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Monty Slocombe
Again, I object to being called a customer, and object to the
use of the word "service" in Richard Brumstrom's latest blog.
A "customer" implies that I may go elsewhere for "services" if
disatisfied. "service" implies that I need what is supplied.
Both are untrue, unless one is extremely rich.
I do not need horses. I do not need needle exchange machines
at £10,000, and I pay the council to clear rubbish from the
streets, so do not need police officers to do it for me.
There are many other things that a closer examination of the
huge buildings and offices at St. Asaph and Colwyn Bay would
reveal that I do not need, but am required to pay for.
What I do and DON'T need
Monty Slocombe
area: North Wales
article: Again, I object to being called a customer, and object to the
use of the word "service" in Richard Brumstrom's latest blog.
A "customer" implies that I may go elsewhere for "services" if
disatisfied. "service" implies that I need what is supplied.
Both are untrue, unless one is extremely rich.
I do not need horses. I do not need needle exchange machines
at £10,000, and I pay the council to clear rubbish from the
streets, so do not need police officers to do it for me.
There are many other things that a closer examination of the
huge buildings and offices at St. Asaph and Colwyn Bay would
reveal that I do not need, but am required to pay for.
I could hardly believe it!
As a resident of North Wales and opponent of North Wales flawed safety partnership and in particular abuse of speed cameras, I have to congratulate them on this one rare occasion.
I travel almost daily between Gwernafield and Mold. As one enters Mold there is a 30 mph speed limit in place, this is I assume because of the number of houses and junctions along this stretch of road. Many vehicles add to these potential hazards by parking on each side of the road.
Some years ago one of my employees was caught by a camera van entering the speed limit from Gwernafield, an open stretch of road, he was duly slowing down for the built up area and was some what not too pleased at being “done“ at that point. So it was the usual scam, camera not where the real problem is but out to gain maximum revenue.
Earlier this month a camera van was unbelievably located on that stretch of road BUT trained on vehicles passing through the built up area, often with vehicles being driven well above the safety margin of between a probable 15 - 30 mph depending on the number of children out playing, parked cars and road conditions, etc .
As far as I’m aware this is a FIRST and they should be applauded for this change in tactics.
Williams , Mold
Mr Williams, Mold
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SCAM VANNER
He sits down to breakfast, the wife waves goodbye to the kids winking and smiling. It’s dads birthday today and they’ve bought him a present, it’s been such a job getting them not to tell him what it is. “ Don’t forget it’s daddy’s birthday today and granny is coming for tea at seven” . He shouts after them “ don’t go speeding on your bikes to school and remember to tell tales on your mates”.
She looks at him wondering why she walked down the Isle with such a moron “ Dad did warn me not to marry ‘one of them’, shop their own mother they would” she recalls him saying. He guzzles his toast and coffee, “have to go” he says. She asks what the rush is , he responds with a smile “I’ve got two new locations for robbing pensioners today, some of the lads reckon I’ll get 50 – 60 in a good hour as the van will be hidden behind a large road sign and at the bottom of a hill on an open road. The council partnership (he chuckles) have moved the 30 limit out another 200 meters to catch them out”. She looks curiously at him asking how many people had crashed there ?. He frowned at her for asking such a stupid and irrelevant question.
“Don’t forget your new bottle now” she reminds him. Her sister works for the NHS and managed to get one of the latest bed bottles. ”Would I forget it ?” he says. ”It’s one of the best things I’ve ever had, so much better than the old pop bottles as I can use it sitting down still zapping pensioners so I don’t miss a trick“ . His smile was a true picture of happiness and satisfaction, she looked at him questioningly perhaps feeling sorry for him and wondering what happened in his early life.
Down at the station.
He collects the keys for his scam van, pre start check and away to go for a mornings pickings. Van suitably hidden behind the sign he opens the back window, does a sighting check and calls in to HQ. ”P.C. Hardly Soddon reporting in for today’s scamming, location Anglesey, open safe road extended speed limit”. The response comes back indicating that the location should prove profitable, at least until a few thousand safe driving motorists have been done and got wise to the latest sneaky trick.
He adjusts his seat, zip down, flask at his side and switches on his little radio for a morning of Terry Wogan. “This is the life he thinks to himself” This certainly beats chasing granny muggers and yobs, he mutters to himself and of course a big fat pension and £35k a year to boot !
No sooner is he set up than his first victim appears, an elderly couple, probably served in the trenches fighting for King, Queen and country. Conscience was never his strong point. “Got ya 36 and spot on yippee“. The morning goes by without incident and a nice steady flow of speeders go past not only swelling the coffers but bringing him envy from the ranks and acclaim from top dog CS Unwell Jones. Two cups of tea later the first passing of water into the alloy purpose built container warms the side during which no motorist escaped, what a gem he thinks.
Later that day, he hands the keys back, “good day then ?", the sergeant asks . “You bet, really good spot that Anglesey one, loads of road vermin possibly my best ever“. Brimming with pride he heads off to his long awaited tea party.
Back home the birthday cake is out, the kids are anxious and can't wait to give dad his present, the wife is laying the table for gran, his mum. Soon she appears smiling and also wondering what went wrong with his upbringing?. “ Hope you didn’t break any speed limits driving here “ he smirks at her thinking to himself, “I’d love to do my mum “ .
The wife calls the kids in, they sing happy birthday and give him a card, granny also joins in and begrudgingly wishes him well. The kids pressure him to open his new present, mum had helped choose it last weekend in the local farm shop. He carefully unwraps it, the kids look on hoping he’ll like it, the wife knows he’ll like it and the gran is baffled. As the present is exposed his face lights up with joy , he just cant believe they knew what he wanted, kisses and hugs all around, granny looks on a bit bemused. This will take pride of place on the mantle piece but only after I’ve shown all the lads down at the station first, they’ll be as jealous as hell when they see it. The wife said to the kids, “There now I told you daddy would like a horse trailer“
Top Blogger , North Wales
Really dangerous driving
Tuesday 22nd. April I was driving on the A55 towards Conwy when I witnessed a woman driving a light coloured lexus coupe at high speed in the outside lane. She crossed directly to the the slip road towards Tesco and Llandudno junction whilst on her mobile phone. I estimated her speed to be in excess of 100 mph, at a guess I would say she was late for a meeting at Conwy business centre. She was expensively dressed & had shoulder length dark brown hair. Where were the traffic police?, so much for Arrive Alive SAFETY cameras.
Professional driver Conwy
NWPFstaffing levels
from: Undercovercop
area: North East Wales
article: It is a fact that North Wales Police have deliberately reduced
staffing levels on Bank Holidays to below the agreed minimum
safe staffing levels because of budget cuts.I note that in
response to the article in the Daily Post that the famous
North Wales Police spokesperson said"we have dedicated
neighbourhood policing teams".These are the teams paid for by
the extra increase in local taxes -- perhaps the famous
spokesperson could explain why no community beat
managers/PCSOs ever work on Bank Holidays when most people are
off work and they have more chance of seeing them than any
other day.The reason is money -- they have to pay them double
time hence the skeleton staff.You will also find that although
response officers work 9 and 10 hour shifts to provide maximum
coverage they are then rostered to work 8 hours on Bank
Holidays.Oh by the way -- arrive alive do work for double time
!!!!!!!!!!!
NWPF mounted unit.
Message: Hi,
Interesting article about the North Wales Police mounted
branch. Even more interesting which you may not know about is
that their original purpose has been diluted even further.
They will not be allowed to police Wrexham football matches or
any public order situations, which leaves them doing basically
no more than was mentioned in your article. At the time of
proposal the rank and file in North Wales Police opposed the
whole concept, but Brunstrum in his usual bullying fashion
railroaded the scheme. A rider can rarely arrest anyone and
even if they did, they would have to call for back up to
convey the person to the station etc. Another interesting fact
is that the whole team are women. If they had been all men
there would have been uproar from various groups.
7 Police officers who all have riding as their hobby are now
having a great time and not actually doing anything
constructive. The money in the set up could have funded many
civilian investigation officers(retired police officers) to
take on many of the crime enquiries which officers have,
allowing the uniform officers to spend more time on the
streets on patrol. The 7 officers on the team should be back
doing real policing.
See DCC Wolfendale's latest Blog
Blame the criminals Dec 10 2007
IN response to stories in the press about armed police patrolling shops, may I offer a view that the police themselves may not be able to give for understandable operational reasons?
It is highly likely the police have intelligence that forced them to deploy those armed officers. They would have had to carefully weigh up that intelligence, the likely threat to businesses and the public before taking that decision.
An operation like this is not taken on a whim nor are they deployed unnecessarily.
Historically, Christmas is a busy lucrative time for criminal gangs many of whom now carry guns as a matter of course.
They often come to us from over the border, and if you want to blame anyone for the presence of armed bobbies on the beat and in shops, blame the criminals, not the brave police officers who have to confront them.
Consider the hue and cry there would have been had an armed robbery taken place and the police had not acted on that intelligence.
Coun Phil Edwards, Rhos on Sea
In the Shadow of Police HQ
I was having a pint with a friend on sunday night in the Caley Arms on the front at Rhos on Sea. Two young men came in, they where a little noisy and within a few minutes the staff had to have words with one of them and things rapidly got worse. The young men where asked to leave, one of them I was told, had been taking drugs and the mixture of alcohol and the drugs had made his behaviour so awful he had to be removed from the pub by force. In the scuffle that followed, the landlord was lnjured and the police where called. I would like to know how our Chief Constable's (& resident of Rhos) policy to legalise drugs would make this man's behaviour and attitude any different.
Picture this driving home from work
Picture this: Monday 17th Dec, driving home from work. Flagged down by a PC and then informed I was to be randomly breathalised. Oh and if I didn't comply I would be arrested!
No grounds to do so, no reasonable suspicion, just NWP assuming the right to harass people legally going about their private) business. The PC also demanded ID and personal details "for the record". Why? What 'crime' have I commited?
Will an entry be made, in a database somewhere, that I was stopped and breathalised on suspicion of drink driving, despite the test being negative? I simply find it hard to believe how we allow the police to behave like this. Saudi Arabia or Iran I can understand but the UK? What happened to our legal system to allow this? And is this system being run against a quota target?
Area: Mold
Persecuted pensioner
As a pensioner, 80 years old, having been driving for over 60 years, never any convictions, driving or other offences.
Having taken part in wartime atlantic convoys, I'm back home to enjoy retirement. To assist others, I went to help a sick family member doing 37 mph just for 200yds to pass a very slow car sightseeing in a very safe area with no children and a cycle path, a high off road walk area with no on coming traffic. I was fined £60.00 +3 penalty points.
So many people I've overheard talking about similar treatment in North Wales. Why is Mr Brunstrom treating us this way ? If we object to the fine, giving sensible reasons, it means trouble and heavier costs. We just can't win with this chief constable in North Wales. Plaid Cymru helpwch ni ?
From: Atlantic Convoys, Llandudno
good policing
I had a serious vandal attack on my business and the local WPC seems to be dealing with it in a very positive manner i hope there will be an arrest soon I will keep everyone posted as to the out come.
Area: Llandudno
Police attitudes East Wales
As a professional engineer I travel a lot both overseas and in this Country.As I have an interest in policing ( many of my family served in North Wales ) it's natural that I observe the local constabulary in the many locations I frequent.
It is interesting to note how the attitudes of serving fficers has changed in recent times. Possibly because of olitical correctnes, the threat of being sued or simply ressure from " above " one sees a decline in the freindly approach that once seemed the norm. However in my experience this somewhat arrogant attitude seems to more more prevelant amongst the traffic officers rather than the ones who may be encountered in the street.I s it because all motorists are deemed a threat ? or is it because many of those employed in that division have been unable to do better in other areas ?
The problem may stem from the attitude of the senior " managers " that run the so called safety partnership.
What ever the reason may be the few are causing harm and anger towards the decent hard working majority and continue to alienate middle Englad ... or Wales as the case may be .
Lets hope that the likes of the PPP can make a difference, who knows one day the very public the police are here to serve may be able to vote for their top brass which would, no doubt, render one or two jobless !!!!
East Wales
The Great Outdoors
I have never been one for criticising the Police as I believe their task is difficult, but an accumulation of events has led me to believe that their critics may have a point. Living in a rural location I am lucky to see a police officer even once a year outside of a speed trap vehicle. That doesn't mean we have no crime. Why is it ok to spend thousands of pounds fixing up the smashed toilets by the Brenig Archaeology trail subsequent to regular vandalism but not acceptable to expect a patrol to come out when a drugs party is set to gather in the Clocaenog Forest nearby, they even put up signs to these raves of drugs and alcohol . Motorbikes race around the newly built Alwen trails despite this being illegal, there is no police presence and in the summer it is now unsafe to walk or cycle this wonderfully built trail targeted at families. There are many like me who would welcome the occasional sight of the police and this presence would surely send a message out to those who abuse these wonderful facilities. Come on guys, catching people is one thing but preventing crime is far more beneficial to the public.
Hiraethog
Arrive Alive Anglesey
Following PPP meetings with North Wales Police, at their Headquarters and In Anglesey, to view and discuss road safety on the A5025 we were really pleased when Anglesey council redesigned a staggered crossroads near City Dulas. Drivers (often slow tractors) joining the main road were unable to see traffic approaching over the brow of the hill from the Amlwch direction The new layout is a real improvement & gives a clear long distance view and could prevent a serious crash. Unfortunately the 'partnership' couldn't resist including a parking 'pad' for the Scamera van. These will also have a long distance 'shot' at any driver entering the NEW 40 limit on the 3 lane down hill section at 46 or more. Many drivers do so in this previously 60 mph section as the new limit reaks all the earlier and scientifically based guidelines. Recently the Van isn't even using the pad but parking across the new section of footpath .... anti-social policing at it's worst! A few drive at silly speeds through this section when the van is no where around and deserve to be punished.
Anglesey