This new gizmo has only been public for half a day and already the denials are flooding in behind the initial wave of enquiries. "Not realistic", "Not a true reflection of the reality", "It also includes retail crime so doesn't necessarily portray the real picture", "This street isn't really a no-go area"...... are no doubt some of the responses we shall read about in the coming days as this `research tool` gets a good going over by the media and others.
From my perspective, all I can say is that I spotted one of the top whatever-the-number-was notorious `streets of fear` that I used to patrol in my days on the streets. My first taste of what life would be like for me, after I'd transferred from the Metropolitan Police, is easy to recall now. As the guy showing me the ground drove slowly down the `naughty road` in the van, he said, "This pub on the left can get a bit lively" and as if on cue as the words left his lips a chair came through the plate glass window and almost landed in my lap. Out we jumped and emerged a few minutes later with two struggling, kicking, scratching, biting, spitting whores. Nice. That's the way it was then and thats the way it was when I took the pension and ran, 25 years later. Twas ever thus.
So after reading all the smoothing, soothing sound bites from the senior officers and local councils crime and disorder spokespersons (who also appear to be wearing the Emporers New Clothes) I forgave myself for my cynicism and disparaging thoughts and the odd, sad out-loud comment. One of the quotes was from a guy I used to teach when he was a probationer and I know for a fact he copped a few beatings down that street when he was drawing a coppers pay. He knows its always been like that, but he sure as hell wasn't saying it now he was in the upper ranks of the tin gods.
I read his platitudinous quote and quietly chuckled to myself. I wished him a healthy retirement, somewhere that he doesn't have to bullshit anymore. By my reckoning he must be due in about 2 years, unless he's been done over by the tinkering with the retirement age and has a few more years of truth manipulation ahead of him.
4 comments:
What a waste of time and money. And completely misleading...
Making the Police Accountable for Crime in their area?
Historic blobs on maps mean little. Need to have a coppers mind to understand trends, and a good copper would/should spot a problem on his/her patch before any analyst makes it red.
12 week analysis leads to decisions being made 12 weeks late.
I agree with the principle behind the system, but worry that the implementation might have been as half-arsed as every other public sector project that I can think of.
Back in the real world I reckon that people are pretty good at deciding for themselves whether particular streets or areas are good/bad/scruffy but ok/fine during the day preferably avoided at night.
So I don't think the maps will change the world one iota.
TonyF: There's some great analytical tools out there. I do hope money hasn't been diverted from them.
Conan: Hilarious map. Is there a sign on the border saying "You are now entering Scotland - so piss off and have a nice day somewhere else"?
SOC: I saw some great work on cpa being done at ******a certain Met nick. The guys making it tick were very experienced Pc's with great track records as beat officers. I liked it so much I invited their analyst to help me set up something similar. I was thwarted by bureaucracy and some very sharp practice from my own HQ. The answers are out there and right along the lines of your comment.
Blue: I too support the idea of giving folks access to this sort of stuff. Its the sort of info I sought when buying a house, but in those days I could contact the collator/LIO/Beat officer and get a picture closer to the truth.
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