Man arrested for moaning about running police car

[Mk3Spitfire]

Fastdruid said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Fastdruid said:

Nothing to stop them putting little "charging stations" at the edge of the kerb though.

So does the kerb for a hundred metres each side of the police station get dug up for the install, then all the parking specifically allocated?

Er, Surely it's pretty simple.

Police station has x number of cars of which y are always out so number of spaces = x - y. It's not going to be "two hundred meters" it'd probably be two spaces. Maybe three.

There can never be an x number of cars with y amount out by the way. It doesnt work like that. So are you suggesting enough charging stations for ALL the cars for that nick? Thats a lot of charging stations. If not enough for all cars...what happens when there are too many cars (say x number) for the amount of charging stations (say y number)? Then what? Let some cars go dead?

[Fastdruid]

Mk3Spitfire said:

Fastdruid said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Fastdruid said:

Nothing to stop them putting little "charging stations" at the edge of the kerb though.

So does the kerb for a hundred metres each side of the police station get dug up for the install, then all the parking specifically allocated?

Er, Surely it's pretty simple.

Police station has x number of cars of which y are always out so number of spaces = x - y. It's not going to be "two hundred meters" it'd probably be two spaces. Maybe three.

There can never be an x number of cars with y amount out by the way. It doesnt work like that. So are you suggesting enough charging stations for ALL the cars for that nick? Thats a lot of charging stations. If not enough for all cars...what happens when there are too many cars (say x number) for the amount of charging stations (say y number)? Then what? Let some cars go dead?

Are you suggesting that they never turn off any of the cars at the nick. Ever?

It takes 5-7min for one of the fully loaded police cars to start up which is fine but does every single one have to be running just in case? I'm sure they have one maybe two sat "ready to go" and the rest are shutdown. From the article itself:

“Almost every time we walk past the police station there is an unattended police vehicle with its engine running. Sometimes there are as many as four police vehicles left unattended with their engines running for periods of an hour and a half"

So four spaces would do it then.

[Mk3Spitfire]

Fastdruid said:

Mk3Spitfire said:

Fastdruid said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Fastdruid said:

Nothing to stop them putting little "charging stations" at the edge of the kerb though.

So does the kerb for a hundred metres each side of the police station get dug up for the install, then all the parking specifically allocated?

Er, Surely it's pretty simple.

Police station has x number of cars of which y are always out so number of spaces = x - y. It's not going to be "two hundred meters" it'd probably be two spaces. Maybe three.

There can never be an x number of cars with y amount out by the way. It doesnt work like that. So are you suggesting enough charging stations for ALL the cars for that nick? Thats a lot of charging stations. If not enough for all cars...what happens when there are too many cars (say x number) for the amount of charging stations (say y number)? Then what? Let some cars go dead?

Are you suggesting that they never turn off any of the cars at the nick. Ever?

It takes 5-7min for one of the fully loaded police cars to start up which is fine but does every single one have to be running just in case? I'm sure they have one maybe two sat "ready to go" and the rest are shutdown. From the article itself:

“Almost every time we walk past the police station there is an unattended police vehicle with its engine running. Sometimes there are as many as four police vehicles left unattended with their engines running for periods of an hour and a half"

So four spaces would do it then.

Are you solving the issue for this one particular station and for this one particular person, or are you coming up with a solution for the Police as an entity?

[Fastdruid]

Mk3Spitfire said:

Fastdruid said:

Mk3Spitfire said:

Fastdruid said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Fastdruid said:

Nothing to stop them putting little "charging stations" at the edge of the kerb though.

So does the kerb for a hundred metres each side of the police station get dug up for the install, then all the parking specifically allocated?

Er, Surely it's pretty simple.

Police station has x number of cars of which y are always out so number of spaces = x - y. It's not going to be "two hundred meters" it'd probably be two spaces. Maybe three.

There can never be an x number of cars with y amount out by the way. It doesnt work like that. So are you suggesting enough charging stations for ALL the cars for that nick? Thats a lot of charging stations. If not enough for all cars...what happens when there are too many cars (say x number) for the amount of charging stations (say y number)? Then what? Let some cars go dead?

Are you suggesting that they never turn off any of the cars at the nick. Ever?

It takes 5-7min for one of the fully loaded police cars to start up which is fine but does every single one have to be running just in case? I'm sure they have one maybe two sat "ready to go" and the rest are shutdown. From the article itself:

“Almost every time we walk past the police station there is an unattended police vehicle with its engine running. Sometimes there are as many as four police vehicles left unattended with their engines running for periods of an hour and a half"

So four spaces would do it then.

Are you solving the issue for this one particular station and for this one particular person, or are you coming up with a solution for the Police as an entity?

Bored of the Troll now.

[Mk3Spitfire]

Fastdruid said:

Bored of the Troll now.

It was actually a genuine question....but never mind then.

[anonymous-user]

Everything is about cost with 20% cuts in central funding. I bet a few thousand litres of diesel (or whatever is amounts to) is significantly cheaper than installing, servicing, maintaining and replacing charging stations and the cost of modifying / changing the kit in all the relevant vehicles.

[Medic-one]

We have runlock as wel on most our ambulance's and response cars.

Our terrafix (window run computer that gives both the call information and build in sat nat tracked to our control room) does take a long while to start up, hence we leave our cars on run lock as well.

Other reasons are the recharge the equipment, if i've been on scene with a patient a long time waiting for an ambulance then my monitor etc needs charging, which doesn't happen when the engine is off.

Also, in this weather it's nice to keep the aircon on so you get back to a nice cool car

[Red 4]

What is an "Assistant Superintendent" ?

[turbobloke]

La Liga said:

Everything is about cost with 20% cuts in central funding. I bet a few thousand litres of diesel (or whatever is amounts to) is significantly cheaper than installing, servicing, maintaining and replacing charging stations and the cost of modifying / changing the kit in all the relevant vehicles.

A cost-benefit calculation for some of the more pragmatic suggestions would surely be of interest to the Asst/Acting/Deputy/Super and other senior police as well.

[edgyedgy]

matchmaker said:

Trafpol cars especially have a lot of electrical kit. To stop the battery draining some have (AFAIK) the facility to remove the keys and lock the vehicle, but leaving the engine running.

I live in a flat overlooking another east London police station and it would appear to me that lots of Vauxhall Astra's have this system too so not just traffic cars. I often see police cars unattended and yet locked up but ticking over parked outside my building.as for plugging them in whilst at station I think its down to manouverability and size of their gated car park.good idea though.

[Mk3Spitfire]

edgyedgy said:

matchmaker said:

Trafpol cars especially have a lot of electrical kit. To stop the battery draining some have (AFAIK) the facility to remove the keys and lock the vehicle, but leaving the engine running.

I live in a flat overlooking another east London police station and it would appear to me that lots of Vauxhall Astra's have this system too so not just traffic cars. I often see police cars unattended and yet locked up but ticking over parked outside my building.as for plugging them in whilst at station I think its down to manouverability and size of their gated car park.good idea though.

At my relatively small station, there are 8-10 traffic cars...all with run lock. I think only 2 of the pandas have it...but then there are "visiting" ARV, TrafPol, Dog Section etc etc all with run lock. Its a nice idea...and maybe in the future....but with cost cutting and practicalities as they are at the moment...I can't see it happening.

[anonymous-user]

turbobloke said:

A cost-benefit calculation for some of the more pragmatic suggestions would surely be of interest to the Asst/Acting/Deputy/Super and other senior police as well.

There'll be a whole team dedicated to reducing costs and they'll be looking at everything as a 20% central reduction is significant. Especially in an organisation that spends over 80% on staff. No impact on the front line my arse, Home Secretary. All the fat needs to be trimmed (and then some).

Any non-human reduction opportunities are so important. The vehicle fleet is the largest non-human cost IIRC, so it'll be massively scrutinised.

[edgyedgy]

Fastdruid said:

Er, Surely it's pretty simple.

Police station has x number of cars of which y are always out so number of spaces = x - y. It's not going to be "two hundred meters" it'd probably be two spaces. Maybe three.

I live next to stoke Newington station which is pretty similar and looking out my window I can see at least seven vehicles belonging to the met, everything from those silver Hyundai's to a sprinter van parked outside my flat now despite there being a parking suspension in place this week.pretty confident at least the liveried up ones will be ticking over.

[anonymous-user]

Anyone in the Met, what computer systems do you have in your normal beat cars that requires run-lock to be used? Or is it a case that only the specialist ones do this?

[Mk3Spitfire]

La Liga said:

Anyone in the Met, what computer systems do you have in your normal beat cars that requires run-lock to be used? Or is it a case that only the specialist ones do this?

Not Met, But all our beat cars have Dash-mounted computers. Several also have ANPR now as well, and then of course the usual bits and pieces.

[anonymous-user]

We just get to look at aircon that needs re-gassing!

[Mk3Spitfire]

La Liga said:

We just get to look at aircon that needs re-gassing!

If it makes you feel better, the dash computers block off half the air vents...so we struggle in the heat/cold too!

[juggsy]

Out of sheer curiosity, I've seen on the usual traffic pol shows that you can switch on/off the various lighting rigs independently (front blues, flashers, rear reds, alley lights etc.). I've also seen that there is a '999' button - presumably that just turns the lot on when you need to get somewhere quick.

What's the general policy/etiquette on what combo of lights/sirens to use in which situation? I guess this would also dictate when run lock is needed (i.e. if you've got the lot going when parked up it would require more power).

[Mk3Spitfire]

Totally down to the officer. The 999 button generally activated the blues, siren, and flashing headlights etc. 999 again at scene activates read reds etc. trafpol have a lot more options. But generally, blues and rear reds will stay on at RTC's, but general calls everything gets knocked off on/prior to arrival..if you have time.

[Greendubber]

Fastdruid said:

Nothing to stop them putting little "charging stations" at the edge of the kerb though.

So apart from cost, procurement process, planning permission, training, health and safety, creating police only parking zones outside locals houses and adapting the fleet of vehicles so they can be hooked up it's a really simple job.