OTish - The DVLA have actually sent me a useful letter!

Computerisation. Cross-checking, centralised data-storage all that kind of tomfoolery.

You wait until they *really* start checking ..... ;)

I had exactly the same thing about colour last month, I also included two photos, one for the colour and one with the complete engine number and they returned the photos in a handwritten addressed envelope. I was surprised.

Martin

I've had one, too - but do not have the slightest intention of giving them something to justify their existence by replying.

You will be claiming to have seen a UFO being piloted by the Loch Ness Monster next! LOL. Congratulations.

I've had letters from the local police informing me that my vehicle has been seen with "items of value clearly visible through the windows", I was wondering if I was about to be prosecuted for entrapment, or is temptation illegal these days?

In message , Sean writes

Oh lighten up will you? They're simply trying to save you the grief of having your windows smashed and your property stolen. It's called crime prevention. :o) Of course you wouldn't dream of complaining if the local toe-rags did knock off your stuff and plod said "we've no idea who did it, and don't expect to see your it again" ... would you? ;-)

What's the point ? Or, rather, that IS the point. Course the PCSOs on the street round here couldn't catch anyone as a.) They go round in packs of two nattering to each other to the exclusion of all else and b.) wear inconspicuous clothing called Hi-vis, fluorescent green jackets fluorescent green ..

Steve

They are employed to be a visible uniform presence dealing with quality of life and Antisocial behaviour issues. So, unsurprisingly, Hi Vis uniform seems to be part of the post profile - Were you expecting them to be hiding in a bush reassuring the community? If so - sorry thats what the police officers are doing - different role entirely (at the time of posting at least!).

The fact is that if people didn't leave stuff on display far fewer cars would be broken in to by opportunists, that means lower crime and if that still hasn't stuck home - lower crime means lower insurance premiums, lower policing costs etc etc etc. I for one can support that concept.

Next time you see your local beat officer or PCSO stop and chat to them. Under all the kevlar and paperwork theres actually some real humans. Alternatively why not join the specials and make a difference yourself , perhaps your local constabulary could learn from your wisdom :-)

Lee

Big snip

I suppose it's rather like waiting for buses .... I'm still waiting!

Ah, they are just a marketing exercise, rather than a serious attempt to actually do anything. Sorry, my mistake. Have they been told ?

- Were you expecting them to be hiding

Wow. They are VERY good at hiding round here, I'll grant you that.

No, no, the idea is you make it so difficult for thieves and low-lives, so certain that they'll be fingered, so draconian the punishment and rehabilitation, so deeply shaming to them and their families that no one THINKS about stealing.

You are falling for an old and false line of reasoning. Its not a defence for rape to say the victim was dressed provocatively, its not a defence for theft to say the goods shouldn't be on display. Lower crime comes from the police doing their job. Of course, you'll argue that they could if it wasn't for the bureaucracy and paperwork, which I'll agree with, but I have never heard ACPO screaming blue murder about it - ever. They LIKE paperwork, it makes them feel important.

Bwaahhhhaaaa. I have often walked past the PCSOs, nodded at them in acknowledgement and been completely ignored.and they don't break out of their conversations. Maybe thats just our 4.

Our local beat officer ? Do we have one ? If you can find out I'd appreciate it. Everything has been subsumed to the PCSO "presence" round here.

Steve

We get a local borough free paper here. Its once every month or two I think. It usually has a feature on our local police. Gives the officers names and which regions (combinations of villages/towns here) they cover. Even has all the direct numbers for them in that go through to their radios..

I'm quite impressed recently. as you know i had loads of chav trouble back in jan/feb. The police could never get here because there was one car covering 2 places. We got 2 new bobbies for here in april (they cover my 'village' (its possibly a very small town really!) and one 5 miles away) and I've not had any trouble since. We also got some PCSO people I think (ive only driven past them on the high street in the evening). The groups of kids hanging about all over the place and causing trouble have now gone. Its much nicer.

--

Yeah, countries where they have the death penalty, or countries where they hack hands off if you get caught stealing, packed full of sensible law-abiding citizens who don't have any crime!

Simple answers only work in a simple world, and we don't live in one.

Thats the typical response - reductio ad absurdum. Of course THIS country had a lower level of crime when there was some sense that the punishment fitted the crime, and that it was shaming to be caught and convicted - sorry, your idea of chopping of peoples hands wouldn't really work, people shield offenders under that scheme - because it violates the sense of natural justice. We have no sense of natural justice in the current scheme of things.

Steve

No, but it would reduce the complications.

Martin

We don't. We get the odd little picture feature of a PCSO looking at people's open windows and making tutting noises. Maybe the lack of presence round here is a local thing.

Now Jonathans argument was you brought that on yourself, by having an interesting vehicle parked outside your house, and attracting them.

We're less rural here, with a large police station in the centre of town, shut at the weekends, but actually stuffed with officers 24/7. That didn't stop a gang smashing the windows of a town centre pub less than 200 yds from the station, and dropping a CS canister in for good measure

Steve

Got the crime figures to back that up? No you don't...

Do you ? You seem to be arguing that things are better now than before ?

Steve

Why not? They're doing a job and doing it well, and when I've contacted them by telephone I must say they have been very helpful, more than I expected.

Martin

Without any way of measuring, you and I can't tell, all we can do is gaze whistfully into the fire and wish for the "good old days", or to wish for hell and brimstone to be visited on petty criminals, despite such measures not being effective in other countries.