HATO's Being phased out now?
Discussion
I was talking to a traffic Plod at work today and he was telling me that the Highway Agency Traffic Officers were running way over budget and were being fired left right and centre, and the ones that are left won't be doing much patrolling cos they need to keep the petrol bill down. They will be called out to incidents from their bases.
Millions of quid has been wasted setting up this department of fake cops that could have been spent on proper traffic cops
Any Bib here care to tell me if my source is bad?
Millions of quid has been wasted setting up this department of fake cops that could have been spent on proper traffic cops
Any Bib here care to tell me if my source is bad?
I think they are way over a budget which was fairly generous to start with in my opinion.
For example they spent £18.3 million capital just setting up South Mimms regional control centre alone plus another £13.4 million a year to run it.
Last time I did the cost of getting one patrol vehicle out on the road completely justified my statement way back when this outfit were first mooted that they would in practice be hardly any cheaper than a proper traffic unit. My back of envelope calculation earlier this year suggested that, depending upon how you did the calc, each unit was in arange from slightly cheaper to noticeably more expensive. That's before you attempt to place some value to society figure on what they do. If you do that then it's a no brainer, but then I would say that.
Manning figures look the same but latest I see is from Aug 06 so if something else happening no idea frankly.
West Mids region today appear to have one more patrol vehicle (21) than they did a couple of years back.
Pure speculation follows.
Anything to do with preparation for what discussed in DVD's SUPER HATO thread??
As in sorting wheat from chaff and outing those who are not suitable for upgrade?
Pure speculation and furious wooden spoon twirling admittedly.
FiF
For example they spent £18.3 million capital just setting up South Mimms regional control centre alone plus another £13.4 million a year to run it.
Last time I did the cost of getting one patrol vehicle out on the road completely justified my statement way back when this outfit were first mooted that they would in practice be hardly any cheaper than a proper traffic unit. My back of envelope calculation earlier this year suggested that, depending upon how you did the calc, each unit was in arange from slightly cheaper to noticeably more expensive. That's before you attempt to place some value to society figure on what they do. If you do that then it's a no brainer, but then I would say that.
Manning figures look the same but latest I see is from Aug 06 so if something else happening no idea frankly.
West Mids region today appear to have one more patrol vehicle (21) than they did a couple of years back.
Pure speculation follows.
Anything to do with preparation for what discussed in DVD's SUPER HATO thread??
As in sorting wheat from chaff and outing those who are not suitable for upgrade?
Pure speculation and furious wooden spoon twirling admittedly.
FiF
Vaux said:
hedders said:
I was talking to a traffic Plod at work today and he was telling me that the Highway Agency Traffic Officers were running way over budget and were being fired left right and centre,
Not aware of a single TO sacking in the north west region........
The chap i was talking to would have been referring to London/Beds/Herts/Bucks I think.
They always did seem like an accountants "wet dream" to me.....
Only an "academic" (i.e. those not of the real world) would have given the idea any credence anyway.......
A separate organisation needs it's own Vehicles, equipment, command structure, offices, computers, budget, bureaucracy and expensive managers ....... even if the "plastic-HATO plods" on the ground are paid less......It's STILL more expensive in the end than to have REAL policemen and women do the job, because they can do other things!..
Have seen it time and time again in my own now: "privatised" money-wasting industry that loves to pay: "consultants" exorbitant fee's to tell them something that their own lower paid staff could have told them years before...... A sign of these penny pinching times....(cut off your nose to spite your face)..
ooer!....sorry!
Only an "academic" (i.e. those not of the real world) would have given the idea any credence anyway....... A separate organisation needs it's own Vehicles, equipment, command structure, offices, computers, budget, bureaucracy and expensive managers ....... even if the "plastic-HATO plods" on the ground are paid less......It's STILL more expensive in the end than to have REAL policemen and women do the job, because they can do other things!..
Have seen it time and time again in my own now: "privatised" money-wasting industry that loves to pay: "consultants" exorbitant fee's to tell them something that their own lower paid staff could have told them years before......
A sign of these penny pinching times....(cut off your nose to spite your face).. ooer!....sorry!
bluesandtwos said:
Gaffer - I assume you are aware of the mileage issue? 
Yes, and 1 or 2 "favourite" vehicles have been relocated to "shorter" patrol routes etc. "M60 have a lack of them also. used to see a few arked up on Tescos car park, no longer there"
You'll only see them on Tesco's when they're on their breaks. it's now getting back to the silly season, when lots of people like to make close friends with others in lane 3, or decide to turn their car upside down to inspect the underseal. Both GMP and HATO's are becoming stretched at times.
Edited by gafferjim on Wednesday 8th November 23:06
Edited by gafferjim on Wednesday 8th November 23:08
shuvitupya said:
Must be the West Midlands lot that has been cut then, because hardly seen a HATO this week.
There is usually three of them parked up around the M42 J3a doing bugger all.
There is usually three of them parked up around the M42 J3a doing bugger all.
Saw 3 HATO's sat off the M42/M40 junction on Saturday, so they're still about - still doing bugger all though.
hedders said:
I was talking to a traffic Plod at work today and he was telling me that the Highway Agency Traffic Officers were running way over budget and were being fired left right and centre, and the ones that are left won't be doing much patrolling cos they need to keep the petrol bill down. They will be called out to incidents from their bases.
Millions of quid has been wasted setting up this department of fake cops that could have been spent on proper traffic cops
Any Bib here care to tell me if my source is bad?
I havent heard of anything like that. In fact, they are still recruiting in our area.
Millions of quid has been wasted setting up this department of fake cops that could have been spent on proper traffic cops
Any Bib here care to tell me if my source is bad?
I havent heard of anything like that. In fact, they are still recruiting in our area.
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