Has the badge been approved by IBM?

Your Local MP

Click to show menu Big Issues

If clicking on the "Big Issues" folder does not list any pages above, click here for an index

Other sites of interest

About this web site

THE COPPER'S LAMENT

 

Avon and Somerset Police are members of the SouthWest One joint venture - they seem to have negotiated a far better deal than Somerset County Council or Taunton Deane ever got. They have the Chief Constable on the Board, plus the head of HR and the Chair of the Police Authority too. Even the new "independent" Chairman is a big mate of the top brass at Portishead.

BUT the working policemen I meet don't have any faith whatsoever in the project. Some of them are now putting pen to paper. And this is an example - from an officer who doesn't want to lose a shirt:

Is SouthWest One about to take her shirt away?

 

“I, along with colleagues, submitted an annual shirt request about 3 months ago. I sent a message recently asking when the shirts would arrive. I got a reply e-mailed from the supplies Dept via my supervisor stating that the Chief Officer Group had asked that no shirts be issued until further notice except "emergency issue". Why this is one can only guess. Perhaps they are going to change our shirts to a different colour? or perhaps a cynic would say they may be changing supplier!

 

We have recently received e-mails informing us that as of Feb 09 we (All Police personnel) will be paid via SW1 and our pay slip will be via e-mail, not sent to our home addresses.  I have heard that SW1 have control of many Dept budgets and even Departments not budget controlled by SW1 are effectively having their budgets/orders cancelled by Departments who issue them with funds. Some vehicle purchases were cancelled recently as funding had been withheld from the Dept requiring them at Yeovil.

 

I do not feel in a position to directly challenge the changes that are going on .......I want to keep my job! ,but I think I can speak for my colleagues, both  Police and civilian, and say we get the feeling there is a lot of going- on behind the scenes that will affect our futures.

 

 I would like to thank you for your concerns in this matter and congratulate you for bringing this issue to light.”

 

   
  ©2003,2004 Ian Liddell-Grainger. All rights reserved. www.somersetwest.org.uk