Essex Police marine unit shuts and police dogs reduced

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A police marine unit in Essex is to close and the number of trained dogs cut from 52 to 40 to save money.
The restructure will save over £750,000 a year, the chief constable said.
Specialist marine officers will still provide expertise, and retired dogs could stay with handlers as pets or a suitable home will be found for them.
These steps are part of a campaign by Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh to trim £36m from the Essex Police annual budget by March 2017.
He is also modernising the force. Specialist domestic abuse officers are to be equipped with body-worn video cameras, while mobile technology will be used to speed up crime investigations by eliminating the need for officers tor return to police stations to access information.
The force has one large vessel, three smaller rigid-hulled inflatable boats (rhibs) and two jet-skis and is evaluating which equipment to retain.
 
If they are disbanding the Marine Unit I would have thought they would not need any vessels at all?

Seems like a major step backwards as regards marine crime, we lost the Suffolk Marine unit some years ago and probably there has been an increase in boat related crime since, I expect Essex will go the same way.
 
Leighb said:
If they are disbanding the Marine Unit I would have thought they would not need any vessels at all?

Seems like a major step backwards as regards marine crime, we lost the Suffolk Marine unit some years ago and probably there has been an increase in boat related crime since, I expect Essex will go the same way.
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Well you could hear the Ian Jacob 1/2 an hr before she came into view.
 
I was wondering how they were going to reduce the dogs?
Maybe flog the big uns and get Jack Russells.
 
I have sometimes wondered whether having them tear up & down the Blackwater on a calm sunny day is great use of the public's money... That's not to say that we don't need a Police Marine Unit, just that it could perhaps be more usefully deployed...
 
Cantata said:
The Essex Marine Unit was (I understood) a shared resource with Kent, so has the whole thing gone?
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I wasn't at the meeting, but I have a summary of the main points from the recent Medway and Swale Boating Association's AGM from our club rep that attended:

Police Report:

Now be based at Maidstone and known as the "Search and Marine Unit".
There will be fewer shifts and a lot less cover on the marine side.
Police Launch out of action as equipment out of date which renders vessel unusable. No decision on its future yet, but unlikely to be back in action.
Now only a rib based at Sheerness, but getting a team in place from Maidstone leaves less time on water.

I think this is just notes taken at the meeting, not necessarily the exact words from the Police, but it looks as though there is going to be very little Police cover on the waters of Kent as well.
 
FulmarJeddo said:
I wasn't at the meeting, but I have a summary of the main points from the recent Medway and Swale Boating Association's AGM from our club rep that attended:

Police Report:

Now be based at Maidstone and known as the "Search and Marine Unit".
There will be fewer shifts and a lot less cover on the marine side.
Police Launch out of action as equipment out of date which renders vessel unusable. No decision on its future yet, but unlikely to be back in action.
Now only a rib based at Sheerness, but getting a team in place from Maidstone leaves less time on water.

I think this is just notes taken at the meeting, not necessarily the exact words from the Police, but it looks as though there is going to be very little Police cover on the waters of Kent as well.
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I bet my kit is much older that theirs.
all they need is a vhf & a gps & a blue flashing light
 
FulmarJeddo said:
I wasn't at the meeting, but I have a summary of the main points from the recent Medway and Swale Boating Association's AGM from our club rep that attended:

Police Report:

Now be based at Maidstone and known as the "Search and Marine Unit".
There will be fewer shifts and a lot less cover on the marine side.
Police Launch out of action as equipment out of date which renders vessel unusable. No decision on its future yet, but unlikely to be back in action.
Now only a rib based at Sheerness, but getting a team in place from Maidstone leaves less time on water.

I think this is just notes taken at the meeting, not necessarily the exact words from the Police, but it looks as though there is going to be very little Police cover on the waters of Kent as well.
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That's pretty much back to what the Kent unit was when it started, about 10 years ago.
 
MikeBz said:
I have sometimes wondered whether having them tear up & down the Blackwater on a calm sunny day is great use of the public's money... That's not to say that we don't need a Police Marine Unit, just that it could perhaps be more usefully deployed...
Click to expand...

My thoughts as well. There was also a thread about the waste of Police marine units during Wivenhoe regatta - Lots of them and nothing to do
 
It's a real shame. I've had dealings with the Marine Unit in one way or another and though some of their focus I felt wasn't in the best interests of the general community, I certainly saw what a great need there is for an active unit on our coastline.

More community focus, yes but if anything, they needed a bigger unit, not the chop!!
 
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