In response to the responses my original post made I can state the following:

With our current workforce size, no the policices are clearly not working. It is patently obvious to everyone they are not, hence the morale being at all time low levels. Re Rog being in charge of amalgamated force, I belive that wont happen as HMI has said that Chiefs will not be able to head a force that contains their old one. Therefore, many hoping merger takes place.

Re SOCPA, I would suggest there are many cases where arrests are borderline re compliance wiht SOCPA, ie some being made that could be dealt with by other means. (FPN's or good old fashioned advice).

We have had teams pulled from front line duties to pick up old arrests on jobs that are clearly not going anywhere, whilst we have not got anyone to react when info re a burglary about to happen comes in. The intial pride has really gone, but still at least Rog will get a visit to the queen for a medal at some point.

Essex Police - You've been Rogered!!

So far I see a lot of criticism of Mr Baker, but it is interesting to note, that he was not at all for amalgamation, his reasons were sound and valid. Likewise I do not believe you can blame one man for the way Essex is going at the moment. I agreee Morale is at an all time low, but so it is countrywide from colleagues I meet.

If we are to blame, (as this seems to be the culture), then go for the very top, go for government. They are the ones who demand results and dangle carrots for those below to strive for. You cannot blame one man for striving for that carrot as in his shoes, you may well do the same.

I do not agree with some of his policies by any means, arrests for arrests sake are not on and possibly as mentioned against the new rules. But I am sure, if the pressure from above was lowered and chiefs were able to have the full reigns again, then more sensible and I daresay more efficient policing would ensue as opposed to the statistic creating policing we are doing at the moment.

You cannot measure performance with made up statistics.

Just ask any statistician.........I did and 90% of them agree they are not reliable, 5 % were not sure, 4% said they could prove they existed and 2% did not have a Maths 'o' level between them.

QED

Hmm,

The whole detections thing is deeply iffy if you ask me. I have sat in on town centre fri/sat night briefings to be told how the management will not be happy for d and d arrests, and to arrest s5 instead. AS 5jays says, I will be arresting people IF I feel it is appropriate and for the offence I feel they are committing...

And luckily the bright spark who started telling us to issue £80 S5 FPN's for weeing in the street was shown the error of their ways...

Perhaps Mr Baker should read John Stevens book "Not For The Faint Hearted - My Life Fighting Crime" and learn some man management skills I'm sure he has some great ideas (but then so does my 10 year old son) - after all he's not playing with an oversized train set these are real issues

The rumour was that someone abused the internet access and managed to accrue 40 hours internet time in a 39 hour week (lazy git)- if they cannot deal with an individual who abused the system in this way then we all have to suffer losing an important investigative tool well done once again

As for meeting him be careful as you have now made comments against him - maybe a panorama style interview where you are in the shadows

Does the management feel that there is something wrong with control room staff accessing this site at, say, 4 in the morning ? We sit there, tethered by an electrical umbilicus to a desk, in temparatures that are so low we are still having to wear sweaters at work (these don't keep your hands and legs warm though), and are expected to be at a constant state of vigilance at all hours, without recourse to this useful stimulant for the brain.

I have long felt that it is more useful to be looking at your monitors than reading a book during these quiet times. Your eyes and brain are in gear and ready to deal with the next important job.

This is weak, blanket management of the worst type. It is not new to this chief though. Some time ago, each divisional controller had his own dedicated back-up to make calls for him/her, and to type a commentary on fast running incidents in order that the dispatcher could concentrate on running the incident. In quiet times the back-up was expected to take phone calls. Some back-ups were not taking calls, so, instead of dealing with those individuals, we ended up with shared back-ups so that the organisation would have more call takers. The back-ups that were not taking calls were in the wrong, but so was the way in which the management dealt with the issue.

The morale in the control room is now so low that 44 people have applied for a job that was advertised on our intranet. The management should be asking 'what is so wrong that this number of people want to get out?' Are they asking this question ? I doubt it

I would have though Rog would have wanted a happy force, with high morale, then you get the best out of people.

He obviously has never done a man management course, and sees himself as the 'saving sole of Essex'',  I suggest he goes for a very long ride on one of his horses, and doesn't come back.