Heads Up - New Series of "Car Wars" - BBC1

[Dibble]

Just thought I'd give you all an early heads up about this series.

It starts on Wednesday 15 February 2006, BBC1, 2100 GMT.

From the BBC website:

Car Wars
Wed 15 Feb, 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm 60mins

Jamie Theakston narrates a three-part series following Greater Manchester Police's team of 20 high-speed pursuit officers. Manchester has one of the highest rates of car crime in the country - the city's gangs who steal cars are violent and use stolen cars for ram raids, burglaries and robberies and because of this Manchester is the only police force in the country given approval to use unmarked high performance cars.

Subtitles Stereo Widescreen


A mate of mine in GMP is in it, and has had the film crew with them for about the last eight months or so. Mate tells me the programmes are well put together, with a lot of the usual mickey taking and swearing left in, and some decent jobs shown (no 33 in a 30, I'm told...)

[Dibble]

sp60 said:

Just by the by and sort of on topic, you put the frighteners up me a bit now as I live in manchester and am picking a shiny elise up this weekend! No amount of security systems can stop the balaclava and bat approach to stealing a car, so do you know of anywhere I can get stats on the type of cars they're stealing to put my mind at ease...or otherwise!

You could try getting info under FoI legislation about crime trends/crime patterns. Not sure how "general" it would be - you may only get the amount of cars stolen over a large area, not specific types in specific areas.

Try ringing GMP and see what they say (not sure who you'd need to ask, and it would probably be best calling between 9am and 5pm, as the analysts are more likely to be office based than operational officers).

GMP 0161 872 5050
www.gmp.police.uk

sp60 said:

Or is there anything you can suggest to best avoid this kind of thing?

1. Don't buy an Elise
2. Move to somewhere with a moat and less strict firearm legislation...

[Dibble]

Bump.

Don't forget, 9pm tonight, BBC1.

Should be a hoot.

[Dibble]

Peter Ward said:

Is this the same GMP that has just produced a document...

Yes it is. But Mate assures me he doesn't chase speeders in his Subaru, Honda Type R, or Audi S6... Mate tells me he's after "real" criminals.

[Dibble]

Dwight VanDriver said:

Lets go behind the scenes and show the development of the databases, Stolen vehicles Squad examinations, case file preparation etc by taking a case all the way through from start to finish. dvd

DvD

Camera crews and producers from Channel 4 have done two or three attachments with our Motorway unit, over the last 18 months or so. They are filming for a documentary about serious/fatal RTCs, from the initial job, through the scene investigation, location, identification and prosecution of offenders.

I'm led to believe they will also be dealing with next of kin, and other agencies involved (Fire, Ambulance, Hosiptals, CPS, Court system, Offender rehabilitation etc) to give a holistic picture of collisions, and the effects they have on all those involved.

I can't tell you when it's due to be screened, unfortunately, but if I find out, I'll let you know.

Dons flameproof coat, and waits for first PHer to start mutterings about programme being unfairly skewed to promote the "speed kills" mantra...