Working in Partnership???

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 made great strides in dealing with the issues" said Col. Blympton-Smythe TD JP, leader of the local council... "our partnership approach is making a great difference to the quality of life within our communities" blah blah blah! So why, when it really comes down to it, are the cops often the only 'partners' pulling their weight?

Local News: Council wardens in York will patrol on an evening to catch out revellers dropping litter on the streets. It is part of a campaign which focuses on stamping out fast food rubbish on the city's streets. York Council in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy will spearhead the message in the run-up to Christmas.

Alf Says: What's the betting the Council Wardens end up calling the police when they identify a litter dropping drunken oik. The youth will have just dumped his kebab wrapper on the street, clearly observed by the wardens but they can't approach him "due to Health & Safety guidelines" ! But the police are expected to make a 20 mile round trip, leaving the job they were already attending to protect the warden and deal with the offence.

New Drugs Policy: North Yorkshire Police will no longer be called to reports of a drug overdose - in an attempt to save more lives. The new approach has been introduced to make sure people who need help call medical services without fearing a criminal investigation.

Alf Says: Previously the ambulance service would call the police to most drug related incidents. Despite the new policy, it would appear they still are as Ambulance crews 'stand off' outside the address awaiting police attendance.

Uncommitted 'Partners':

• Social Services - Consistently expect the police to 'hold the fort' out of office hours and at weekends due to 'limited staffing'. Expect the police to provide a 'duty of care' to people they have 'misplaced' when they were in their care.
• Environmental Health - Provide absolutely no out of hours services in relation to noise complaints.
• Highways Depts - Have answer machines that instruct the public to contact the police.
• Health Service - Fail to provide sufficient resources for patients with mental health issues, expecting the police to provide 'places of safety'.
• HM Coroners - No out of hours service do deal with those 'administrative' sudden deaths that are due to natural causes.

These are but a few examples of those agencies that, despite a 24hr responsibility, often only provide a service during office hours. The longer they are able to get away with it, especially during the current climate of budgetary constraint, the longer it will continue. The police service is no longer able to provide a 24/7 fix everything service, even if we would like to. We have neither the resources, the money or the time. At the end of the day, building better communities is all about 'WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP' isn't it?

We're never likely to manage it whilst the police are carrying shirkers!

Local News

Red tape 'threat to Poppy Day parades'

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 simply to appease minority groups, especially in light of the recent 'conflicts' that many are uncomfortable with...

Strange that, these people used to be grouped together under the heading of 'conscientious objectors during the two World Wars and then, like now, weren't liked much by ordinary decent folk! Petty bureaucracy gone mad!

The head of the Army, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, has called for local authorities to arrange parades for returning regiments based in their areas. The Daily Telegraph has also campaigned for troops to be given a heroes' welcome when they return from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Let's hope the conchies don't win the day, after all they would never have had their 'freedom of speech' if it wasn't for those who laid down their life in our armed forces.

North Yorks Funding Crisis

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 batter the police forces and coerce the police authorities into a second bite at amalgamation. It makes sense - until you realise that this "now" Government (robbing Peter to pay Paul) can never solve this country's crime problems until it provides the solid base of financial security to provide the manpower, the equipment and psychological security of the bobby on the beat. Communities are heartily sick of the "spin" of change. They expect their representatives (MPs) to fight, to stand up and be counted. The consultations end in November. The consultation with the public may well be a "take it or leave it" council tax demand by North Yorkshire Police in 2008. Can you afford this Government? York Press urging readers to support The Press campaign to Fund Our Force, which highlights the threat to police funding in North Yorkshire. Sign the No.10 Petition.

PCSOs 'should not be used to replace police'

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 it says in the name - Community Support Officers. They are not police and they should provide a support role. They should be employed in addition to, and not in place of, fully trained, fully equipped fully sworn professional police officers."

It's getting to be something of a 'stuck record' listening to police officers banging on about the poor old PCSO but none of us actually have a beef with them as individuals. Some of them perform very worthwhile functions, no the problem is the way in which the Government and senior police management use them... It's nothing short of conning the public and providing policing on the cheep! Money should be invested in fully-trained officers. If not be honest, don't dress them up as proper cops to deceive the community and be open about their roles and responsibilities. Give them all exactly the same uniform and powers all over the country so everyone knows who it is they are actually dealing with and what they are able to do.

York police chief Iain Spittal might have told The Press "PCSOs play an integral role in our safer neighbourhood teams. The feedback I'm receiving from the public is that PCSOs are very valued and that they are doing work which is helping improve the safety of York and Selby." I would probably agree but the vast majority of he public just want to see a uniform presence on the streets, they're not really bothered about the detail. That being the case why not revert to the cardboard cutout cop or cardboard patrol cars? That would save even more money!

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

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 clothing order in for any, I've always been used to buying my own. There you go, 25+ years of savings for the force however, I don't suppose I'll get any financial efficiency award though! Apparently the boots cost the force around £60 per pair or £96,000 in total for the 1,600 police officers.

One member of the force has been quoted as saying; "Surely the boots are an important part of any front line officer's equipment? It seems tight when senior management are all driving around in posh cars paid for by the force." A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said; "Following a review of all equipment provided to staff and officers, it was decided to withdraw the provision of boots for uniformed staff. A £55 tax allowance can be claimed back against the cost of purchase."

"These Boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do, one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you!"

Many arrests in North Yorkshire crime blitz!

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 per cent in August and 12 per cent in September. The results have been attributed mainly to Operation Impact and the road policing initiative Operation Helical." Sounds Good? Yes it does however, this is really another dose of spin... You know, the skill that politicians utilise fully, well even the police are developing it as a useful tool now.

What we fail to tell Mrs Miggins, who has waited to see a police officer for days is, 'Special Operations' make a big whole in the ability of cops to deal with the normal day to day stuff. Well I suppose theft of her lawnmower, hardly makes for 'sexy' headlines does it? Ask any of the highly paid 'Media Managers' that are employed by police forces across the land these days!

No Money means no cops!

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 surprising as North Yorkshire Police currently receives £73m a year from central government, 58% of its total funding.

Alf says: We are already scrabbling around trying to make up a £5m shortfall in our budget for the next financial period, how the hell is the force expected to cope with loosing more than half of its total funding? The public of North Yorkshire already struggle to see a proper police officer when they need one and no doubt it's likely to get worse! Thank god I'm getting close to retirement. Being a copper is becoming an embarrassment!

Traffic Resources increasing?

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 anti-social driving for too long and, I like many would agree. It would appear that senior officers are now in tune with the consensus...

In the words of the TV advert... That makes a refreshing change!

Northern Echo: POLICE have spoken of their dismay at a weekend of crashes which left two motorcyclists dead and four seriously injured. The Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police Adam Briggs is quoted as saying; the force would be continuing with its hard-line road safety campaign in the wake of the crashes.

Alf Says: I hope that the comments of the DCC are not short lived and we do see a return to a proper Road Policing functionality within the force. Not just a one off operation to pacify public opinion. See full report on BBC North Yorkshire

Paramedic Vehicles To Combat Domestic Violence

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 rowing parties fisty cuffs? Any new measure that goes some way towards dealing with the aftermath of British binge drinking has to be applauded.

The media release goes on to say... the pairing of a paramedic with a police officer on late night weekend shifts means emergency care is now on the city’s streets - helping to reduce unnecessary 999 calls and visits to A&E. Apparently this scheme has already been trialed in other parts of Yorkshire with positive results for both emergency services.

Despite the good points I also have some thoughts of caution...

• Is the paramedic to receive any additional self defence training, over and above the basics they already receive? In a highly charged drink fueled disturbance the possibility of injury is obviously increased.
• Is there not a a slight conflict of interests between the crew of the vehicle? Although they have a common remit to preserve life, one has that as a primary aim the other's is law enforcement.
• Is this not another import from the USA where there is more combined management of emergency services and cross role working?
• Is this another way of sneaking workforce modernisation in by the back door?

I suppose it is highly likely more good than bad will come from the 'experiment' but I would like to reserve judgement, at least for now.

Calendar Girls Charity Chocolate

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 country and it's community spirit. Pity this sort of thing is now unusual when it was once the norm. Too often these days, large elements of our society have no interest in doing things for anyone but themselves!

The now world famous Calendar Girls have raised over £1 million for Leukaemia Research – and their invaluable work continues. The Chocolate box is available online from Leukaemia Research for £1.99, with 20p going to the charity.

Military Helicopter Crash

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 investigation, I'll do what the media should do more often... Make no comment!

What the incident did bring home to me though was that, despite Catterick being the largest military garrison in Europe and, that area being part of the largest police force geographic area in England & Wales, where do the resources come from at a time like this? We already struggle at times to meet routine daily demand.

We police major incidents by working extended shifts, having our days off cancelled or altered and generally put ourselves out to get the job done! But here's the rub, you can't refer to policing as just a job, despite what the politicians want to do. Yes we get paid for what we do but to many, the money is not the issue, it's all about providing a service to the community and our fellow human beings.

The fact that politicians (and increasingly members of the public), no longer look on the police as 'special' in employment terms, means the regulations that protect our status and, the remuneration we receive for the restrictions on our private lives, are being seriously and systematically eroded away, in an attempt to save money by the government. Look elsewhere to do your penny pinching Mr Brown and, if you hadn't wasted so many millions over the last ten years or so, you wouldn't have to tighten your belt so much now!

Foot & Mouth: An anxious wait for farmers

Cattle at a Surrey farm have tested positive for Foot & Mouth disease; the last outbreak in 2001 devastated many parts of rural Britain including North Yorkshire. At this time of year the ban on livestock movements is a major financial headache for our communities and, some agricultural shows and village fetes have already been hit (see Tockwith Show).

Despite the mases of overtime worked during the 2001 outbreak (which gave officers healthy bank balances), I for one would not wish to see the total desimation of our livestock again. Some of our farmers who managed not to go out of business then are only just getting back to normal now!

NY County Council website offers this advice: Following the confirmation of Foot and Mouth disease on a farm in Guildford, Surrey on 3rd August, 2007 should you require any information please refer to the DEFRA website or contact the DEFRA helpline on 08459 33 55 77 or, if you live within North Yorkshire, you can contact the North Yorkshire County Council Animal Health and Welfare helpline on 0845 3301221.

All steamed up!

The biggest Steam Fair in the North of England... Pickering Traction Engine Rally, 2nd 3rd 4th 5th August. The show originates from the early 1950s when a group of locals raced four steam traction engines in a field on the outskirts of the town. This was the start of steam engine rallies. The show of today has grown out of all recognition and is now one of the biggest outdoor spectaculars in the UK. These days you can even try a Traction Engine Driving Experience holidays!

North Yorkshire Police Awards 2007

PC Harry Baker stationed at Whitby is the North Yorkshire Neighbourhood Police Officer of the Year for 2007. He has become a familiar figure within the local communities who appreciate his conscientious work and his problem-solving skills tackling a wide variety of issues ranging from tourist parking to neighbour’s disputes to bullying in school... So says the NYP media release.

Yes Harry may be what is now termed an 'NPT Officer' however, the style of policing he has been awarded for is nothing new to the sticks, it's what the majority of us do and, it's what our 'customers' over the years have come to expect!

I'm not suggesting that Harry isn't deserving of the award for one minute but aren't we all supposed to be public servants and carry out our role as part of the community? It should never be an us and them situation but unfortunately, with the government messing and creation of a multi tear policing structure that's the way we are going! How long before it's only CSOs that get this recognition and we, the fully sworn police officers are only there to dish out strong arm retribution to the drunken, ill behaved underclasses?