Kent police it appears are showing some contempt for tax payers and their own staff as they continue to extend their role past that of policing us landlubbers on an expensive maritime project.
Some time back about 2008 they acquired an ocean going boat Alexandra III. Which myself have only seen once moored off Margate when a security alert involving terrorists, organised crime, drugs smuggling and all that sort of stuff just happened to coincide with an air show taking place somewhere between the shoreline and the boat.
Today they have announced their new base for Kent Police maritime section, has been opened at the Sheerness Port, which I suppose is more appropriate than the previous base near Maidstone.
Personally think this a bit of mission creep, surely most crime, incidents and threats are already dealt with quite well by other organisations such as the Navy, RNLI, Coastguard and Customs.
I will take a guess that this will be costing you and I millions from our combined tax bill and so far I've yet to hear of what significant crimes have been resolved thwarted or even deterred in the last. few years by the marine section.
Listening to reports on the radio tonight it seems that Kent police have a big tool and a big budget item they're just trying to justify. The sooner we have elected heads police of authorities the better, this just seems like a waste of precious resources. (your money)
BBC for unchallenging coverage
My item from 2008 Police at sea
With all the revenue that the mafi... ahem, I mean the government has pillag... ahem, received over the years, one would have thought they could furnish their own expensive toys. Not quite their m.o. though, is it?
ReplyDeleteNice tool though... drool
Boys and their toys
ReplyDeleteSince there is already a Police Authority made up almost entirely of lay people, I cannot really see how an elected commissioner is going to make any difference in the scrutiny stakes.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe that the Chief Constable and deputy, along with the Police Authority, would sanction such an expenditure unless it was considered highly desirable in the fight against crime.