Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,023
20 November 2009
09:4933528I recall the debate re private security patrols as discussed by River Parish Council .Im not in favour and fortunately River Parish Council were of the same opion .There are two good reasons not to have them .One it lowers the value of your home and most importantly you are paying as in Rivers case it would be three times .
Here is an instance what powers does a PCSO have ?Periodically boys gather at the bus terminus not a problem you might think however kicking a football against the wall and bus shelter to past ten p.m.is .Our PCSO was called to try and sort the problem out .He said he could do nothing as there wasnt a notice sayiong NO BALL GAMES .By the way these notices are the bain of my life just more signs completely ignored .THe PCSO visited the parents of these boys and neither family were intersted .
WE also have a problem with large trucks parked around the village .THis has been brought to the attention of the PCSO and all he says is "Where are they parked " Unbelievable as he must see them as they are in different roads around the village .
I know my old mate Vic looks in to the postings and on the radio and it was on TV last night pointing out how useless CCTV is .The money spent on these pkus PCSO coyuld be spent on proper policeman .Sorry Keith ,but we have to pay for ours and its not a good service .I still believe we the public should speak up and nip these problems in the bud .When one is afraid to speak to a young boy or girl and to me if they are stiill at school they are then its a sad sad world and we should never let them rule .Consideration and politness when talking to these offenders usually wins the day .
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
20 November 2009
11:0433530We had a problem here last week, down Godwyne Road with wing mirrors being ripped off cars, it happens late at night. A good friend of mine was one of the victims, the damage cost her £125 she reported it to the police and they said that yes, they had a lot of complaints all week and were checking cctv footage.
Would private security patrols avoid this mindless vandalism when the police station is just yards away?
20 November 2009
11:0733531Ditto Colette - low level vandalism that costs individuals money and annoyance and isn't on anyones radar.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
20 November 2009
13:0833538cctv????
why do they still bother having them, they use the pictures(computer enhanced) for the major cases, but ignore them for the much more common petty crime.
usually the excuse is that the pictures are not clear enough.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
21 November 2009
21:5933633obviously i have an interest in the outcome but can give it to you as i see it?
Since pcso's came in i can speak for folkestone area im in
the community are saying at public meetings, and when i meet them, that not only will they fight to retain them but also they feel pcso's are valued in the community.
PCSO's are an ADDITION to police officers, and to understand the role is required before making judgements.
I cannot speak for River but can speak where PCSO's have been established in schools in folkestone, welcomed by the schools, welcomed by the community.
The presense of PCSO's is reassuring to the public.
On the role itself, I have concentrated doing as Sue has indicated, talking to youth clubs, age concern, ghurka regiment, young, not so young, pre school, scouts, guides, st johns ambulance plus many many more
oh yes and local business's
The police do a grand job, but do not have the time to spend on cases and thats where we come in, talking to the community, reassuring the community, getting respect from the community.
I know listening to the feedbck i get in folkestone that iv gained that respect over my 2 years serving that area.
It has been hard at times, because has meant befriending even those that hate society and the police.
But I HAVE stuck at it, and i can give you 2 very good examples why PCSO's should remain and im sure there are many many more.
1' All the police were out in force looking for a missing 13 year old
a girl(who hates uniform ) came up to me to ask if i was looking for someone
i said yes a boy, she said hes in that house, i aint told yer and ran off
SO WHY DID SHE TELL ME AND NOT THE POLICE???
BECAUSE i have spent 2 years talking to her(as no one else has ) she feels at least i listen to her, and after the 2 years she now speaks every day to me
2; Another incident big fight had taken place loads of police loads of cars
a load of us pcso's went and the kids present all came to me and other PCSO
to tell us what had happened.
The police had been there for 20 mins getting no info.
Even the police commented how come they know your -name, how come they talk to you.
told them cos we spend time talking to them, explaining what effect they have on community at times, its a mutual respect, more importantly it works!!!
The ex U2 drummer you m,ay have heard robbed a bank in folk
who chased and caught him? yep a PCSO
wHO IS IT in comunities the public ring first, in folkestone its pcso's
The new set up (neighbourhood policing) brings together and encourages PC's and PCSO going out together, and where i work i have a very active PC and to that end things realy work and people see and even bigger presense.
Anyway enough on wot they do cant mustnt go on to long
LETS TALK ABOUT THE POWERS
These are limited but for good reason, I don;t want to become a cheap policeman by being given the powers of a policeman, also the roles are very diffrent, and if PCSO's were to be given to many powers they would no longer have the respect built up with the young over the past 2 years or so
So feel power of arrest
and power to search
are 2 that i would go with the rest i need more convincing on.
NOW TO THE FUTURE
well i have sent -3 letters to the shadow home office minister on the PCSO role and his view and got 3 diffrent replies!!
first one said i have no intention of making any changes
second one said iv heard gd and bad so wont rule out disbanding them
third one said he will leave it all to chief constables to =decide
so i still dont know his true intentions!!!!!
All i can say is the 18 PCSO's are respected in folkestone and there would outcry should they be removed.
COST
Even if the tories decided(if the were in govt) to do away with the role
the police are facing cutbacks up to 20%
there is no dosh for redundancy, and the govt will be slashing public spending so wont be providing money for that which the bill for redundancy will run into millions across country.
So theres my small imput, you will realise like my council role i dont like to do things less than 100% and im passionate PCSO' have a role to play and always will
Of course with the tories wanting to slash public spending this will mean LESS
chance of any more police being put in place SUE not more.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
21 November 2009
22:1233635Keith
A good honest posting from the heart but why did you you feel it necessary to write to the SHADOW Home Secretary?
Many Chief Constables have intimated that they will resign if DC goes ahead with his plans to make their position electable therefore making their post more political than at present. They want to maintain their independance from govt both central and local.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
21 November 2009
22:5733640i am not sure about this elected chief constable bit, they would be more accountable but would it be that they implement popular policies just prior to an election?
dc is not even prime minister yet and he is alienating so many people.
the police are traditional conservative voters at all levels.
22 November 2009
01:0733648Kieth, I am sure PSCOs do a grand job, but I am not convinced that the money is well spent. I think that perhaps if the money were spent on the police and the aims and goals were re-drawn to allow the extra police the time and education to reach out, as you clearly do, to communities, more probelms could be addressed. I am quite happy to be wrong.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
22 November 2009
08:5533654Good posting Keith.
I also believe the PCSOs do a very good job and would support as strongly as possible the retention of them - I didn't know there were thoughts to disband them; where did that come from ? scaremongering ?
I'm sure there'll be lots of them over the next few months.
Roger
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
22 November 2009
09:1833658Roger
The Tories have said that they thought PCSO's were cut rate or Police on the cheap.They will scrap PCSO's and put the money (as if?) saved into recruiting more trained police officers.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
22 November 2009
13:5333678We need more trained Police Officers AS WELL as PCSOs.
Roger
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,023
22 November 2009
14:3733682Hear Hear Roger .I have said before River pay for Police plus the local PCSO.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
22 November 2009
17:3233692where will they come from?
spending cuts will stop there being more police officers/pcso's.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,698
22 November 2009
20:1533698Perhaps what we need is to get the officers we do have out on the street doing the job we ask them to do, rather than wasting almost half of each shift filling forms in.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
22 November 2009
20:2633699Good point Ross.
I hear that after a (normal) arrest it can take 4 hrs to do the paperwork.
Not good.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
22 November 2009
20:3733707apparently some is being cut at present, particularly that relating to stop and search incidents.
at present they need the inside leg measurement, shoe size etc.
the problem of excessive paperwork is extremely longstanding, once a form is got rid of, another one jumps up to take its place.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
22 November 2009
21:2433711MAREK
HAVE TO write to shadow home secretary as he has stated he will not rule out disbanding PCSO's to my union.
SUE/ROGER
You need to come into the real world, whoever gets in govt will have public spending cuts and police are to be hit hard.
so there is no money for more police
what we do have is n/hood policing a mixture of POLICE and PCSO';s working together to serve the people.
and it works.
BERN
Not all police are equiped or want to carry out roles such as the PCSO';s do, they didnt join the police to do so.
So we can have a mix of both(n/hood policing) plus other police depts.
I can only tell you how effective it all is in Folkestone
I don't know enough about Dover to comment but i do know when lyndsey read was the PCSO in priory she had respect of the ward and did a great job.
Going to be a very interesting general election
23 November 2009
08:1533721If the police don't want to do the job as necessary perhaps they are in the wrong job? Old fashioned coppering is what used to get results: knowing people, knowing the locale, being known and being seen. That can't be subconrracted out.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
23 November 2009
08:4533724I think that when the canvassing starts in earnest, there'll be a lot of difficult questions put to the candidatesd by the voters - it will depend on how they answer them, whether they get elected or not.
They could just tell lies of course.
I agree there is too much paperwork, the Government (which ever one it is) should be paying for administrators to do the paperwork and let the Police get back out on the street.
They didn't join up to be clerks either.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
23 November 2009
09:2933726I watched the Parliament channel for the first time yesterday..I know..get a life springs to mind. But I was watching a repest of Question Time which I missed last thursday and very interesting too as always.
But leaving the TV on as you do...the next thing up was a House of Commons committee on policing with the Asst Commissioner, a very pelasant chap. You know how these things work...the guy sits in the hot seat and assorted MPs of all dominions sit in an arc around him asking questions...this time naturally about policing.
One bit that surprised me was when asked about PCSO's and Counter Terrorism...he said yes clearly that PCSO's were involved significantly in counter terrorism.
That surprised me. Counter Terrorism is pretty high grade stuff.