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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: grifter on 01 November 2017, 13:24:23

Title: police should go back on beat
Post by: grifter on 01 November 2017, 13:24:23
Had an interesting convo with a cop who was trying to defend policing by car, saying it meant they could get to an incident quicker, however that is a reactionary procedure where they only arrive after the incident. If cops were on the beat they can still have a percentage in cars for back up, where regular foot patrols provide a visible presence around back streets and alleys where cop cars don't go and would likely miss the beginnings of an incident, unless it was right in front of them. In my time i've seen many incidents develop, people fighting, breaking into cars on a busy street and police just drove by.

It worked before so why not again, we have more plod now than ever before, yet crime is rising again. Any thoughts?
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Bigron on 01 November 2017, 13:36:37
Perhaps because we have more drug users/dealers and immigrants now than erstwhile, Mr. Grifter?

Ron.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: tigers_gonads on 01 November 2017, 14:35:47
The eyes on the street was supposed to be the job of the PCSO's.

Sadly, with even more cuts, most forces are either cutting back. Iirc, with lincolnshire plod they are dispanding them altogether  >:(

At the end of the day when the country is doing good and people have jobs and money, the crime figures drop.
When the country turns to shit and people are skint, people go out on the rob and make money in other ways  ;)

Lifes brilient init  ;D ;D
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 01 November 2017, 17:34:52
In a perfect world, and if the police themselves could arrange it, there would be enough officers to go out "on the beat", walking around in two's.  But the reality is, thanks to ridiculous levels of cuts experienced by the nations police forces, there are not enough officers to be deployed in that manner.

I have been out with shifts who are expected to cover extensive areas on their beat, and may have to respond to a treble nine and travel 20+ miles to get from one side of the area to the other.  To do this they must be in cars to have any chance at giving the public any chance of a reasonable response time.  Do not forget either that not all police drivers can use blues and two's; I have been out on shifts where out of 3 patrol cars, 6 officers, only one driver is passed out to advanced level and can travel on blues and two's and not have to adhere to usual laws regarding speed and traffic lights etc as you and I have to.

The police are impossibly stretched, and are now trying various new forms of policing policy, like New Horizon down here in Kent to overcome the shortfalls.  Thanks to government policy they are also preparing for more cuts to come, which we the public allow at our peril.

Forget the "falling crime" figures.  The fact is that many crimes go unreported as the public find it difficult to obtain an initial response vie either 999 and especially 101, and many minor crimes may not even be officially logged, or at least have no action taken in regards to them. Indeed, over the last six months, there has been a tremendous spike in reported crime due to many factors.

No, if we the public want the type of police force most of us want to give us the assistance we need from them when we do, we MUST start paying for it in higher taxes.  The Government, living in an ivory tower, must start to get their act together on this issue before we reach the point of no return.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 01 November 2017, 17:56:22
We don't have a Police Station in my town any more, and the nearest one for Dorset Police is 10 miles away.  There are closer Devon & Cornwall stations but of course they won't come to Dorset.  ::)

There is talk of merging Dorset Police and the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary which dosn't seem like a bad idea to me, as it would free a lot of money currently spent on replicated  backroom admin, for front line boys in blue.  :y

When you think about it, it's absurd that we have 39 Police Forces in England, when the job could be probably be done more effectively by 5 or 6 big regional forces or even a national force.   ;)
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: STEMO on 01 November 2017, 19:10:13
We don't have a Police Station in my town any more, and the nearest one for Dorset Police is 10 miles away.  There are closer Devon & Cornwall stations but of course they won't come to Dorset.  ::)

There is talk of merging Dorset Police and the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary which dosn't seem like a bad idea to me, as it would free a lot of money currently spent on replicated  backroom admin, for front line boys in blue.  :y

When you think about it, it's absurd that we have 39 Police Forces in England, when the job could be probably be done more effectively by 5 or 6 big regional forces or even a national force.   ;)
You can’t really blame them for not wanting to come into Dorset.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 01 November 2017, 19:14:50
We don't have a Police Station in my town any more, and the nearest one for Dorset Police is 10 miles away.  There are closer Devon & Cornwall stations but of course they won't come to Dorset.  ::)

There is talk of merging Dorset Police and the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary which dosn't seem like a bad idea to me, as it would free a lot of money currently spent on replicated  backroom admin, for front line boys in blue.  :y

When you think about it, it's absurd that we have 39 Police Forces in England, when the job could be probably be done more effectively by 5 or 6 big regional forces or even a national force.   ;)
You can’t really blame them for not wanting to come into Dorset.

True, those Debbem Dumplings probably think we're a bit too hard for them!  :)
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: BazaJT on 01 November 2017, 19:17:56
The main police station in town[where all the pubs/clubs are]closes between 8p.m. and 8a.m. Perhaps if the beat officers had less paperwork to do every time they nicked someone[couldn't this be done by civilian staff?]they could spend more time doing what people expect them to be doing.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: YZ250 on 01 November 2017, 19:19:27
We don't have a Police Station in my town any more, ........

Neither do we. They did build a nice new station, moved in to it for a short few years and then vacated it. It now stands empty and boarded up.  ::)
I'm guessing that it was nothing to do with cut backs but more to do with us being such an honest bunch that it was decided that it was not needed.  ::)
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: STEMO on 01 November 2017, 19:26:22
We’ve got a little ‘community’ police station just round the corner. There’s no one there, young coppers just drop in for a piss now and again.  ;D
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 01 November 2017, 19:41:53
Our local police station was closed down about 25 years ago, so the nearest one was 3 miles away. Not long ago, the one 3 miles away was shut down, so now the nearest one is 10 miles away.
However, the police foot patrols have been in sharp decline for decades, long before any cuts. They seem to have funds for all kinds of guff which is nothing to do with them though, which are invariably connected to diversity / political correctness / lefty liberal claptrap.
Meanwhile if you are burgled, theres little chance they will even pay you a visit, and if they do it will usually be at least 24 hours after the event.
The morons who run the Police these days get no support from me.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 November 2017, 19:43:21
Whilst it's incredibly easy to believe the Lefty, union profligated view that the current government is entirely to blame... it would be prudent to accept the fact that Blair/Brown bankrupted the country with their free spending policies and moneynoobject public sector benefits.

There are only two solutions:

1. Cut budgets across the board.
2. Raise taxes.

Obviously combining the two would be the most effective approach,  but only one gets voters out.

Without getting all political, if we want better levels of services, we should be prepared to pay for it...
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 01 November 2017, 19:45:06
I don't think its that simple. Like the NHS and most other public services, if the budget was unlimited the service would still be patchy at best, due to the mindset of those charged with running the show.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 01 November 2017, 21:24:19
I don't think its that simple. Like the NHS and most other public services, if the budget was unlimited the service would still be patchy at best, due to the mindset of those charged with running the show.

The mindset of the senior officers right up to Chief Constable is one of trying to bake the right cake whilst being starved of the ingredients that could make it anywhere near acceptable in the perfect world we desire. They are struggling.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 01 November 2017, 22:03:22
I disagree, but theres no point arguing about it.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 November 2017, 22:23:20
Hypothetically speaking, I paid £5.5k to HMG via my Tax/NI contributions...

£1,300 went to Welfare. (This does NOT include pensions).
£1,100 to the NHS.

A paltry £234 went to Law Enforcement.

Given a choice, I would pay the Police as much as the NHS, and as little as possible to Welfare.
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 01 November 2017, 22:30:36
I don't think its that simple. Like the NHS and most other public services, if the budget was unlimited the service would still be patchy at best, due to the mindset of those charged with running the show.

The mindset of the senior officers right up to Chief Constable is one of trying to bake the right cake whilst being starved of the ingredients that could make it anywhere near acceptable in the perfect world we desire. They are struggling.
To use your analagy, if they don't have the correct ingredients, then perhaps they should consider a different recipe.

Some forces are adapting better at this than others... Thames Valley/Bedfordshire were early subscribers to the strategic partnership principle, and have since further expanded the idea by working closely with Hampshire. Surrey and Sussex are effectively amalgamated in several departments.

Rationalisation is hardly a new concept though... ::)
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: plym ian on 02 November 2017, 09:20:27
We don't have a Police Station in my town any more, and the nearest one for Dorset Police is 10 miles away.  There are closer Devon & Cornwall stations but of course they won't come to Dorset.  ::)

There is talk of merging Dorset Police and the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary which dosn't seem like a bad idea to me, as it would free a lot of money currently spent on replicated  backroom admin, for front line boys in blue.  :y

When you think about it, it's absurd that we have 39 Police Forces in England, when the job could be probably be done more effectively by 5 or 6 big regional forces or even a national force.   ;)
You can’t really blame them for not wanting to come into Dorset.

True, those Debbem Dumplings probably think we're a bit too hard for them!  :)
Whats the worst that happens in Dorset? Sheep rustling  ;D
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: aaronjb on 02 November 2017, 09:53:37
Whats the worst that happens in Dorset? Sheep rustling  ;D

That's one word for it..
Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Mister Rog on 02 November 2017, 11:05:36
Whats the worst that happens in Dorset? Sheep rustling  ;D

That's one word for it..

Not what it's called down here . . . . .  ::)


Actually biggest problem down here is boy racers and canabis farms


Title: Re: police should go back on beat
Post by: Kevin Wood on 02 November 2017, 13:04:19
Whats the worst that happens in Dorset? Sheep rustling  ;D

Well, people speed in their Omegas along that bit of dual carriageway past Puddletown. <cough!> Allegedly! :-[