Councillor Brian Coleman used to be the Cabinet member responsible for community safety and community engagement, although he preferred the title of "Borough Safety Officer". Sadly he was such an embarrassment that his chum Mike Freer, then council leader had to move him to the ceremonial role of Mayor, where he'd be out of the cabinet, out of harms way and doing what he does best, wearing bling and scoffing free buffets (sadly for Freer this didn't work out too well either as Coleman became the first Mayor to lose a standards case).
Anyway, less poliically astute Lynne Hillan made the tragic mistake of moving Coleman back to the cabinet as transport guru. He's back to his old tricks of embarrassing the Tories, by announcing Barnet was free of Potholes (a fact every Barnet Motorist knows to be cobblers). Sadly it seems that Coleman has a score ot settle from his role as failed Borough Safety Officer. He tried to get Barnet Police Chief Neil Basu in trouble with his boss, the Met Commissioner at a recent GLA meeting. Happily the Boss was wise to Coleman and slapped him down in no uncertain terms, describing Basu as "outstanding". I've met Mr Basu at a "Leader Listens" breakfast organised by the Leader of Barnet Council. He certainly impressed me, something Brian Coleman has yet to achieve. Full story at the Hendon Times.
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8632783.Coleman_accuses_borough_commander_of__spreading_doom_and_gloom_/
It seems rather sad to me that Coleman chooses to attack Barnets police force at a time when his own party is cutting their budget and generating loads of extra work for them. Shameful really
5 comments:
I usually dont agree with Mr Coleman but I have gone on record before that DOME HOUSE is a massive waste of money in Mill Hill. The PCSOsa based there are basically no use to anyone and are never at work when Mill Hill needs them - namely on Friday and Saturday nights.
I dont actually agree with the Safer Neighbourhood teams. It is a gimmick when what people want are real Police walking the streets in all weathers with their eyes open.
All we hear on the Broadway every day is wailing sirens and I have actually seen people smashing up a show window whilst several police cars drove past ignoring them in the last few weeks.
I am sure the Borough Commander is a nice man but the Met Police really are a waste of money and as I said - Mr Coleman for once is speaking sense.
No, sorry BB: I think this is unfair. I am a member of my local SNT area's residents' panel, and also have unfortunately had to call on the assistance of our local team over a long period of time over our hellish problems with antisocial neighbours. I can assure you that they do an awful lot of work which you would be unaware about but it vital. You are perhaps confusing the work that the PCSOs sometimes do with the different role of the 'real' police officers attached to the team, which includes undercover work. If you are unhappy about your area team's work why not ask to be on the panel and improve things? Drug dealing,gang problems, cannabis farming, ASB, brothels, burglary: these are the sorts of issues all covered by a very small team. What happens in Mill Hill Broadway, anyway, being a nice area, is probably nothing compared to stuff happening say in the North Finchley area. Don't fall for Coleman's ranting nonsense: he isn't saying they are a waste of money, he is just stiking his oar in due to his incomprehensible obsession with the emergency services, or seemingly anyone in uniform: first the firefighters, now the police, no doubt it is only a matter of time before the ambulance service is in trouble. Basu is using language we haven't heard for a long time because the Coalition government is dragging us back to a state where such terminology is unfortunately appropriate. Safer neighbour Teams are already having officers extracted for other duties: I can't see how this cannot help but have an impact on dealing with crime in this borough, where problems like burglary are once more on the increase.
Mrs Angry you are right that Mill Hill probably does not have the problems faced by other areas. That perhaps is why it is silly to base the PCSOs etc out of an expensive property next to the Broadway. It is the wrong place for the wrong problem.
Our main problems happen between 8p.m and 6a.m on Fridays and Saturdays when in this area we get many people driving off the A1/A41 to find food or taxis. Many of these people are drunk and are from nightclubs in other areas. Often shops get vandalised and there is alot of noise.
Yet we have no police presence at all during those hours in this area. Yet on weekdays when frankly there is no trouble at all around here we see Police walking around ( often at around 8a.m to 9a.m in the morning before the shops are even open )
This is a massive waste of resources.
I am pleased that these things work in other areas - but this is the problem. A "one idea" solution is not the answer because as you rightly point out areas are different and have different needs.
Mill Hill shows the lack of any intelligent planning by the Met. They have wasted over £1 million a year with their "dome" project which could be better spent elsewhere. In addition a police car based on the Broadway on Friday and Saturday nights would be a far cheaper option and actually deal with the only problem that we have in this area. Is that too much to ask ?
I have contacted the Police on numerous occasions ( as have other businesses ) and I have collared the local team on the street ( as have others ) and frankly we have constantly been fobbed off. I have even tried to ring up the Community team but got an ansaphone for 2 weeks of calling and eventually gave up.
As far as I can see it is a cosmetic exercise in Mill Hill and costs millions to local taxpayers.
I have advertised the surgeries that are at our local library run by our neighbourhood team ( My site is the only advertising for these - no posters or leaflets anywhere ) but I work evenings so cant attend so I have no idea if anyone goes. If they had one in the morning......
Policing should be done as it used to be done - on the community model with real Police. In addition there is a massive waste of money via the Policing element of Council Tax. I would like to see the Council Tax element for policing halved to keep the bills down for the poor and elderly who dont feel this cost provides value for money.
Do what I did then, BB, and bring your criticisms to the attention of the appropriate senior officer. I agree with you that the shift system sounds wrongly organised and you should ask him why. But the coming cuts in staffing are not going to be to the advantage of the long suffering tax payer and residents, that's for sure.
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