Postal workers trial crime-watch initiative

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/ ... -1-6751106" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Postal workers will report low-level crime or suspicious incidents to the police under a new scheme being trialled in Hampshire.

Royal Mail said more than 130 postmen and women in Winchester will take part in the Mail Watch initiative.

Tony Marsh, director of security at Royal Mail, said: “Royal Mail postmen and women collect and deliver mail six days a week and have almost-unrivalled knowledge of the communities they serve.

“We are proud to be formalising our working relationship with Hampshire Constabulary and Neighbourhood Watch through the launch of this important initiative, and look forward to playing our part in creating a safer community.”

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Winchester postal workers to work with police

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-32783670" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Postal workers are taking part in a new scheme to report any suspicious activity on their round to police.

Royal Mail has linked up with Hampshire Constabulary and Neighbourhood Watch, as part of the move to tackle crime in Winchester.

More than 130 postmen and women are involved in the scheme. Trespassing and stealing have already been reported.

Winchester postman, Tony Crouch, said: "It's an extension of the service we already provide to the community."

"We take intelligence from the police and have a phone number to call if we see anything suspicious," he said.

The scheme officially begins on Tuesday but some postal workers have already taken part and had training.

Royal Mail has previously teamed up with charity Missing People on a similar scheme.

Union's 'reservations'

Ch Insp Darius Hemmatpour said: "For many years the police have enjoyed a great working partnership with Neighbourhood Watch so it makes perfect sense to join this up with Royal Mail, where often the local postie has the ear of the community."

A spokeswoman for the Communication Workers Union said she was disappointed they were not consulted.

"We have reservations about this initiative and will be keeping a close eye on how it affects the working lives of our members.

"We are tentatively supportive of the trial as it's in everyone's ‎interest to reduce crime within the community that our members serve."

[Surreypostie]

So... we are going to be searching for missing persons and now turning into a amateur sherlock holmes. Will we have time to actually do our delivery work? How will we be contacting the police to report this low level crime that they won't respond to anyway?

[Lounge Lizard]

And does this "low level crime" include breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act when delivery workers are sent out with totally unreasonable workloads ?

[motherhubbard]

To be quite frank I don't care about the community "I serve".
I deliver the mail.
If someone wants to deal out of their house or the kids want to smash up the phone box, it really isn't my problem.
I certainly have no intention of informing the police and then walking around that same "community" on my own.

These "initiatives" are pointless.
How many missing people have we found?
Did they ever issue the scratch and sniff cannabis cards so we would know where the cannabis farms were on our rounds?
How many were uncovered?

[DB1100]

To be quite frank I don't care about the community "I serve".
I deliver the mail.
If someone wants to deal out of their house or the kids want to smash up the phone box, it really isn't my problem.
I certainly have no intention of informing the police and then walking around that same "community" on my own.

These "initiatives" are pointless.
How many missing people have we found?
Did they ever issue the scratch and sniff cannabis cards so we would know where the cannabis farms were on our rounds?
How many were uncovered?

I agree 100%,just an excuse to have even less police on the street's and giving the impresion the police actually care for the average joe,a lot of resentment for the police round were I live,due to an elderly couple being harrased so much that they had to move police failed to respond on numerous occasions.

[Lounge Lizard]

I 'phone the police whenever I've found properties broken into, usually unoccupied or residents away on holiday.
About once a year I see a van parked that looks out of place and I note the registration number, time and place, not that it's ever been needed.
That's enough.

[hans solo]

DO WE GET A POLICE PENSION OR PAY
tell them to jog on its not our job simple

[TrueBlueTerrier]

21 May 2015

Shaun Davis
Royal Mail Group
Director of Safety, Health & Wellbeing
Royal Mail Group
Email: shaun.davis@royalmail.com

Dear Shaun,
Daily Mirror Report 19.5.15: “Mail Watch” Pilot Scheme in Winchester (SO Postcode Area) – Postmen and Women Now Reporting Suspicious Incidents and Crimes To Hampshire Police, Acting as The “Eyes and Ears” of the Community:

Please see attached copy of a report which appeared in the Daily Mirror’s 19 May edition. This has been greeted with nothing short of shock horror and universal condemnation across the CWU. Because the CWU hasn’t been consulted, we can only go on what we read in the press and Royal Mail intranet article (see attached).

My initial reaction is one of extreme concern regarding the irresponsibility of publicising such a scheme in the National press because of the risk this could potentially bring upon ordinary Postmen and Women, who are currently seen and accepted as neutral, friendly, innocent and harmless service providers and members of their local communities but, as a result of this scheme and the ill-thought publicity, could henceforth be regarded by miscreants and the criminal fraternity as a threat and a new arm of the Law, police agents, spies and informants who they may decide to mete out retribution, violence and abuse to.

The CWU has no problem what so ever with giving principled support to the police in their efforts to deal with crime and for everyone in society to play their part in a material way by reporting crime and assisting victims. However, we draw the line at giving the impression that Royal Mail has formalised arrangements with the Police for our members, ordinary Postmen and Women to go beyond that and make the wrong people think that Postal Workers are to become some kind of a ‘Plastic Police Force’ on some ‘Dads Army’ organisation basis.

In the past I and our field force of Area Health and Safety Reps have had to deal with the aftermath of undercover Police Officers dressing up in Royal Mail Postmen’s Uniforms or Parcelforce Drivers Uniforms whilst undertaking raids and undercover work. In the aftermath, the consequences were Postal workers facing confrontations, threats and intimidation, in certain areas of the country, as criminals thought our members were the Police or were working on their behalf and these people had to be convinced otherwise in order to diffuse the situations. The article in the Daily Mirror could reignite those type of problems and lead to flare ups if this ‘Trial’ is taken further.

Yesterday, I undertook extensive enquiries to find out just who Director of Security Tony Marsh had consulted on this scheme and found out that the answer was no one in respect of the obvious people that should have been consulted before launching the so called “Mail-Watch” scheme! I don’t know which operational people Tony spoke to but if they were to talk to the CWU they also failed dismally.

Nick Burns Royal Mail Group Safety, Health and Environment Engagement Manager, from your team confirmed that the RMG Central Safety, Health and Wellbeing Team were not consulted as far as he knew. From the Region, Kerry Whiteford the Safety Health and Environment Advisor who covers the Winchester (SO) area knew nothing about it either and neither did Jo Ferguson the HR Director.

On the CWU side Brian Quensell our CWU Area Health and Safety Representative knew nothing about it and neither did the CWU Area Delivery Rep or the CWU Unit Reps from Winchester. Terry Jackson CWU Divisional Rep also wasn’t consulted and knew nothing about it. So from my enquiries I’ve found that your Central or Regional Safety, Health and Wellbeing Teams were kept in the dark and not made aware of this scheme or asked to advise, or give comments and input before implementation and the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department have not been consulted or involved in any discussions or provided with informed about this scheme in any way shape or form, neither was the CWU HQ Outdoor Department, or as detailed above, our Divisional and Area Representatives – absolutely shocking and appalling.

This is incredible, bearing in mind the possible implications and risks involved for Postal workers..

We are trying to get our customers to keep their dogs under control and Royal Mail and the CWU Nationally, Regionally and Locally will continue to work together during the forthcoming ‘Dog Awareness Week” to Promote positive messages to customers and keep their dogs under control when the Postman or Woman Comes to deliver the mail. That’s the way schemes should be developed and run, jointly with all stakeholders Fully involved and consulted. The Police are working with us as are many other organisations. The irony is that this ‘Mail-Watch’ scheme could encourage certain people not to control their dogs when the Postman arrives !

This ‘Mail-Watch’ Trial needs to be brought to an end promptly and the ‘Mail-Watch’ scheme should go no further in its present form. There should not be any further publicity of the kind that appeared in the Daily Mirror two days ago. Those involved in setting this ‘Mail Watch’ project up and making it high profile in the press need
to think carefully about what they’ve done here and how they’ve done it. They should answer the question as to why didn’t consult those they should have consulted. If they had done that, they would have received valid advice.

I’m happy to meet to discuss this matter and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

[Surreypostie]

I think this Tony Marsh should be fired, obviously not up to the job as he didn't consider our security.