Viewpoint: 'Police commissioner seems to be living in a Dickensian world'

Matthew Barber and the Artful Dodgers

I listened with interest to Matthew Barber, our local police and crime commissioner, and Joshua Reynolds, our local MP, on Radio 2 recently, discussing the epidemic of shoplifting and how the public should sometimes act as police officers.

I thought “Ello ello ello, what’s all this ‘ere then?”

Mr Barber seems to be living in some weird Dickensian world.

He said that if a member of the public witnesses a shoplifter they should cry out ‘Stop thief!’

This might presumably be rascals like the Artful Dodger nicking some fine gentleman’s silk handkerchief for Fagin’s delight, my dear?

Perhaps other members of the public could then raise a hue and cry to catch the dirty rascal?

On the other hand, it’s not the 1830s, most gentlemen don’t carry silk handkerchiefs and modern criminals, unlike old time later villains who, when caught, tended to shout ‘It’s a fair cop guv, you got me bang to rights’, are more likely to assault the member of the public and maybe stick a knife in them.

Mr Barber though did say that members of the public should immediately dial 999 and call for police assistance.

Have you tried calling 999 recently? Unless you are actually witnessing an assault or attempted murder you are likely to be re-directed to call 101, where a voice is likely to say ‘Did you know you can report a crime online?’. ‘Please treat our call handlers with respect’ etc.

The Beadle, sorry, I mean Matthew Barber, said he has put ‘more police on the streets’ or some such nonsense.

Where are they? Who are they? Are they in plain clothes maybe?

I practically never see a policeman in person – maybe they are all sitting at computers trying to comply with the bloody 1984 Police & Criminal Evidence Act (PACE)?

Our MP, Joshua Reynolds rightly and expertly dismissed Mr Barber’s ridiculous claims and advice and I was impressed with his strong criticism of the idea that members of the public should act as stand-in coppers.

Why is it all like this?

It’s yet another example of Broken Britain.

Firstly, that children’s Christmas Card judge, Theresa May, when she was Home Secretary, cut huge numbers of police.

Meantime, over the past 15 years or so, large numbers of poor migrants have continued to force their way into the country, despite Yvette Cooper’s promise to smash the smuggling gangs.

What’s more, the years of Tory austerity also mean that we are actually letting serious criminals out of prison early because of the shortage of prison space!

And even if the police could be bothered to do what we pay them for, they will probably find that soft-hearted judges (also aware of the prison shortage) will just give shoplifters a metaphorical slap on the wrist.

Anyway, for the older readers and shoppers who may remember this Crimewatch line, I’ll just leave you with “Don’t have nightmares…do sleep well.”

MALCOLM STRETTEN

Riverside

Maidenhead

Third runway proposals are a flight of fancy

So, August 1, I grab the latest edition of the ‘Tiser and I’m off on a flight to Spain.

I settled down by the pool with the ‘Tiser, and what is the front page headline? ‘Revived third runway proposals submitted’.

After reading the article, I assumed that the Government and the management of Heathrow had gone completely barmy.

Have any of these jokers thought this through? Well, it’s backed by Labour, so obviously not.

At first, I thought the increased flight figures were a misprint.

They want to increase the number of flights by 276,000 a year to 756,000 a year.

With the current operating times for Heathrow, that is an average of 125 flights an hour.

Have any of these clowns actually looked at the Flight Radar app at peak times around Heathrow? You can barely see the ground for aircraft.

Slough Labour MP Tan Dhesi is all for it apparently. I wonder if he will be all for it if a fully loaded Airbus 380 lands in Slough town centre?

So far, we have been lucky that no aircraft have crashed into major centres of population, but we have had some close calls.

In 1968 a B.O.A.C. 707 crashed at Heathrow after an engine fire on take-off.

I was 14 and living in Egham. My sister and myself witnessed this aircraft fly over our house with its engine on fire. Thankfully when the engine detached from the wing it landed in a field a mile or so from our house.

Then in 1972 we had the Trident that crashed in a field just a few hundred yards from Staines town centre, killing all 118 people on board.

If it had stayed in the air for just a couple of seconds longer it would have been a different story.

Another problem is where the airlines are going to find all the extra pilots.

There has been a major shortage of pilots since the late seventies, and it hasn’t improved.

Airlines are reluctant to train new pilots because of the uncertainty of the industry – just look at how many airlines have disappeared.

Should you be a young person wishing to pay for your own training you better have rich parents because you will be spending anywhere between £160,000 and £180,000, and you’ll be a first officer for a long time before you make captain.

You could earn more becoming a plumber.

Then of course, this will blow Ed Miliband’s net zero clean out of the water and makes an absolute mockery of Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ because on a rough average there will be 8,213 jet engines blasting out jet exhaust every day, plus all the exhaust from the construction plant and vehicles.

Nothing to worry about though, Heathrow have said: “They will deliver the expansion in a way that is consistent with net zero 2050 and will continue to offer noise respite, insulation and improvements to air quality.”

How this will happen is a bit vague.

We have also been told that this will bring major economic benefits and thousands of career opportunities, but by the time this is finished many jobs will be done by AI.

I expect a major economic benefit will be for all the politicians and officials that have lined up all the companies that they will put their money into.

KEITH CHAPMAN

Cornwall Close

Maidenhead

President’s half-baked Alaskan negotiations

What a famous victory in Alaska at the weekend!

For the mere price of a red carpet welcome for Putin, with public warm handshake greeting and the chance to pose in front of a ‘Pursuing Peace’ backdrop splashed all around the world, the President of the USA has managed to secure Putin’s agreement to continue fighting just as before until a comprehensive peace settlement has been agreed.

Where would we be without such diplomatic and negotiation skills?

Before this Alaskan encounter, the American President had spoken of ‘land swaps’.

Since the Ukrainian President has made clear repeatedly that the Ukrainian Constitution would not permit him to hand over sovereignty of part of Ukraine – and knowing how passionate a protector of constitutions the American President is – presumably this referred to swapping some American territory for Ukrainian territory illegally occupied by the Russians.

As the agreement with Prime Minister Mark Carney for Canada to become the newest of the United States of America has not quite yet been signed and sealed, could it be that the idea was to give another of the United States to Russia in exchange for Ukrainian territory being returned to Ukrainian control?

In the unlikely event that Mr Trump’s understanding of ‘land swaps’ is ‘giving away your territory to another country in exchange for nothing’, I would urge Mr Zelenskyy to consider whether his country’s aims would be better served by giving part of Ukraine to Russia or to, say, France.

“Land Swaps”

On August 15th – a date of note –

I went to meet dear Emperor Putin.

Like me, he can win a vote:

Dead opponents don’t do good disputin’!

If he and I can make a deal

To end the drones and bombs each night,

Land swaps will be key, I feel,

For Diplomat Don to end the fight.

Ukraine’s land prices must break their hearts

In Donbas and Kyiv – to name a few;

And Russia’s, too, in certain parts.

For Vlad’s lands gained, I’ll give Alaska anew!

JAY FLYNN

Moneyrow Green

Holyport