My Crystal Balls Could Use A Little Polishing

Last updated on May 8th, 2023 at 11:42 am

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Just under 2 years ago I had a go at predicting the future.

In What Does Your Future Hold? I predicted that G4$, supported by PCSOs and Specials, would be carrying out routine patrolling, together with fixed posts of low sensitivity, protection of insecure or vulnerable premises, reporting and recording of crimes etc. leaving sworn officers to investigate the crimes that have previously been recorded, arresting suspects, armed protection etc and all other duties which require a sworn officer to carry them out.

 Well, the good news is that neither G4$, $ERCO nor the new boys on the block, TSG Policing, have stepped in there,  YET. I still wouldn’t rule it out though.

 Instead, we have forces across the land that are actually reducing their PCSOs, in some cases, possibly ALL of them.

Dozens, possibly 100s, of Police Buildings have been sold off, normally to

 ever-vigilant Property Developers, ready to make a tidy profit from this shameful situation.  I don’t need to tell anybody that once they’re sold off and the proceeds spent/invested, they are NOT ever going to be replaced, ever.

Around the UK we are losing Police Dogs, Mounted Sections, Underwater Search or Marine Units, helicopter resources have been ‘rationalised’ under the NPAS and that doesn’t seem to be a roaring success.  In their place we have ‘volunteers’ on horseback

 patrolling rural areas on a Neighbourhood Watch type basis, at least one Police Force has a Special Dog Handler and in London, possibly elsewhere, some  Specials have received Level 2 Public Order Training, although I understand that this, and Response Driving Courses, is currently on hold.

Finally (I hope) Policing Strength.  At least one Force has predicted that in 4 years time they will down to 50% of their 2009 establishment.  Devon and Cornwall have just predicted the loss of 500 of their 3,000 surviving officers, and who knows how many in the years to come?

Just take a long, slow slurp of your morning coffee and think for a minute.  What if all the Forces in England and Wales lost 50% of their warranted officers together with their PCSOs.  Could we live with that? Could Society survive?  Certainly not in the shape we currently know it.

I have been predicting for a long time now that the Home Office has an ultimate target of 80,000.  Nobody in the know has ever contradicted that, told me that I’m wrong.  Somebody in NPCC/ACPO must have the ear of the Home Office and know the truth.  If I’m wrong TELL US, #Simples.

Buildings cannot quickly be rebuilt, officers cannot quickly be recruited and trained.  Make no mistake, the carnage wrought by this psycophantic government will be with us for years or even generations to come. IT WILL NOT END IN 2020.

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Just click on any of the images above. All images courtesy of Police Federation #CutsHaveConsequences.

David Cameron, Theresa May, Sir Thomas Winsor, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, not one of them has taken the slightest bit of notice of me or any other Police blogger that I’m aware of. The government have demonstrated their total arrogance when it comes to ignoring the opinion and advice of experts and practitioners. The Police Chiefs, in the main, have come to the party far too late, and in my eyes, at least, most of them lack credibility.  They should have fought for their corner a long time ago, presenting a united front right from the start.  Instead many just kept quiet until very recently, and some NPCC Chiefs even appear to support the government sometimes.

The public voted the Tories in, back in May. Camoron and his Cabinet Office have done the legs of Plan A, although I don’t suppose they realise that. Just as well there’s a Plan B.  

My inkwell has dried up, The Quill rests.

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4 thoughts on “My Crystal Balls Could Use A Little Polishing”

  1. No disrespect but why would the gov take any notice of you or anyone else’s blog. The trouble is these venues are frequented by people who have a professional interest in the subjects and talk too much bloody sense.
    The government don’t want to draw attention to that.

    What is shameful is that there are people in powerful positions that could have and should have but remained silent or didn’t do enough. Unforgivable!

  2. Gordon Williamson

    Alan I don’t think you were too far off the mark, it’s just the Govt. did not predict the appalling mess that G4$ would make of the Olympic Security.
    So now they have had to rethink on how to implement their strategy. The Police and all other Public Sector will be cut and greater privatisation will happen.
    We all know it is utter foley and you are right the damage done may be irreparable, they simply do not care about the dedication and sacrifice of those who daily go about their duty and face whatever dangers come their way.
    Their policy of cuts will only create greater risk for the officers who patrol our streets and for the public who depend upon them.
    We are not alone all public sector and armed services face the same scathing cuts and it will change our society for the worse.

    1. It definitely bothers me that the risk to patrolling officers is getting worse, apart from the obvious increase the govt are making it doubly risky with their cuts then go on TV and pretend to care. I don’t suppose anybody was taken in by that

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