Police diving teams’ merger saves £400k

8:19am Monday 10th September 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk

A YORKSHIRE-wide merger of police diving units across the county was being launched today.

The merger involving North Yorkshire, Humberside, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire forces aims to save £400,000 a year and will reduce the number of divers from 28 to ten. The money will be ploughed back into protecting local frontline resources.

North Yorkshire Police will retain its contracted service with its West Yorkshire counterparts, and all ten divers who remain under the shake-up will be full-time, as opposed to the current system which has five full-time divers.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Whyman, head of collaboration for policing Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “I am confident that the public will not see any difference in service levels, and that the £400,000 saved through creating a full time team will go to support their local neighbourhood policing and response teams.”

The newly-formed Yorkshire And The Humber Underwater Search And Marine Unit, which will be based in Humberside, was launched with a demonstration dive at Hull Marina this morning.

Work on the unit began last November when the four Chief Constables agreed to the idea, after research showed the three forces with their own in-force underwater search capability, South Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police, together spent more than £1 million per year on maintaining the provision.

Det Chief Const Whyman said: “The new four-force underwater search capability is a welcome addition to our portfolio of operational units. Not only is it providing all four forces with access to a dedicated full time team, but costs associated with training and equipment have also been optimised so that the same level of specialist search and recovery support delivered prior to today can still be maintained.”

Comments(11)

Pete the Brickie says...
10:26am Mon 10 Sep 12

Good move, what a shame the forces concerned had to be ordered by the government to make effieciency savings before they came up with something as simple as this.

Can it really have been beyond Maxwell/Cannings and their three equally well paid force counterparts to ask the question at some point in the last twenty years: When was the last time in history 28 police divers were needed all at the same time in Yorkshire and Humberside?

At least now they are being watched and are having to plough the savings back into front line policing and not expensive luxury vehicles and office furniture/alteration
s.

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PKH says...
1:22pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Pete the Brickie wrote:
Good move, what a shame the forces concerned had to be ordered by the government to make effieciency savings before they came up with something as simple as this.

Can it really have been beyond Maxwell/Cannings and their three equally well paid force counterparts to ask the question at some point in the last twenty years: When was the last time in history 28 police divers were needed all at the same time in Yorkshire and Humberside?

At least now they are being watched and are having to plough the savings back into front line policing and not expensive luxury vehicles and office furniture/alteration

s.
NYP got rid of their divers under Maxwell thus saving money, that is why NYP already has a contract with WYP

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Pete the Brickie says...
2:52pm Mon 10 Sep 12



PKH says...
1:22pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Can it really have been beyond Maxwell/Cannings and their three
NYP got rid of their divers under Maxwell thus saving money, that is why NYP already has a contract with WYP”



Fair point regarding the saving our force made, but between them all "Maxwell, Cannings and their three equally well paid counterparts" they have wasted up to £400k every year for the last fifteen years at least.

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Striking Cobra says...
4:20pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Pete the Brickie says...
2:52pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Fair point regarding the saving our force made, but between them all "Maxwell, Cannings and their three equally well paid counterparts" they have wasted up to £400k every year for the last fifteen years at least.”

Has it really been a waste? To my knowledge these officers were not just Police Divers, but were also Uniformed Police Officers, who, when not diving, were engaged in frontline policing duties throughout the whole of their respective force areas -- so these people as a resource have gone.

To be replaced by what ? Yet another 'regional unit' under the guise of cost efficiency -- when actually what is happening is A Regional Police Force is being introduced by 'stealth', ever so slowly but steadily, more and more units are being created or moved to be of use to the 4 Forces within the region. It will eventually get to the stage where all specialist units are region-based and anyone requiring their expertise within North Yorkshire or York will have to bid for it ----- Good luck with that --- As I can forsee all the major cities and Towns in West and South Yorkshire coming first a long way ahead of anyone within 'sleepy York and North Yorkshire'.

Oh! and whilst on the subject, just who do you think is paying for DCC Wyman and his 'no doubted' entrourage of underlings, Peter ---You and me, that's who.

So all in all, whilst the 'old' position may not have been great, just be careful what you wish for because we will shortly have a Regional Police Force --accountable to who exactly ?

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Pete the Brickie says...
4:48pm Mon 10 Sep 12




Striking Cobra says...
4:20pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Has it really been a waste? To my knowledge these officers were not just Police Divers, but were also Uniformed Police Officers, who, when not diving, were engaged in frontline policing duties throughout the whole of their respective force areas -- so these people as a resource have gone.



The only things that have "gone" with this merger is all the days off training for duties and extra money for qualifications these officers hardly ever did or used and the neccessity to purchase and maintain multiple sets of the same equipment over four police forces. There is no mention of reducing actual front line officer numbers in the article or statements, just using them more efficiently which I imagine will be unpopular but I'm afraid neccessary.

I'm well aware "you and me" pay for senior police officers and I'm no bigger fan of their obscene salaries and "enourages" than yourself.


The rest of your post is I'm afraid straight out of the Police Federation scare book, crime in "sleepy North Yorkshire" is going down despite their dire predictions of doom and gloom going back over two years now.

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capt spaulding says...
5:36pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Crime reports are indeed going down.
Why ?
I have had several occasions to contact our thin blue line and the result has been very disapointing. If other people have had a similar expeirience then Its no suprise that crimes go unreported. I have no confidence in the forces ability to solve crimes, so why would I bother to report them..

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ExPatBob says...
5:39pm Mon 10 Sep 12

all the days off for training for a qualifications they hardly used and the extra money!. where do you get your information from? The accuracy is always so far off the mark.... Hope your pointing is better

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Pete the Brickie says...
8:51pm Mon 10 Sep 12

ExPatBob wrote:
all the days off for training for a qualifications they hardly used and the extra money!. where do you get your information from? The accuracy is always so far off the mark.... Hope your pointing is better
The article its self and my own research, which the fact no jobs are being lost, £400k a year is no longer being wasted, scuba divers need constant re-training and police officers got special payments for such roles until recently would tend to support.



Please feel free to correct me though if you actually know differently.

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Benzo7 says...
10:41pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Pete can I suggest you do a little more research before you comment. Police divers do not have to undergo expensive and regular training. In fact there are little requirements for on going training. Also police divers do not get any extra money or payments for their role. They get the same wage as any other officer with same length of service.
I can not see the cost saving in this move as with the part time officers they were involved in front line policing and doing a valuable job when called upon. By regionalising you still have the wages to pay, and are receiving a lesser standard of service.

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Benzo7 says...
10:41pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Pete can I suggest you do a little more research before you comment. Police divers do not have to undergo expensive and regular training. In fact there are little requirements for on going training. Also police divers do not get any extra money or payments for their role. They get the same wage as any other officer with same length of service.
I can not see the cost saving in this move as with the part time officers they were involved in front line policing and doing a valuable job when called upon. By regionalising you still have the wages to pay, and are receiving a lesser standard of service.

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Sillybillies says...
7:47pm Tue 11 Sep 12

Crime reports are indeed going down.
Why ?
I have had several occasions to contact our thin blue line and the result has been very disapointing. If other people have had a similar expeirience then Its no suprise that crimes go unreported. I have no confidence in the forces ability to solve crimes, so why would I bother to report them..

Correct, we have one of the worst police forces in the country. Should be amalgamated out of existence.

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