Police and Crime Commissioner absolute farce.
Discussion
Savings can be made without affecting the front line officers if they use imagination and get a control of those charged with spending money on our behalf.
Most companies who quote for goverment contracts know they can charge more as those who authorise them don't have to answer to share holders or make a profit. There are lots of savings possible if there is a will to do it.
Most companies who quote for goverment contracts know they can charge more as those who authorise them don't have to answer to share holders or make a profit. There are lots of savings possible if there is a will to do it.
spaximus said:
Savings can be made without affecting the front line officers if they use imagination and get a control of those charged with spending money on our behalf.
Most companies who quote for goverment contracts know they can charge more as those who authorise them don't have to answer to share holders or make a profit. There are lots of savings possible if there is a will to do it.
Hmm. I retired in 2005. The last fifteen years were a series of cuts and efficiency savings. In a business where 80% of the money is wages, a cut of 20% makes it impossible to keep officers on the front line, whatever that means.Most companies who quote for goverment contracts know they can charge more as those who authorise them don't have to answer to share holders or make a profit. There are lots of savings possible if there is a will to do it.
The individual CCs are not autonomous. Each force has to comply with every stricter regulation from the centre and there are inspections to ensure tht each force is not allowed to use imagination. The PCCs will not changes this.
What does 'front line' mean? It is a phrase that is bandied about by all and sundry but without any attempt at a definition, the assumption I've made is that is because they don't really know.
I retired in 2005 and for the last 15 years of my service it was all about 'efficiency savings'. All these rumours about vast amounts of overtime are farcical. From the late 80s overtime has steadily shrunk.
I retired 4 years later and can confirm what Derek is saying. All departments had to show a percentage reduction in budget year on year. I can't remember the exact figure but it was significant.
This was about 10 years ago, so goodness knows what it is like now. I can remember having to close custody units at night when I didn't have sufficient budget to pay overtime to keep them open though. I can also remember having to lend my tunic to a recruit for his passing out parade as there was no budget to supply any.
This was about 10 years ago, so goodness knows what it is like now. I can remember having to close custody units at night when I didn't have sufficient budget to pay overtime to keep them open though. I can also remember having to lend my tunic to a recruit for his passing out parade as there was no budget to supply any.
For the first time since I turned 18 I haven't exercised my right to vote. Since receiving my polling card I have tried and failed to find out exactly what my local PCC will do (other than flannel). None of them have made themselves available for public q&a sessions or even put a single leaflet through my letterbox.
From what I can see they will make little real difference while diverting much needed cash away from our strapped Police force.
I fortunately live in a low crime area and despite hefty cuts and station closures our local force is excellent, they don't need another politician sticking the oar in.
If the turnout is less than say 20% does this mean the ballot is void and worthless?
From what I can see they will make little real difference while diverting much needed cash away from our strapped Police force.
I fortunately live in a low crime area and despite hefty cuts and station closures our local force is excellent, they don't need another politician sticking the oar in.
If the turnout is less than say 20% does this mean the ballot is void and worthless?
Manicminer said:
If the turnout is less than say 20% does this mean the ballot is void and worthless?
I asked a similar question of the returning officer at our local polling station.She didn't know if there was a minimum for the poll to be valid.
If there is not, and theoretically only one vote is cast, would that be valid?
Elroy Blue said:
The Wiltshire Tory candidate's first comment was that he intends to make 'savings'. As the Police are already being butchered , it's a fine example of how he's not acting for the people of Wiltshire but following his masters voice.
At least this bloke (who I dodn't vote for, by the way) was formerly on the Police Authority so at least he knows what he's letting himself in for.Anyway, for those interested in the fine detail, scroll down to the bottom of this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-203...
The bloke who won got 36.2% of the first preference votes. Even when second preference votes were added he didn't get 50% of the total votes cast.
21% of the pathetic turnout voted for one of the independents. I would imagine that's got to be something of a record unless a "celebrity" stands as an indie.
Nobody lost their deposit - even the confrontational nutcase who wanted to suspend the CC on day 1 got 6.6% of the vote.
A guy from the Electoral Reform Society has been on local radio this morning pointing out the number of errors/ balls ups that have been made in getting this fiasco off the ground.
I have heard that on the radio that 3% of ballot papers were spoilt - probably another record broken.
This is hardly going to be hailed as a rip-roaring success, no matter what Damien Green may be being told to say by his political masters this morning
Apparently, the labour + conservative candidates were encouraged not to leaflet people to save money. A friend received a leaflet from the UKIP candidate which said:
Candidate replied:
UKIP candidate said:
UKIP has a clear plan on crime reduction
So he emailed the candidate, because he couldn't find any details of the plan on either of the UKIP websites. Candidate replied:
UKIP candidate said:
...I pledge to have a plan on crime reduction (but don't have one)
Manicminer said:
1. For the first time since I turned 18 I haven't exercised my right to vote.
2. If the turnout is less than say 20% does this mean the ballot is void and worthless?
1. Me too. 2. If the turnout is less than say 20% does this mean the ballot is void and worthless?
I had actually intended to go and vote - for the independent, simply to register my distate for the politicisation of policing - but in the end, by the time I got home from work, I really couldn't be bothered. If someone like me, who is otherwise pretty vocal about the obligation to exercise your democratic franchise, couldn't be bothered what hope the rest of the apathetic voting public....?
2. No, there's no minimum level of turnour required to make it a valid ballot. The first PCC declared, in Wiltshire, won on a little under 7% of the total eligible voter count for his county.
I wasn't going to vote either last night, for the first time since turning 18. A got a pang of guilt over this at about 9:30pm, so made the effort to load up the internet, look through the local leaflet (discover that one candidate looked like a thug and represented the English Defence League!) and find out that only one of the candidates standing had any experience of working in the police - so duly went and put a cross in his box.
Polling station was deserted, and my name was the ONLY name on that particular page of their A4 booklet that had a red line through it after I handed my polling card over...
Polling station was deserted, and my name was the ONLY name on that particular page of their A4 booklet that had a red line through it after I handed my polling card over...
daz3210 said:
Just heard a news report that some stations had zero turnout.
It's the first ever election that I did not vote.We've had one A5 leaflet through the door from one of the candidiates and polling cards.
If people want my vote they need to make at least some effort.
It's a complete joke.
timbob said:
I wasn't going to vote either last night, for the first time since turning 18. A got a pang of guilt over this at about 9:30pm, so made the effort to load up the internet, look through the local leaflet (discover that one candidate looked like a thug and represented the English Defence League!) and find out that only one of the candidates standing had any experience of working in the police - so duly went and put a cross in his box.
Polling station was deserted, and my name was the ONLY name on that particular page of their A4 booklet that had a red line through it after I handed my polling card over...
Wern't you supposed to make a first and second choice ?Polling station was deserted, and my name was the ONLY name on that particular page of their A4 booklet that had a red line through it after I handed my polling card over...
(shows how much attention I paid to it !)
Devil2575 said:
If people want my vote they need to make at least some effort.
It's a complete joke.
In fairness, this is not necessarily the fault of the candidates not being bothered. I initially shared your view, thinking it was them not being arsed to get their message out, until I read that funding rules were different for this election. It's a complete joke.
Unlike general and local elections, my understanding is that PCC candidates did not get a free mailshot allowance, so they would have had to privately fund literature and the cost of postage.
We got one leaflet through our door, but probably only because the candidate and her agent live in the same town. She was the UKIP candidate. Nothing at all from any of the three mainstream parties (who arguably should have been able to bear the cost) or the independent.
Frankly, I think Govt should absolutely abandon the idea, as any 'election' is NOT representative for all the reasons previously outlined...should be a press and TV campaign sying so as well! Mind you.. the Beeb might just steer clear of this...for some reason...
...maybe I should do a little website campaign and stand for President of the UK - then wait for one vote (the missus), and pay me/ claim from the Govt coffers a couple of hundred K for salary, then go about sacking the govt et-al!
...maybe I should do a little website campaign and stand for President of the UK - then wait for one vote (the missus), and pay me/ claim from the Govt coffers a couple of hundred K for salary, then go about sacking the govt et-al!
IIRC, and I can't check right now, analyses of voting in PR elections has shown that, had they been FPTP, the candidate finally placed second would have won more often than not, and the final winner would have come second or even third. In many of its various forms 'PR' provides a winner who was not the first choice of the majority.
If repeated in this 'election', the new PCCs can bask in the self-satisfied glow that stems from knowing you weren't really wanted by the few people who voted anyway!
Streaky
If repeated in this 'election', the new PCCs can bask in the self-satisfied glow that stems from knowing you weren't really wanted by the few people who voted anyway!
Streaky
Edited by streaky on Friday 16th November 22:32
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff