a lot of similar threads. Content and comment was very similar in a lot of respects and, in some cases more or less identical... Why is this? Do we all sit and plagiarise each others work? Can't anyone think of something original?Cops generally

Military Blogging Ban

2007-08-10T12:09:00.001+01:00

New guidelines to stop military personnel talking about their experiences have been introduced by the Ministry of Defence. Blogging and sending text messages about military matters is now banned without permission, the Guardian newspaper has reported. The MOD went on to say; "all such communication must help to maintain and, where possible, enhance the reputation of defence"...I can understand a

Calendar Girls Charity Chocolate

2007-08-09T17:38:00.000+01:00

The women of the Rylestone Women's Institute have already gained notoriety by stripping naked for the world's most famous calendar. Now they have lent their bodies to something more wicked still - chocolate. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/The ladies, from the opposite side of the County, have over the years made a massive contribution to Leukaemia Research. A fine example of what is good about our

Eastern European Drivers

2007-08-09T16:55:00.001+01:00

Immigrants from eastern Europe are responsible for 14 per cent of fatal crashes on rural roads, research shows. The figures have been released by North Yorkshire council after officials became increasingly concerned with anecdotal evidence suggesting immigrants were putting lives in danger. www.telegraph.co.ukAnother factor that impacts heavily on limited resources in a rural area. A mass influx

Military Helicopter Crash

2007-08-09T16:53:00.001+01:00

An investigation has been launched after two people were killed and ten injured in an RAF helicopter crash in Catterick, North Yorkshire. Visit www.telegraph.co.uk Obviously my thoughts are with the bereaved. Any comment made so far in the media as to the cause of the crash is pure speculation. Until the Air Accident team, along with the other military & civilian authorities complete their

Is the UK turning into a nation of Chavs?

2007-08-08T00:00:00.000+01:00

So what yo' gunna do 'bout these f#>£ing Chavs Officer?So says Donna, the multi tattooed single mother of three (so far). She stood on the street corner, two kids in a 'designer' double buggy complete with it's Burberry patterned cover whilst the eldest boy (3ish) stuck chewing gum to the post office window and picked his nose. She continued... It's effing disgusting right, like loads of poxy

Woman fined £500 for hoax calls to emergency services

2007-08-07T22:38:00.001+01:00

A Lonely woman who bombarded the 999 service because she wanted someone to talk to has been condemned for putting lives at risk... And rightly so! A colleague in the control room pointed out that she was often so hammered you couldn't even tell what she was saying. The comment in the media about an 'alcohol problem' was obviously an understatement! My friend also said the majority of 999 calls

Fair pay for police

2007-08-07T19:53:00.000+01:00

"Year on year the work of a police officer evolves and adapts to meet the changing face of criminality and social order. The service succeeds in adapting at each stage to the new challenges posed and the new pressures faced. Yet never has the service creaked under so much pressure to meet targets, to balance bureaucracy and to continue to perform the enormously flexible roles that can see an

Drivers caught in road safety blitz

2007-08-07T17:41:00.001+01:00

North Yorkshire Police road safety campaign - Deputy Chief Constable Adam Briggs said of Operation Hellcal: "We have started as we mean to go on - North Yorkshire's officers are using a tough enforcement policy to drive down a totally unacceptable accident rate."Mr Briggs appears to be a good bloke, what bobbies would call a Coppers Copper and, it's likely he will be a breath of fresh air to the

HMP Ritz - Prison or Hotel?

2007-08-06T18:32:00.000+01:00

Apparently, daily cell checks are to be scrapped under confidential plans being drawn up by the Prison Service to save money, according to various newspapers.... Now I'm not one to suggest we should treat people inhumanly or abuse basic human rights, if we did that would make our society no better than criminals. No what I and many others cry out for is make prison a proper punishment, yes