This is a post in response to this story on the Police Oracle website;
Police numbers reach Record Levels Yay! But where are they?
I think that it's interesting to see posts like the above on the Police Oracle website. Specifically considering that a lot of forces have a long term freeze on recruiting (ours has, so have a few others according to comments left on this very blog!!). I know that my force loses quite a few officers a year due to natural wastage/retirements etc.. as such with a freeze on recruiting our officer levels are dropping again!!
Now I see that apparently we've got loads more police running around.. But no where near us.
So perhaps with budgets being cut everywhere and more and more red-tape/paperwork those extra police officers and even PCSOs are now tied to a desk or seconded to some useless shiny arse team or department as well..
I'd really like to know what the public think of the current levels of officer numbers v the current levels of actual officers on the street v the current levels of officers seconded to stupid ineffectual teams.
I think I will ask my local MP (if he's not too busy fiddling the expenses system) what he proposes to do in my division to even up the numbers! And if he doesn't do anything I might just write to the Health and Safety Executive to ask them how the current levels of policing in my district are "SAFE" for anyone, officers or the public!!
My division is now apparently OVERstaffed! Perhaps I should come and work with you to even things up.
ReplyDeleteHad dinner with an old chum from our old Southernshire Constabulary last week. He's now a `civvy trainer` and tells me that not only have `Southernshire` not recruited anyone for 18 months, but that there have been redundancy packages drawn up for civvy staff.
ReplyDeletePS> He also got a discipline launched because he used the word `crap` for describing an example of bad driving. It's all money and bollocks - oops, there goes another discipline enquiry....
Hogday,
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to think if I know who that might be.. but I can't work it out sadly. I'm sure I know em though, I know a lot of people, specially if they speak out about things and then end up getting in to trouble. ;-)