This One’s For Regie

Last updated on June 6th, 2023 at 07:23 pm

Reading Time: 3 minutes

So we’ve had James Patrick, Mental Health Cop, The Real (or Fake) British Cop, Sgt Gary Watts and now Newquay Sarge.

Newquay Sarge

What the hell has he done wrong?

He has been disciplined by his Force, Devon and Cornwall, and labelled ‘incompetent’

‘Sarge’ has more than 4,500 followers on Twitter—including councillors, locals, and many journalists.

He also writes a popular blog on policing in the resort. Yet his comments barely registered until somebody in his police force took offence and insisted on starting an investigation.  Why, oh why, would somebody do that.
Here’s an open invitation to you all:-
  • Can you give me one example of an ‘Inappropriate Tweet’ by the Sarge?
  • Can you give me one example of a ‘Drunken tweet’ by the Sarge?
  • Can you give me one example of a Tweet by the Sarge that was ill-conceived?
  • Can you give me one example of an unprofessional Tweet?
  • Can you give me one example of Sarge failing to engage with his ‘audience’?
  • Finally, can you give me one reason why ANYBODY would want to report Sarge to Professional Standards and kick off a Disciplinary?

Thought not.

In his blog he says “It has not been an easy journey,  I have made mistakes, the force have made mistakes. But we are constantly learning how to use this medium,  it is scary for many of our senior officers. They do not control this medium, and in many cases have no understanding of it. That breeds suspicion,  and with suspicion comes resistance.”……..”There has not been one complaint raised by any member of the public, every complaint was from within the organisation.”

Doesn’t that just say it all?

Sarge said his most recent discipline investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police’s Professional Standards Department has found that due to “ongoing issues” with his Twitter account, he would be placed on Unsatisfactory Performance Procedures – meaning he cannot be assessed as being “competent” in his role.

“This has another impact: because I am ‘not yet competent’ I lose my entitlement to competency payments,” said Mr Butler. “This is being phased out (by December 2015) but I will lose a few hundred pounds”  So there we already have a financial penalty, for what? Tweeting, that’s what.

Another example of Professional Standards using the Iron Glove to control what they cannot control.

Sarge thinks that  some senior officers working for Devon and Cornwall Police find the social network medium “scary” and believe it will “tarnish the image of the police.”

Then, just to show what a true, humble gent the Sarge really is he had this to say “I know many will be outraged and blame the police but don’t, this is all new and we have to protect the reputation of the police,” he said.“They do not control this medium, and in many cases have no understanding of it. That breeds suspicion, and with suspicion comes resistance,” he said.“I will probably face further questions and will get into more trouble for writing this blog,” he said.  “They will argue I am bringing the force into disrepute.”   Oh no Sarge, they don’t need your help with that, looks like they;’re doing fine bythemsleves.

 

Come on Mr Sawyer, you always had a reputation for being fair.  How about you use the Chief Constable’s prerogative and intervene in this nonsense, or tell us all what it’s all about so that we can make our minds up whether D&C are being unfair or not.

In my humble opinion Newquay Sarge is an excellent ambassador for his Force, and Corporate Accounts ion SM.  What say you folks?

And why not vote for Regie in the Annual Twitter Awards? http://t.co/aaoof2CGB9

regie teddy

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11 thoughts on “This One’s For Regie”

  1. Oh God – I’ve been too much influenced by Grandma B already. As she would say (if she weren’t really her son)..

    .here’s the next in the skulduggery example sequence:
    http://jamesp79.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/use-of-temperature-in-interviews

    No-one wants to live in a city – or even country – where casual bullying is meted out in such a “protected” environment like the Met.

    All honest members of the police will feel ashamed such puerile behaviour is allowed, isn’t (properly) supervised, is covered up, is lied about, isn’t investigated, isn’t fixed, isn’t apologised for, isn’t compensated, isn’t even seen as wrong or anything more than a joke.

    It’s a sick one. By sick people in a sick organisation. Londoners, let alone honest police, are sick to the teeth of such crap.

    (Scotland, here we all come – a grown-up country at last, where they appear to treat the law, the NHS & education ever so slightly more like adults – even if independence is a risk & if its finances suffer temporarily – it’s independence from sick leadership, sick organisations, sick politicians, sick parties & sick jokes)

  2. Using the excuse that the truth risks “bringing the organisation into disrepute” is clearly not only cynical and selfish and shortsighted – it’s also very likely to be criminal, If it isn’t, it should be.

    (..just as being directors of the company owning an ill-equipped capsized ferry, with insufficiently trained and paid hands on board, should never be considered a reason for lack of responsibility, due merely to their vertical ‘hand-washing’ distance in the shipping company hierarchy)

    Whenever the “disrepute” excuse is waived through unthinkingly and given undeserved – not to say mindless – credence, it should instead be properly examined in each instance, because of its potentially serious consequences to public safety, health & security.

    Those employing the “disrepute” excuse should be brought to book and those failing to challenge it – like so many zombies – should surely be hung, drawn & quartered as a warning in front of shareholders/stakeholders.

    Here’s a still-topical example, demonstrating how skulduggery and vested/foetid interests and criminally ‘protected’ environments make one wonder if Grandma B isn’t rather too liberal in her views after all..!

    http://jamesp79.wordpress.com/2014/09/13/withholding-evidence-from-parliament

  3. Yes, the top dogs in most professions insist on controlling and so hogging the view external observers are fed.

    The cynical and selfish and shortsighted excuse is trotted out – as if routinely walking the dog – that other views direct from the coal face, from the foot soldiers, from those taking risks on the front line, risk “bringing the organisation into disrepute”.

    It’s incredible anyone still takes this excuse seriously, considering that over and over again it has been lies and cover-ups concocted or condoned by those in control of the ‘company line’ which have magnified any eventual real disrepute by veiling bad practise for years and – by bullying and silencing whistleblowers – allowing skulduggery to thrive in the resulting “protected” environment, sometimes for decades.

    The bigger the organisation, the less its internal environment must be allowed to remain “protected”.

    Heads at the top must roll before they turn and stare with arrogant blank, corporate, self-blinded eyes, mouthing authorised sweet PR nothings at us – just after blithely barking orders to squash any honest voices of, or dissent from, those then excluded from the greasy pole the top dogs have already mounted..

  4. Best of luck Reg.Senior Officers dont want self-propelled rank and file using social media under their own inititative in ways which push the traditional envelope.There needs to be some tedious policy doc.created by those same pole climbers first, and that will take at least 5 years;I mean, how dare you seriously!without allowing them to get some glory from it.

  5. “to publicise how great they are” – rather begs the question

    Yet it’s ok for senior folk to spread their word via any media. It’s generally the approved version. Bland, not real. Often exactly “to publicise how great they are”. They get little interest & even less sympathy.

  6. Officers that tweet or use any type of social media to publicise how great they are and then get in trouble get no sympathy from me. They are either niave,foolish or going for promotion-or all three.

  7. Reblogged this on Dave's Bankside Babble and commented:
    More ‘evidence’ to support the well known fact within policing…despite the corporate claptrap…social media is still a feared commodity in many at the top of the service. I suspect that fear comes not from the ‘harm’ caused to the image of the job but more, the possibility of negative impact upon certain individuals career aspirations…what say you?

  8. What the Butler saw,
    We love to learn

    The Fall and Rise
    And oft surprise

    No boss should fear, nor try to hush, ‘un
    No threat’s posed by whoopee cushion

    We don’t want Regie Perrined
    He’s Great and should be (a) Super..!

  9. I have just read the blog. This bloke should be commended and encouraged not persecuted. Devon & Cornwall management need their heads examining.

  10. Your continued support and that of all the people who followed me has touched me deeply. Thank you all.
    I will continue to serve you to the best of my ability, being there for those who need me, in either my Police or coastguard hats.
    Unfortunately as it stands I will not be Tweeting about it. 🙁

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