No views if wearing blues.

Having watched with interest in other blogs and Police Oracle the issues around what is and isn't acceptable to be worn on a uniform or a view as to what opinions a constable may or may not hold or express I have decided to put on hold Dibble Enterprises bespoke line of apparel, badges, tie pins, mugs and stationary.






One of my product ideas was to be built around the strap line 'If you don't want police involved in your life don't call us'






I was considering the alternate view ' Your right I'm an adult I should sort my own life out'






In the current climate I think the printed T shirts with 'I pay my taxes. So actually I'm paying myself to be here. Sober up and go home' may not go down as well.

Hot or not

Hot Desking is an office organisation system which involves multiple workers using a single physical work station or surface during different time periods. The "desk" in the name refers to an office desk being shared by multiple office workers on different shifts as opposed to each staff member having their own personal desk. A primary motivation for hot desking is cost reduction through space savings - up to 30% in some cases.


The MET is seriously into HD.  It has no choice. By flogging off its estate it has a workforce who have to work from somewhere. It has a dwindling number of buildings in which to house people.


I have spent my time in the MET  being 'customer faced'. Basically what the public expect. They make a complaint of crime, I deal with the aftermath. The bread and butter of police work.


In HD we are an after thought. We don't need or ask for much...a room to work from, a computer, a phone and a printer that works.


In my little patch of paradise 'customer faced'  are low on the list of priority.


Has  anybody noticed the offices of the 9-5 'ers seem to be locked when you are looking around for a terminal to work from?


Hot desking seems only to apply to the shift workers shovelling over the 24


Resentment is noted and building.

Ticket to uncertainty....that'll be £50

The public order ticket is not the hottest ticket in town


Senior management are trying to up the numbers of those willing to undertake what is called level 2 Public order training. It is currently a voluntary role for officers.


The demands on the Met for Public Order duties are onerous.


If you are going to demonstrate, march, wave banners and shout to the chant from a loudhailer you might as well do it in the capital for maximum coverage and effect.


In the current climate an increasing number of those marches and demos need covering by, at the least, Level 2 officers.  


The problems then arise that the duties hubs have to arrange cover and have to tap into a dwindling  pot of resources. In the financial constraints we are under they often have to look to cancel days + 15 so as to reduce the OT bill.


Those who are Level 2 trained find themselves not able to plan ahead as they cannot guarantee  their Rest days being cancelled when something comes up.


The national FED seem to be pushing as some form of  'success' a tax free £50 to be paid once a year if you have undertaken the training


£50... to be in the position of not knowing if you plans are going to be kicked into touch by a last minute aid commitment.


I initially thought that it was a typo. I thought maybe £500 would be more of a sweetener . But No...


There is a general economic idea known as 'incentivisation of the workforce'...that employers  put in place conditions that would make taking on extra or other work  outside of the general role more palatable.


HMG and SLT are in a 'take it or leave ' mode generally.


Anecdotally more are deciding to 'leave it' and in terms of public order are handing the ticket back or not putting up for it in the first place.


One of the saddest things to me in this is that National Fed seem to think the £50 is something to brag about. They always came across as 'toothless tigers' but now it seems they cant even 'gum' anybody in negotiations.


SLT are huffing/puffing about the possibility, if numbers don't improve, of making Public order training compulsory. But  as ever, I don't think they have thought it through. I can see major problems in the actual practicality of implementing this.


I cant see too many rising to the 'bait'


'Sorry love cant make the family trip next weekend I've been called in.....but that £50 in January made the difference....'


Nah......