Aaaaaand….This’ll Be Different How?

A police union chief warns officers could stand by and watch crimes take place if plans for single-crewed cars go ahead.

*baffled* Don't they already do that, when things might get too politically sensitive?

Detective Sergeant Paul Sellings, chairman of Sussex Police Federation, said the idea of single-crewed cars belonged “in the dustbin” and was the result of cuts that have seen Sussex lose 300 officers since 2010.

He said: “If the single crewing policy stays in place we will be reminding officers of carrying out a risk assessment and waiting for back-up if their safety is compromised.

“This policy has been tried before and there is no reason to believe it will work this time. Who protects the protectors?

“The reality is that there are not enough of us left to provide the public with the quality service they deserve.

“If you pay less for something the only thing you get back is less.”

Meanwhile, if you pay more for something, you’ll get more. Only…it’s not what you really want:

Sussex Police's corporate communications department has been defended despite a budget that could pay for more than 30 police constables. The Argus has learned the current “corporate communications and public engagement” department has 26.34 full-time equivalent staff at a yearly budget of up to £832,517.

Sussex Police's corporate communications department has been defended despite a budget that could pay for more than 30 police constables. The Argus has learned the current “corporate communications and public engagement” department has 26.34 full-time equivalent staff at a yearly budget of up to £832,517.

At last night's Sussex Police Federation meeting, Chief Constable Martin Richards was asked to defend the cost in the face of the plummeting number of officer and low morale.

*gets popcorn*

He said: “With one-and-a-half million customers and a budget of £250 million how we are portrayed in terms of confidence in our communications is really important.

“It is not just spin or cosmetics. It is about community engagement which is not just exclusively the domain of PCs.

“They are a fundamental part of the team.

“And in terms of customer satisfaction I am delighted we have moved from the bottom of the tabled (sic) to towards the top.”

 Really?

A Sussex Police spokesman added: “Sussex Police's Corporate Communications Department carries out an enormous range of tasks to support operational policing - from witness appeals for major crimes and live information during events to crime prevention advice and safety campaigns.

In other words, it's paying for this:

Non-stop self-promotion and regurgitation of other's Tweets..

“It also deals with around 700 media enquiries each month, with The Argus accounting for nearly a quarter of these. The number of media enquiries has increased in the last five years. For example, the department received over 2,000 enquiries from The Argus alone last year.

“In addition, the department manages the force's website and digital communications, which were used by more than 1.2 million people last year, and oversees direct communications to the public through printed and other material.”

Whether they want it or not...

Deputy Chief Constable Giles York said: “We use communications to support operational policing and explain to the public how we police in Sussex. The public now expects to access information about policing in a variety of ways, for example choosing to go directly to our website or interact via social media, rather than reading traditional print media. Of course the media remains an important way to reach the public and media demands have increased, but it is no longer the first option for many local people we serve.

Frankly, Giles, you'd be better off not 'interacting with people via social media', it only serves to make you look like politically-correct idiots with far too much time on your hands these days...

Police contacted the complainant twice, urging her to make a statement at a police station, which she eventually did, and yesterday police confirmed that officers from Merseyside’s Hate Crime Investigation Unit took several days to decide whether a crime had been committed by the Labour peer’s tweet.

GAH! Still, back to Sussex:

“As a result our corporate communications department has changed, responding to increasing demands from the media but also reflecting the growing public desire to access information in other ways. Alongside traditional media relations, the department could now be using social media to help find a missing person, running a campaign to encourage people to report domestic abuse or developing online crime reporting.

How would Sussex citizens live without such a vital lifeline?

“Using professional dedicated staff to advise on communications and carry out these tasks is more effective and much better value for money than removing police officers from other duties to do so. The Force's approach in this area is recognised as good practice and we are often asked to share our model with other organisations.”

Ah! So that's why nearly all official police Twitter accounts are a complete waste of time!