Reporting suspicious activity

[Scotsailor]

Oh for heavens sake! Are you not British? It's what we do. Policing by committee. Where do you think Neighbourhood Watch would be if we all waited for people to commit crime?

Maybe you’re right … I just don’t personally see it as particularly suspicious. Three guys go out on a small boat on the Blackwater. And ask about membership at a sailing club. … I’ve been boating on the Blackwater years ago. And all sorts of people used to go boating there on all sorts of craft. All sorts of sailing craft. But there also used to be plenty of people fishing. There used to be a water sports club near there as well. Water skiing and jet skis. … I admit I haven’t been there for a few years. So maybe things have changed. But this doesn’t sound terribly suspicious to me.

 

[johnalison]

Relying on gut instinct is a very human way of making a decision. What it means is that we supplement our reasoning with messages from the emotional part of our brain, mainly in the frontal cortex. This brings into play items of knowledge or sensory input that we may not be aware of but which nevertheless may be useful. If the OP had a 'feeling' that something was not right, then it is not irrational to take heed of this, even if it shouldn't be the sole guide to action. There is an interesting book called 'The Decisive Moment' that relates many stories where people made what appeared to be inexplicable decisions that saved lives.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Relying on gut instinct is a very human way of making a decision. What it means is that we supplement our reasoning with messages from the emotional part of our brain, mainly in the frontal cortex. This brings into play items of knowledge or sensory input that we may not be aware of but which nevertheless may be useful. If the OP had a 'feeling' that something was not right, then it is not irrational to take heed of this, even if it shouldn't be the sole guide to action. There is an interesting book called 'The Decisive Moment' that relates many stories where people made what appeared to be inexplicable decisions that saved lives.

I recently called the police 101 non-emergency line because I'd seen a post-office van in a location I didn't expect, with its doors all open and apparently unattended. It just looked wrong to me, so I decided to call in. The person I spoke to was obviously at pains to put me at ease and make sure that I'd do so again, even though (with hindsight and a better look at where it was) it was merely delivering to a farmhouse I'd not previously noticed. The point is that even if 9 out of 10 such feelings are wrong, the tenth makes up for it! And in most cases, the police will be able to check a situation out without anyone being inconvenienced.

 

[Daydream believer]

Maybe you’re right … I just don’t personally see it as particularly suspicious. Three guys go out on a small boat on the Blackwater. And ask about membership at a sailing club. … I’ve been boating on the Blackwater years ago. And all sorts of people used to go boating there on all sorts of craft. All sorts of sailing craft. But there also used to be plenty of people fishing. There used to be a water sports club near there as well. Water skiing and jet skis. … I admit I haven’t been there for a few years. So maybe things have changed. But this doesn’t sound terribly suspicious to me.

Yeah!! they say that they want to go out fishing, but do not have any fishing rods or bait. They immediately go to the opposite bank & start looking along the shore.
To get access they immediately offer to pay £ 290-00 membership fee ,cash, to get into the club grounds. They are clearly not your average fishing types. They were not gung ho youngsters . When casually asked about where they lived it was just " London" & then a sort of general non committal "sorry I do not understand" response.
The kit was all brand new & looked as if they had walked into a shop & bought the complete gear with a view to sussing out the area ready for a landing sometime in the future.

 

[jon and michie]

Just seen this and thought of this thread from a few months back - whether right or wrong some chap may have lost his life.

Two men rescued but one still missing after search off Essex coast

Harwich incident: Border Force involved in search and rescue mission off the coast of Essex

I would have linked this thread with this one Incident off Harwich ?
but that one is closed for replies

 

[WF36]

but that one is closed for replies

Member banned for having an opinion no doubt.

 

[jon and michie]

The point I am making is that the OP of this thread saw something suspicious and at first was unsure whether to report it or not. - other members chimed in and one mentioned why would you want to launch from that particular creek - maybe it wasn't to launch maybe it was planning to land.

all could be pure coincidence but could the Essex shores be the new south coast for illegals as the south coast is tightening up its belt ?

 

[Capt Popeye]

The BANNING of the other post on this subject - my personal take is that WE thats the Boating fraternity are being encouraged by Govt , Border Force , Police , Harbour Authorities etc etc etc etc to promptly report such incidents that are out of the ordinary or suspicious

Not being a reader of the Yachting Press , so can I ask , if anybody is a reader , does the Yachting Press actually encourage us (boaters) to report such activities ?

Or is printing such advice in the Press not allowed ?

Or even discouraged ?

Surely such active reporting is Public Spirited so to be encouraged ?

 

[dunedin]

They'd either stand proudly next to it or be some shade of uncomfortable/upset about it. At most they might take your phone but even that will draw more attention to themselves. Either way probably not come back rather than murder someone and have the trouble that would cause.

… “probably“

 

[Plum]

The BANNING of the other post on this subject - my personal take is that WE thats the Boating fraternity are being encouraged by Govt , Border Force , Police , Harbour Authorities etc etc etc etc to promptly report such incidents that are out of the ordinary or suspicious

Not being a reader of the Yachting Press , so can I ask , if anybody is a reader , does the Yachting Press actually encourage us (boaters) to report such activities ?

Or is printing such advice in the Press not allowed ?

Or even discouraged ?

Surely such active reporting is Public Spirited so to be encouraged ?

Yes, we should report all suspicious activity.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[sarabande]

Have you heard of the Kraken project ? It has been around for several years.

Report suspicious behaviour at sea: Project Kraken - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

[jimi]

Member banned for having an opinion no doubt.

Having seen some of the posts in question, I fully support the action of the moderators. To describe them as offensive is an understatement.

 

[snowbird30ds]

I've been helping the kraken project, been drinking loads of it...

 

[KevinV]

I seem to recall anecdotes of drugs being dropped (with weights attached) off the coast of Spain, then retrieved by smaller boats. The larger delivery boat never stops and the smaller boat never goes very far. A fish finder might be jolly useful for this. I don't know the waters that you're talking about, but you could see it working in somewhere like Harwich, where there's plenty of estuary to drop something in before the ship lands.

Intelligence works by collating tiny, possibly useless, pieces of information and spotting a pattern - And if they are just a nice bunch of chaps trying out a new hobby there's no harm done.

 

[Cobra]

Having seen some of the posts in question, I fully support the action of the moderators. To describe them as offensive is an understatement.

Agree 100% Jimi! There is no room in a modern society for comments such as were made.

 

[Daydream believer]

This was an old post, but as it has been temporarily resurected, I will add an update. the club CCTV did pick up the car & the number plate as they left. A couple of other residents nearby had suspicions by their enquiries about launch spots & had taken pictures. The info was forwarded to the police. Nothing has been heard since; although I am told that recently some police activity was seen on the opposite side of the river.

 

[oldgit]

Today 3 foreign guys with limited English language skills turned up at our club. They spoke to a club member who told them about membership cost. then they went off in an inflatable RIB

Suspect these guys english skills were probably worse ?
'Gun-runners bragged of gangster credentials after weapons shipment'