Northumbria Police Bikes

[MacFarlane]

Is it just me or is this a mad decision?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5290816/Health-and-safety-police-force-sells-motorbikes.html

 

[Ringoss]

Truly, truly unbelieveable.

 

[Madasaboxoffrogs]

Asylum. over, lunatics, the, taken, have, the

Rearrange to suit the situation

 

[Mort]

I think health and safety is just an excuse.

Money will be the actual reason.

 

[Beetle2112]

I know a few people who'll be pretty pished off by that decision ....



and a few more who'll be pleased

 

[AdamA]

I know a few people who'll be pretty pished off by that decision ....



and a few more who'll be pleased

Quite. Less rapid police on the road means more freedom to play without fear of being caught. What's the problem?

 

[Mr K]

Quite. Less rapid police on the road means more freedom to play without fear of being caught. What's the problem?

I've found my interactions with our bike cops less traumatic than with those in cars.

 

[AdamA]

I've found my interactions with our bike cops less traumatic than with those in cars.

I'v found cars can't catch up, bikes can.

 

[Mr K]

I'v found cars can't catch up, bikes can.

They get expensive, fast cars to play with up here.

 

[wreck diver]

I heard yesterday that West Mercia is doing the same.

 

[pedro]

and

when and where are their remaining bikes being auctioned ?

 

[Morticia]

Has Health and Safety gone mad or what....never mind one up to us bikers....not only will it be fun riding in Northumbria, but next door in Durham they don't have any speed cameras either...yeeeheee.

Not sure about buying an ex plod bike....one owner, many riders and 0-60 don't know how many times.

Morticia.

PS Will the bikers still be wearing their leahers in the cars?....i wonder

 

[Mister Mischief]

police bikes/bikers

cant believe the thinking behind the chief constable in northumberland, what a pratt,

the majority of police biker riders more than understand us bikers, the t**ts in the cars dont,

police bike squad in durham and cleveland are brilliant, 90% of the time if they pull you over its, "nice bike" and a friendly chat about keeping the speed down, ive never had any grief off them,

and they run a great bike event "bikewise" every year, and i mean who esle would run bike run, durham to darlington where been allowed to run red lights is allowed, i mean come on,


but wondering when northumbria are selling off their bikes though

 

[claw]

.....the majority of police biker riders more than understand us bikers, the t**ts in the cars dont,

police bike squad in durham and cleveland are brilliant, 90% of the time if they pull you over its, "nice bike" and a friendly chat about keeping the speed down, ive never had any grief off them,

and they run a great bike event "bikewise" every year......

I met a lot of the Durham bike plod doing my advanced. They are, as said, a good set of blokes, they'd rather give you a bollocking at the side of the road than a ticket, unless you are being very stupid.

They openly admit to pulling bikers over every now and again for a chat just to put a friendly face across and not to alienate bikers in the area.

Bikewise events are good and the one held in August at Aykley heads is a good day out and raises a shit load of money for charidee.

Northumbrian top cop sounds a bit of a buffoon.

 

[Morticia]

Hi Mister Mischief,

Worked with Durham guys and gals quite a bit, they are a really good bunch...

 

[Clem]

Durham Bike squad have a target for the Summer season - they aim to speak to 1,000 bikers during their patrols of the Dales etc.

That's the kind of target they should all be working to!

 

[JH]

I think the clue is here :-

"An additional benefit to the public is that the money saved will be reinvested in neighbourhood policing."

Where I work the solo motorcycle is the second most expensive vehicle to run and maitain on our fleet - only the Range Rovers / Discos / other 4x4's cost more to run.

They have to have tyres changed at 3mm, brakes stripped and checked every 2k, fluid changed every 6 months max etc etc. This is done for safety reasons, but selling off the fleet - that is purely a political decision to save money. If there were a real H & S issue then we would have some figures to back it up, and then it only would reveal a training need! Which there isn't as there is no heightened problem.

Anyhow the job has dangers - and you cannot prevent them just train to avoid and minimise them.

A sad day - but has happened before and has been overcome by subsequent Chiefs!

 

[(RIP) petcul]

Rumour has it that following on from the decision to scrap the police bikes Northumbria council tax payers will be saved millions of pounds when the entire Northumbria police service is scrapped on health and safety grounds. A spokesperson is rumoured to have said that "policing has become too dangerous. There are armed criminals who pose a threat to our officers and indeed some juveniles can be a handful. We can no longer justify putting our officers in these untenable positions!"

The big question now in Northumbria is will this decision make any difference to crime????

 

[Bryn]

He says that there's nothing the bikes do that the cars can't do.... Maybe that is the case but quite a few tasks would be bordering on dangerous in a car

How about

Royal escorts ( regular occurance for us)
Prison van escorts
interceptor work for operations
policing Marathons. ( a regular )
Rapid response in cities/queuing traffic
Pilot duties ( escorting ambulances etc.)
Abnormal load escort ( a pain in the arse in a car )

I could go on....

Its nothing to do with health and safety..... and everything to do with a senior officer that doesn't like bikes IMHO

 

[loueye]

did you also know that there is only ONE paramedic biker left too in the North East. They also had the same excuse i believe