Smile your on Candid Camera?

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 get pulled to be 'advised' about your driving. The resources once devoted to Road Policing have sadly declined somewhat in many forces and, I understand that some don't even have Traffic Departments any more. Why is this?

As usual the simple answer is probably money! A fully qualified Motor Patrol Officer, properly equipped is a substantial financial investment. Many Senior Officers would argue this is money that is better spent chasing government targets and, not many of these 'targets' are traffic related (contrary to popular belief). Yes, there is a Home Office Strategy for Road Policing and the document raves on about the virtues of ANPR, Gatso cameras etc. However, you have to read over half way through it to find, 'technology cannot wholly replace the police'. Unfortunately it appears to have done just that in a lot of respects, even the roads have their equivalent of the PCSO and 'cheap' policing in the form of the HATO! No prize for guessing where the government priorities are here then!

In the North Riding we have over 8,000 km of roads and some of the highest figures for Fatal & Serious road accidents in the country. Yes, there are many reasons for road collisions but I would hazard an educated guess that, a lack of traffic officers influencing driver behaviour may well be a contributing factor? It is strange that our road policing resources appear to have dwindled considerably over the years? So yes, the Home Office is right 'technology can't replace cops'. You should think about that next time you smile as you're captured on Gatso Camera, at least with the traditional 'jam sandwich' method there was often the opportunity for some advice or discretion and leeway! Click HERE for a selection of speeding excuses the police have heard once too often or try the Casualty Reduction Game with PC Bridge... Courtesy of Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Isn't Technology Wonderful?

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 heads to film incidents as they unfold. (York Press 200807).

Amazing thought I, this new line of kit called ‘headcams’ apparently, are going to be “North Yorkshire Police's latest weapon to tackle antisocial behaviour”. The media hack went on to report the comments of the local A/Inspector, who obviously extolled the virtues of these modern gizmos (in true ‘grasp the sound bite’ fashion)… “The use of headcams by North Yorkshire Police has the ability to positively impact on our big five objectives”. Now I can partly agree with the; "headcams will bring offenders to justice by producing compelling evidence for prosecution files” but surely, it’s the cop that ‘brings the offender to justice’? After all, the gizmo is just an electronic visual pocket book! And yes it will “reduce the challenge to officers in court and decrease the number of malicious complaints against police” however, there was a time (prior to media and film intervention) when the public and the legal system, actually believed and trusted the British Bobby!

This ‘new’ gizmo was ‘successfully trialled in Plymouth’ during 2004/05 and in July this year The Home Office announced: More police head cameras to help fight crime. Apparently they would ‘provide police with an extra £3 million to fund a national roll-out of revolutionary head camera technology’. At the time Tony McNulty was ‘delighted to announce’ the extra funding. It’s just a pity his government isn’t as enamored about paying cops a reasonable wage but that’s another story!

The problem here that repeats itself far too often is; proper funding of the police service and the provision of the latest tools is actually an ongoing and necessary expense. It is not sufficient that government and ‘partner agencies’ carry on with their mistaken belief that, things will get better if we drop the cops a ‘donation’ now and then, just to suit current public opinion or political direction.

Tony McNulty also said; “clear evidence provided by head camera footage means that offenders have less opportunity to deny their involvement, leading to less paperwork for the police”. It might reduce the written description about the offence in the officer’s statement but I’ll bet you any money, there will be numerous statistical return forms to complete so the force can report on their success to the Home Office!

Continuing with my amazement I decided to Google the subject and, as suspected, I found this ‘latest police innovation’ is hardly ‘new’ at all. Apart from the Devon & Cornwall Home Office trial in 2006 several other forces had already used the gizmo?

• Police to get 'RoboCop' cameras - police in London are to be equipped with head-mounted cameras (CnetUK 201106).

• And three years earlier; Helmets housing concealed cameras are to be worn by police in Sussex (BBC 051203).


• And still earlier; Police on patrol in the West Midlands are road testing cameras in their cycle helmets to capture crimes on film (BBC 110902).

And there was a load more…

Shouldn’t complain I suppose, at least the roll out is gathering at a pace quicker than Airwave Radio did. Airwave or TETRA, was a technology that although reported as flawed in some respects, was actually developed back in the early to mid eighties announced in the mid nineties and is only now available to all UK police forces! Devon & Cornwall Constabulary also reported this one as ‘new’ in 2003! And, I suupose it would be too much to ask for the tecno geeks to wander too far north of Watford after all, the uphill climb would be too much for their blood preasure to endure! Must admit having Airwave is better than having to extract the antenna from my nose each time I went to use my Pye PF1 Pocket phone though.

Right, where’s my hard boiled egg gone???

Work Related Blogs?

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' when you have been in a particular working environment for some time. How often have you seen 'the wheel' referred to as, 'a device with force bearing on the axle has an eccentricity e with the point of contact to the rolling surface and exerts a moment about the contact point'. Or something similar, at the end of the day it's just a bloody wheel.

It doesn't matter how some high flying 'new kid on the block' wants to refer to it and tart it up, it's simply a wheel... Why then do we continue to go through the painful process of reinventing it?

I'll tell you why, it's so the 'high flyer' in question can add it to their CV as 'delivering a fundamental business change for the progression and/or profitability of the company'. Far too often these days we see people who consider their employment, irrespective of it's nature as simply a vehicle for personal progression and higher remuneration. That's fine if that's all you want out of life but to some people, their belief and passion in the task is their personal reward, none more so than in the emergency services!

The 'reinvention of the wheel' phenomenon boils down to self promotion and self inflation of personal worth! As simple as that...

The content of Work Related Blogs & News, which is penned by a far more educated person than I, offers comprehensive information about blogs in the work place, of management styles and HR comment. If your blogging interest is anything more than just a platform to vent your spleen, you'd be well advised to take a read.

Now Ear This!

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!

Concerns Over Airwave Effectiveness

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 life will have concerns and, a thing or two to say if their equipment or tools let them down at work. That is only natural however, when that ‘tool’ can be the difference between life and death, it’s a lot more serious. Radio is an important tool for police officers and they should be able to expect it to work properly but unfortunately this is not always the case. So what are the problems?

A proportion are perceived as opposed to actual, many of us do not have the technical knowledge to support our beliefs. In this high tech age we have come to expect communications perfection. We are used to multi synchronised feeds from 4 corners of the globe entering our living rooms during the evening news. At the same time we enjoy and expect effortless and crystal clear conversations with our friend in Australia via a mobile phone no larger than a bar of soap. Much of this ability has been developed due to massive financial investment and the power of market forces.

Unfortunately, continued financial investment and support for the technology is not forthcoming in many areas of the Country, a fact driven by enforced budget cuts in many police forces. Add the fact that Airwave (owned by O2 until recently but now sold off to an Australian Banking consortium) is a commercial organisation. They are also a business, which enjoys a near monopoly status at present, so now you start to see the normal drivers for technology development do not exist. This is not meant to be an excuse for poor performance but it does give some background to the bigger issues.

That said, the safety of our police officers and the public should never be compromised or left wanting simply because of financial considerations! Yes there have been issues with the system since inception, some serious some not so problematical but now, with the largest force in the land (Metropolitan) adding their weight to concerns, perhaps the market forces element might kick into the equation?

Police Officers across the land owe it to their colleagues (and themselves) to supply factual evidence of Airwave issues to their respective Federation Branch Boards and Force Technical Departments. This is the only way to apply pressure during contractual negotiations with the supplier and get things put right!

Control to Dalta Alpha 21... Delta Alpha 21 are you receiving? Fetch a pie back from the butchers in Aidensfield for Sgt. Blaketon!

Communications technology is bad for you!

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 strain: People who work in offices are among the most likely to suffer from back pain, according to the British Chiropractic Association.
• E-mail makes office workers lazy: The explosion in e-mail use risks creating a generation of unfit, overweight office workers, say experts.
• Keep cool over computer hassle: Computer users need to stem the stress their machines cause them before it damages health, according to a survey.
• Too Many E-Mails?: Visit the PC Copperfield blog to read his comments and follow the link to an online survey about the subject.
• Aggressive e-mail is a Health Threat: The health effects of "threatening" e-mails sent by bosses to their workers has been revealed by researchers.
• Web Guru fights info pollution: E-mail, the net, weblogs, instant messaging, text messaging, multi-media messaging... the list of ways to communicate electronically in the 21st Century is growing.
• Work-related stress - 'The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them.' – The HSE

According to the web guru Jakob Nielsen, it is computers which are starting to control us, and it is time to "rule the computer and put it back in its place". I must say I have to agree!

I also believe that the electronic age has had an adverse effect on line management, particularly in the police. Far too often police managers abdicate their responsibility to their staff by cascading a deluge of electronic crap to the troops. They, and the organisation as a whole, believe you can train by email, you can reprimand and discipline via email and much less often, you can even reward via email. Is it any wonder that officers are becoming office bound? What ever happened to the Sergeants and Inspectors actually talking to their officers face to face? They don’t have the time that’s what happened, they are also being buried in a mountain of electronic manure whilst struggling to find the time to complete statistical returns, targeted reports, KPI returns and the like! No wonder the poor young in service cop on the streets often gets little or no supervisory guidance these days!

Must remember to send an email of thanks to Vinton Cerf & Robert Kahn... Oh yes, and cc it to all at DARPA! (See WikiAnswers)

Woman fined £500 for hoax calls to emergency services

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 they receive are not emergencies, many people use the emergency number like a Freephone NYP.

A typical conversation goes something like;

NYP: Police Emergency

Call: It ain't an emergency right, it's like I ain't got no credit on me mobi

NYP: You should ring 0845 60 60 247

Call: Like I just said, I ain't got no credit mate! You effing fick or summat?

British Telecom estimate that around 40% of all 999 calls are malicious - 2,700 of them are made in the North-East every year. Yep Mr Brown, the idea about raising the driving age is great and whilst your on, introduce financial and educational testing of our wonderful underclass chavs before they are authorised to operate a mobile telephone... I was going to say 'purchase' but it's probably nicked any way!

Police in India are desperately seeking geeks to help them fight cyber crime....

Officers in Chandigarh, in the Punjab region, plan to recruit a team of computer savvy nerds. A senior Punjab officer told the Times of India: "Geeks will be the masters and act as the real super cops in the virtual world."... Source

S M Sharma, head of the Pubjab Police Computer and Telecommunication department, said he was reacting to a dramatic increase in online crime across India."It will be easier to outsource nerds to do the job as it is probably easier to train technology experts to become investigators, than vice-versa"

Once hired the police geeks will also be used to train cops who currently “can't tell a laptop from a PC” Surprise!

Perhaps this will take off (has taken off) in the UK? How about outsourcing policing services to crooks? Anything is possible with this government!

TV Bottom Pincher Sought By Police

A bottom-pincher who "goosed" a Channel 4 News reporter live on television is being sought by police, who believe they had identified the man and said they would impose an £80 fixed penalty notice for a public order offence.... Full Story Aparently the clip has been viewd over 45,000 times on YouTube! Another example of police forces chasing sanctioned detection targets and key performance indicators no doubt!