Featherstone Make a Difference Forum

Yetion1, you latest post on the crime scene thread is excellent, i hope some answers are forthcoming, especially on the radio handset fiasco, as always we are being treated as second class citizens >:(

Thanks Forkhandles. The problem at Featherstones end is now sorted. That leaves Ponterfract and Knottingly still left out of a great scheme let down by the police. Hope they read this. >:(

Its amazing what happens when you pull out out all the stops with a complaint and post it on this little old forum. ;) ;D

Last nights comments appear to have "made a difference".
Shortly sfter last nights comments this was recieved;

Mr  ;D

As per our discussion last week please find below a paragraph regarding the
complaint you made about the Apex radios and my progress update which you
are already aware of.


Your initial complaint was regarding the radios that were donated by Apex
to the shopwatch scheme who in turn gave them to the Police for their
use.The Police ceased to use the radios and when you requested the return
of the radios so that an upgrade on the system could be completed you were
told that the radios were lost.

I felt that your complaint was valid and I have tried to locate the radios
at alternative Police Stations,  however have failed to locate them. I
contacted Apex to try and negotiate some arrangements to replace the radios
so that the scheme could continue to operate with the support of the
Police. Apex were very accommodating and stated that they had already wrote
off the missing radios and that upgrade work was soon to commence with the
Featherstone shopwatch scheme.
The Normanton and Featherstone NPT have now received 2 new radios for use
in conjunction with the scheme and will operate them on day shifts as
discussed. My team will continue to support your scheme and as discussed
will meet with the members at your request if available and provide the
members with regular details of offenders operating in the area, any
feedback would be welcome.


I hope that you will be satisfied with this action and feel that I have
tried to resolve your complaint to the best of my ability.


Regards

Normanton & Featherstone Neighbourhood Policing Team


The reply;
Dear NPT :(

Thank you for your reply to my complaint made against Chief Superintendant M
Callaghan. I assume that you are now the communicator in my complaint and
that Chief Superintendant M Callaghan who is responsible will not reply in
person. Obviously my meeting with Chief Superintendant M Callaghan was a
waste of my time.

I appreciate your honesty regards your report of the Featherstone handsets.
It is a rare commodity these days. I must comment that it appears that the
police have got off lightly. Apex could account for the handsets but have
chosen to absorb the loss in order to keep the status quo. As a business man
I can under stand their bigger picture. I also hope that you and the police
can understand that Featherstone Shopwatch was responsible as signatories to
receiving and updating your handsets. I do hope that a lesson has been
learnt to how far Apex will extend their help.

I met a Featherstone PCSO today 01.06.10. Where was their shopwatch handset?
A little support is all we still need and ask for.

Regards the resolution of my official police complaint made on 28.01.2010
many other issues remain outstanding. The biggest one is where is the 5 town's
shopwatch as handed over to the police in 2009?

You are aware that I have contacted the IPCC who have stated that they
cannot take a complaint until they have in writing from the police an
official response stating that they cannot answer. I have asked politely for
5 months for such a document. I believe it fair to comment that 2 circles of
communication are unreasonable. May I ask who is a higher authority than the
IPCC?

Please take my correspondence as a reflection of events that happened before
your arrival. I believe it fair to ask for a full response and not one that
has been passed down the chain of command.

In the mean time we in Featherstone will continue our daily grind that
should be easier than what it is.

Regards ;D


A further follow up was a phone call and an invite to meet next week to sit down and sort the problem.
Hurray. Didnt take much did it ::)