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...)

[sp60]

Thanks for the heads up dibble, love watching stuff like that

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

cheers

[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...

[sp60]

hehe, yes it's a bit too late for option 1 now and I live in a first floor flat so the moat option is out!

Thanks for the contact info, I'll have a search around the web tomorrow and maybe make some call next week if I get a spare second at work.

cheers

[ledfoot]

sp60 said:

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

Buy a shed

Hyundai, Daewoo or something similar

[sp60]

ledfoot said:

sp60 said: is there anything you can suggest to best avoid this kind of thing? Buy a shed Hyundai, Daewoo or something similar

I can feel a plan forming, how about hyundia lantra carbon fibre shells for the elise (and soon to be released for other models) I think we could be on to a winner

[Dibble]

Bump.

Don't forget, 9pm tonight, BBC1.

Should be a hoot.

[Peter Ward]

Dibble said:

...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...

No criticism of yourself at all here Mr Dibble, but....

Is this the same GMP that has just produced a document telling drivers not to use dirty tricks to get out of speeding charges? If Manchester is one of the worst places in the country for car crime, isn't it actually more likely that speeding cars might be cloned or stolen rather than less? I would have thought that the police would be better off working with those incorrectly accused of speeding -- because it might lead to prosecutions for all the above -- rather than against them by effectively telling them to pay up and shut up. Surely it's better to address violent car crime than minor speeding?

[Flat in Fifth]

Ta for the heads up Dibs.

Bet the GMP boys won't be sticking to limit plus 20 as in :ahem: certain other parts of the country.

mutter mutter mutter chunter grumble

[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.

[njwc]

An interesting programme even though its not particularly different to the ones broadcast last year.

One question - there was a very brief shot of 4 aerials attached to a square plate on the roof of what looked like one of the unmarked cars - I assume these are some kind of communcations system ? I also assume that not all the unmarked cars have these otherwise it would be a bit of giveaway when trying to follow someone discreetly

[Tonyrec]

njwc said:

An interesting programme even though its not particularly different to the ones broadcast last year. One question - there was a very brief shot of 4 aerials attached to a square plate on the roof of what looked like one of the unmarked cars - I assume these are some kind of communcations system ? I also assume that not all the unmarked cars have these otherwise it would be a bit of giveaway when trying to follow someone discreetly

Tracker aerials.......sadly.

[Tonyrec]

Interesting prog overall but im sure that i speak for other BiB's when i say i was sitting there saying "oh, i wouldnt have done that or i would have done it that way" etc etc.

Theres no pleasing some people is there?

[njwc]

It doesnt matter what you do, (whether it be policing, managing, gardening or anything else you can think of), there will always be someone who is convinced they could do it better than you

>> Edited by njwc on Wednesday 15th February 23:02

[BigBob]

njwc said:

It doesnt matter what you do, (whether it be policing, managing, gardening or anything else you can think of), there will always be someone who is convinced they could do it better than you >> Edited by njwc on Wednesday 15th February 23:02

If anyone thinks they can do my garden better than me they are more than welcome to prove it - hell I'll even provide the tools and beer







.

[monkeyhanger]

njwc said:

I also assume that not all the unmarked cars have these otherwise it would be a bit of giveaway when trying to follow someone discreetly

I think you'll find that plate is on magnets / suckers and gets safely stowed in the boot when not in use....it certainly wasn't on the Scoob during the rest of the show

[MrsMiggins]

I was quite surprised that one of the PCs was shown driving along, radio in right hand held at mouth, left hand being used to change gear.

Whatever happened to 10 to 2 hands, eh? ------->

[Kinky]

Hummmm ....... I much preferred the South Yorkshire guys. I think their programmes were more slicker. Can't put my finger on it.

[Dwight VanDriver]

Is it just me but are not these programmes old hat?

Plod sees stolen vehicle,
Plod gives chase,
Plod stops and arrests.

Plod sees stolen vehicle,
Plod gives chase,
Plod stops and arrests.

Plod sees stolen vehicle,
Plod gives chase,
Plod stops and arrests.

Plod sees stolen vehicle,
Plod gives chase,
Plod stops and arrests.

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

[Fer]

Dwight VanDriver said:

Lets go behind the scenes and show the development of the databases. dvd

Geek types "create database scrotes on c0d0t1 as ..."

Not too interesting.

(Sorry DVD, I know what you mean, and I agree.)