Bramshill, birthplace of the new College of Policing, has a very British feel. It combines grandeur, isolation and inconvenience in increasing proportions. Like our stately homes, Sandhurst, Parliament, and our Military, history and tradition rub uneasily with the demands of modernity.
Police governance. Not the sexiest of topics, is it? Not that I imagine you find yourself on the website of […]
Not long ago, Radio 4 ran a short discussion on trust in British institutions. One of the observations was that, in the age of Twitter, defending reputations often means sharing criticism of them.
One month in. Christmas and New Year have arrived just in time to pause and take stock. It's been an intense few weeks and an extraordinary time in the evolution of British policing. It's a great privilege to be part of these changes and I'm loving the job.
Your hands are sweating. Your throat is dry. Cameras roll in the background. You have swung through more emotions in the last few minutes than you usually do in a year. You have worked for months for this moment. Somehow you have still had only seconds to prepare. Beside you a man is speaking in a formal, measured voice. You hear your name and step towards a microphone. Welcome to election day.
Here is the gist of an email doing the rounds:
Below is an exchange from a constituent asking if I would enforce cannabis laws. This is a difficult subject. The short answer is yes. The longer one is that I do think we need to take another look at our drugs policy. But... that’s for Parliament.
I’ve received several emails about my priorities on wildlife crime.
Over the next few weeks we will all be campaigning around Dyfed Powys, putting forward the policies and priorities we would pursue as Police and Crime Commissioner for our area.
A dark and horrible thing happened in Machynlleth when April Jones disappeared from outside her mother's house. Campaigning for election suddenly seemed of microscopic importance by comparison.