Thursday, April 20, 2006
That's just a risk you'll have to take...
Recent change in orders means that we're to be single crewed wherever possible. The rationale for this is research stats that show in 85% of cases where officers were assaulted, the officer was paired up, and that the chances of being assaulted at a job are one in one hundred thousand (or something like that). The management logic, therefore, is that if we're single crewed, we've got only a 25% chance of being assaulted, which is more 'acceptable'. If that doesn't make sense to you, don't worry, 'cos I don't think it makes sense to anyone else either!
Now there's a couple of problems with this management logic. First, the theory is that if you're single-crewed, you don't attend jobs like violent domestics or fights, unless there's backup, which immediately means that, unlike a double-crewed unit, the risk of being assaulted has decreased. They've probably counted officers assaulted when single-crewed who had backup into the stats, in which case, of course it's less likely that you'll be assaulted when single-crewed in these circumstances, because you'll have at least two other officers with you, as they're sent as a matter of course to certain jobs. If you goto a job and you're double-crewed, you'll be left to it unless you specifically request extra patrols.
The other problem is that since they'll now be sending two or more single-crewed units to a job, instead of one double-crewed unit, we're still going to have a lack of resources to deal with incidents because a lot of them will still tie up at least two officers, be it one or two vehicles.
But, hey! Look on the good side - we've only got a 25% chance of being assaulted if we're faced with someone being hostile towards us an we're on our tod. And it gives the public the impression that there's more police on the streets (when there's not - it's the same amount but in more vehicles). And if you have two or three cars turn up to a job you phoned in, you'll feel reassured that your're being taken seriously.
I wonder how this will work for prisoner transport, when a single-crewed officer turns up to a job in a van with a cage and needs another officer to jump in so they can transport to custody (we're not allowed to transport single-crewed)? Will the second officer have to leave their car at the scene?
(c) Bow Street Runner. None of the material contained in this post, or this blog as a whole, may be reproduced without the express and written permission of Bow Street Runner. All rights reserved.
Recent change in orders means that we're to be single crewed wherever possible. The rationale for this is research stats that show in 85% of cases where officers were assaulted, the officer was paired up, and that the chances of being assaulted at a job are one in one hundred thousand (or something like that). The management logic, therefore, is that if we're single crewed, we've got only a 25% chance of being assaulted, which is more 'acceptable'. If that doesn't make sense to you, don't worry, 'cos I don't think it makes sense to anyone else either!
Now there's a couple of problems with this management logic. First, the theory is that if you're single-crewed, you don't attend jobs like violent domestics or fights, unless there's backup, which immediately means that, unlike a double-crewed unit, the risk of being assaulted has decreased. They've probably counted officers assaulted when single-crewed who had backup into the stats, in which case, of course it's less likely that you'll be assaulted when single-crewed in these circumstances, because you'll have at least two other officers with you, as they're sent as a matter of course to certain jobs. If you goto a job and you're double-crewed, you'll be left to it unless you specifically request extra patrols.
The other problem is that since they'll now be sending two or more single-crewed units to a job, instead of one double-crewed unit, we're still going to have a lack of resources to deal with incidents because a lot of them will still tie up at least two officers, be it one or two vehicles.
But, hey! Look on the good side - we've only got a 25% chance of being assaulted if we're faced with someone being hostile towards us an we're on our tod. And it gives the public the impression that there's more police on the streets (when there's not - it's the same amount but in more vehicles). And if you have two or three cars turn up to a job you phoned in, you'll feel reassured that your're being taken seriously.
I wonder how this will work for prisoner transport, when a single-crewed officer turns up to a job in a van with a cage and needs another officer to jump in so they can transport to custody (we're not allowed to transport single-crewed)? Will the second officer have to leave their car at the scene?
(c) Bow Street Runner. None of the material contained in this post, or this blog as a whole, may be reproduced without the express and written permission of Bow Street Runner. All rights reserved.
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the reasoning behind this is lost on me, I feel somewhat confused, as I am by most management decisions.
It amazed that your force has such great resources that it can afford to have enough cars with them all being single crewed.
It amazed that your force has such great resources that it can afford to have enough cars with them all being single crewed.
# posted by 
: 12:53 PM
: 12:53 PM
Yet another policy that has been made by people who spend the day sitting behind a desk and have probably not dealt with a prisoner since the Good Ol' Days!
Only good thing - it increases the old impact factors - I had to strike/spray your client as I was single crewed and back up was still 5 minutes away :)
Only good thing - it increases the old impact factors - I had to strike/spray your client as I was single crewed and back up was still 5 minutes away :)
Ridiculous! Not so bad in a city due to backup response, however still not acceptable, during the day fair enough but come evening/night the cal;s change and become more violent! I sure as hell wouldnt be single crewed at night knowing that backup is miles away!!!
Think like a gaffer, Your driving down the road on Sunday eve time, Your double crewed (or more in some forces) and you see a gang of 6 drunken males shouting and BOP down the road, Clearly, If your anything like me "game on" You stop them, One kicks off and it's CS, Batons and Assistance calls all over the shop. One of you gets punched, nothing new there, and you baton some SNAFU a couple of times, CS his mates and handcuff him to a gate. The same Sunday night, a week later, Your driving down the road, You see a group of six youths shouting near the road. You think "six of them, one of me" or "oh look the car in front doesn't have his belt on, I will follow him around the corner down the road and stop him" The six knobbers, carry on shouting and walk down the road, You give out an on the spot fine! all safe, No bobbies hurt, a traffic file goes in... If your a gaffer, YOu can sleep easy at night (unless your on call of course, knowing that at any moment your phone might go off and you have to silver something, but don't worry, YOu will get the TOIL!!!
Keep safe officers, You do a great job, Keep stopping people, bring them in if they do wrong and if they want to play ! Make sure you win cause "THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT IF THEY COME IN YOUR FORCE AREA AND KICK OFF, WE ARE NOT SOFT"..... and for anyone from police complaints "use only force that is within reason"
80)
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Keep safe officers, You do a great job, Keep stopping people, bring them in if they do wrong and if they want to play ! Make sure you win cause "THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT IF THEY COME IN YOUR FORCE AREA AND KICK OFF, WE ARE NOT SOFT"..... and for anyone from police complaints "use only force that is within reason"
80)
# posted by : 11:59 PM
: 11:59 PM << Home
