Re: General Election 8th June : Sat May 27, 2017 10:30 am  

Around 1000 armed police have been cut since 2010. Apparently, we've got around 950 soldiers policing our streets. Of course cutting the amount of police will decrease safety.

Oh, and Michael Fallon

Re: General Election 8th June : Sat May 27, 2017 11:03 am  

Charlie Sheen wrote:

Oh, and Michael Fallon

That was a brilliant piece of TV journalism - the look on his face was priceless.

Re: General Election 8th June : Sat May 27, 2017 5:33 pm  

It's interesting to look at the various media outlets, in particular the right leaning ones reporting on May getting stuck into Corbyn for saying Britain is partly to blame. There are quite a few comments stating no love for Corbyn but basically saying he's right. May might have scored an own goal by politicising the Manchester attack as a points scoring exercise.

Re: General Election 8th June : Sun May 28, 2017 6:16 am  

TrinityIHC wrote:

Thats like saying would my house have been burgled if I'd had increased security. Impossible to say but 20'000 is a lot of resources.

Approx 1300 trained firearms officers cut by Tories & 1000 soldiers deployed to our streets this week. Almost man for man.

Like Corbyn said the other day, austerity should stop at the door of the police station and the hospital gates.

Here lies my problem with this - Corbyn is just about throwing money at an issue - there is no discussion around working smarter and more efficiently. Are we honestly saying policing methods of 10 years ago haven't evolved to a point where less man power is needed?

Re: General Election 8th June : Sun May 28, 2017 8:51 am  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Here lies my problem with this - Corbyn is just about throwing money at an issue - there is no discussion around working smarter and more efficiently. Are we honestly saying policing methods of 10 years ago haven't evolved to a point where less man power is needed?

When every government department has suffered such deep cuts, there is bound to be a cost in the opposite direction and whilst these departments will have been working their socks off to negate any detrimental effects, this doesn't mean that there wont be difficulties.
Personally, I dont think that having the increased numbers would have prevented Manchester, just as increasing them wont prevent the next one but, we will never actually know.

Re: General Election 8th June : Sun May 28, 2017 12:47 pm  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Here lies my problem with this - Corbyn is just about throwing money at an issue - there is no discussion around working smarter and more efficiently. Are we honestly saying policing methods of 10 years ago haven't evolved to a point where less man power is needed?

But it's not just numbers that are being cut. Its the support staff, the call centre handlers - everything!

They say community policing is a key weapon in the fight against terrorism, yet where are the community officers? I'm sure technology and techniques mean you can do more with fewer officers, but now we have the army on our streets.

Same as now I know if my house gets burgled, I contact the police only for a crime number for my insurance. The police don't have time to actually track down these scumbags any more.

There is plenty of money sloshing about, but vast quantities of it end up in the hands of private shareholders, a lot of whom don't pay tax in the UK or contribute in any meaningful way to our society

Re: General Election 8th June : Sun May 28, 2017 1:52 pm  

3 absolute car crashes this morning from Rudd, Fallon and Abbott

Re: General Election 8th June : Sun May 28, 2017 1:58 pm  

Charlie Sheen wrote:

3 absolute car crashes this morning from Rudd, Fallon and Abbott

Rudd and Fallon are both bumbling morons; and Rudd is who May is sending to the TV debate in her place - it beggars belief!

And I know that Corbyn has history with Abbott - but I wish they'd sideline her; she's terrible in front of a camera - she goes to pieces and sounds decidedly unconvincing, even on relatively safe ground.

Re: General Election 8th June : Mon May 29, 2017 12:44 am  

Sal Paradise wrote:

Here lies my problem with this - Corbyn is just about throwing money at an issue - there is no discussion around working smarter and more efficiently. Are we honestly saying policing methods of 10 years ago haven't evolved to a point where less man power is needed?

Yes. Yes, that is exactly what I'd say.

A realtive, now deceased, a couple of years back had a group of men smashing down her door, wanting to beat up her son, at 3 a.m. The PC who arrived at 8.30 am said it was his first job on shift, and was sorry, but there had been nobody available any earlier.

I'm not sure what evolution of policing methods would reduce the number of officers needed to respond to a group of men breaking down doors in the wee small hours, but perhaps you could explain it to me. Drones fitted with AMRAAMs maybe?

This is not a case of bad luck. Most people would be truly shocked to know how few police are actually on duty in their area at night.

Re: General Election 8th June : Tue May 30, 2017 4:11 am  

TM went well last night on the May Jezza Sky/4 programme.

Thought Paxman was poor. Audience questions all very predictable