Unwelcome telephone calls

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A day or so ago we circulated via our Village newsletter an "Alert" from one of our residents -

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM ONE OF OUR READERS

"I have just now received a telephone call, on my landline, from a man with an Indian accent asking for me by name and as "the man of the household," claiming to be from"windows." The display on my phone only showed "external call" and when I dialed 1471 afterwards there was a record only of the call being received, not of the number it was from. The caller said they had a record of a problem on my computer, and that it was "blocked, without your being aware of it." It was clear to me by then that this was a scam, and I cut them off at once. I spoke to the local police who confirm this sort of operation is prevalent at present, including locally, and sometimes goes with computer messages to the same effect. Since I had parted with neither computer details nor money, the police are not taking any further action. Perhaps a bit of warning to your public about this would be in order though. The details of the words used, as in my experience, and lack of calling number may be useful clues to others."



One amusing reponse from within our community was

"We too had a similiar call recently, asking if my husband was man of the house and was he able to make decisions regarding the household.



Luckily he's not able to make decisions as he knows better lol or god knows what he would have signed up for or divulged to them as he believes everything they say.


The caller display said international call so I suggest unless you are expecting a call from abroad dont bother answering it." 

 We "English" really do have a sense of humour ! 
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A Really Great Comment re Tweeting

- Long term tweeting #iplod @SgtGaryWatts on why he tweets (#WIT10)


@SgtGaryWatts, one of the first police officers to tweet for work, writes about his approach to Tweeting.

I covered the journey that brought me to twitter a while ago here so this post is an update on why - two years and 12,000 tweets later - I’m still here. My foray into twitter began with a personal account after years of Facebook use. At first it scared me and seemed like another language and for a person who rambles on a bit, limiting myself to 140 characters was joke.

I had been in a fortunate position previously encouraging Police teams to use Facebook but it wasn’t until I found myself back on the frontline I decided to give Twitter a go. My account started out in the same style I had advised others to go with Facebook, as a team, Falmouth Police.

I soon realised that with the speed of exchanges people soon knew it was just me and others had begun to ask who was tweeting. The change to @SgtGaryWatts felt natural and in my circumstances and opinion was the right way to go.

I stumbled on, tweeting away not really having any direction or aim, just making sure I didn’t embarrass myself or the organisation. I soon realised that I had access to a huge amount of people who:

1.Didn’t normally have anything to do with the police

2.Would retweet what I said to thousands others

3.Were possibly news types that would print what I tweeted and come back for more

4.Wanted questions answered but didn’t know where to ask

5.Had information to give about issues that concerned them

This was access and information that I had never had before and it was in my pocket, literally! I decided quite early that I needed to have aims, my very own personal strategy. I kept it simple:

1.To show the human side of policing

2.To show colleagues the benefit of social media

I started to use my personal account less and less and including tweets about my life in my work account. This has been criticised a couple of times but praised more often. I never tweet anything that would endanger my family or pass on personal details but I like to show that I’m just like you.

The benefit of this is that I am approachable. Not just online but out on the street as well. Quite often people will wander around (sometimes drunk) asking for Sergeant Gary and then we meet. Embarrassingly I get recognised on occasion off duty - but that’s part of it too, I suppose.

Colleagues have occasionally had a jibe at my appearances on the radio and paper. They mistakenly think it’s because I put huge amounts of effort into it. They couldn’t be farther from the truth...only 140 characters of effort in fact.

However, I have become a regularly used and reliable source. I often get asked for stories or quotes and will always try to help (if it’s within my role and the situation allows). More and more of my colleagues have seen this now and the penny has dropped. We have a duty to engage and provide information. Social Media and networks allow us to do this is an effective and efficient way that fits with our day (and night) job. There are now over 30 officers in Cornwall using Twitter and dozens of Facebook pages all giving the public what they want. Gone are the days of my getting asked ‘is there a copper on twitter in my area?’ and me saying ‘no’!

It helps that I enjoy the interaction and have made 1000’s of friends. ‘Friends?’ you ask. How can an avatar over an online link be a friend? A year or so ago I would have said the same. Over the past year I have met more and more followers and the bizarre thing is that it is like meeting an old friend. You have a good idea what interests the person, what gets them riled and what their life is about. I wouldn’t say that all 3000 are my friends but it’s surprising how many are!

That is the one amazing gift I hadn’t expected from Twitter

It hasn’t all been plain sailing. There is a difference between being on Twitter as an authority and being on Twitter as me. I know people follow me because it is a police officer's account and not for Gary Watts. My personal account has less than 300 followers and my work one over 3000. Easy to see why really. Whilst the account attracts mainly positive people from around the world it can attract negativity too. Mainly some of those that hide behind anonymity and throw abuse and those pesky BOTS!

I have quite a few anonymous followers and mainly they are fine. One or two however regularly hurl the odd Daily Mail look at what the police did here story or odd piece of legislation or urban myth. I started by ignoring them but then challenged some of the views. It actually turned things around a bit and one account (you know who you are) actually started trying to get followers for me!

Another problem is accessibility. I chose to use a mobile device (of my own not the force's) to tweet with. I wanted to be able to tweet and reply as soon as possible and do. This can often be whilst off duty, with my family or even in bed! It can be a pain sometimes but it is a conscious decision I made and will continue to make.

When colleagues see this it can often be what puts them off. ‘I’m not doing it in my own time!’ ‘I’m not using my own phone!’ There are a number of successful police accounts that only run in work time. That’s the great thing about Social Media, there is no right way of doing it, just a few ways to get it wrong. At the end of it all no one dies, nothing gets broken and it is designed to be Social after all!!!

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Hows that for an endorsement by one of our valued Neighbpourhood Police

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RE-ASSURANCE after 4Years

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4 years on since we first started our blogging and we are still around , providing interesting and informative information to the peoples of Burton Joyce/Gedling Boroughs surrounding villages and the greater area of Nottinghamshire
- We now regularly tweet at NOTTSWATCH & BURTONJOYCENEWS so dont hesitate join us there also for interesting uptodate news, information and comments
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2012 Olympics Opener

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I just have to repeat my TWEET of today - re the Olympics Opener

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The GREAT BRITISH Oympic Opener - the ULTIMATE SPECTACULAR - a block buster for video & should run in the WEST END. - Well done Danny boy

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INNOVATION - INNOVATION - INNOVATION. ..  Thats what GREAT about BRITAIN 

The world should look and see just how GTREAT this land of ours and people are -

We should never hesitate to shout it out loud and clear and often.

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Just a few relevant thoughts

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Community Patrols are not the answer to community crime - stiffer punishment and some community recompense is
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My parents had to wait 15 years for a council house, electric lighting, a bathroom and inside toilet. They did not get any hand-outs either
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We need to reward the Police NOT saddle them with endless report writing - Whats wrong with personal " dictation m/cs" together with voice recognition typing by computers ?
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Do I hear that Parliament is reducing MP's pensions?
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Why is it that many in the Civil Service are allowed to get away with tax avoidance schemes?
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All Councils from the bottom to the top should be more aware of their responsibility to their community
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Everyone who is unfortunate to be unemployed and receive benefits SHOULD contribute in some way to society for the payment received
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Reducing speed limits in built-up areas really does make sense
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Drunks who turn-up at "hospital out-patients" for attention SHOULD pay ( also those whosuffer a sports injury
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The unemplyed youth should be provided with Indetured Apprenticeships - paid for via their benefits
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We need to provide Centres of Digital Excellence for all those interested in progressing and seeking FREE Digital knowledge - Councils at every level take note
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We ARE a nation of innovators, we need to press home that advantage - Parliament /Government take note
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Governmental commissions and investigations take too much TIME..  ..   AND MONEY
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Introduce business and communications directly into schools at 13+ (restrict Art and Fringe studies)
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Enable the Retired to keep some respect by utilising their time and skill to greater effect
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Is there really a need for compulsive retirement ?
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BAN "No fee/No win" offers -  they ineveitable increase costs and reduce payouts
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Well these points will give some opportunity for thought and comment - I hope !
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Community Engagement 1

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Why is it that "community engagement" is so difficult to achievev for and with existing administrations ?

Why does "community engagement" prove to be so difficult to organise and/or except ?.

After spending several years introducing  community initiatives, it is quite obvious to me that the reasons are fundemental and nothing or little to do with finance, simply apprehension in various guises.

Generally communities and individuals themselves, are suspicious of newfaces and ventures, particularly those which appear only involve a time element. Administrations/Administrators are hesitant, because in my view they or their position may be considered as threatened or challenged.

Another consideration is that communities are generally geographically and locally based  - village, street etc, rather than Borough or District Council.  PLUS the simply action of accessing and approaching contacts etc from administrations or individuals steeped in proceedure, thro' to committees which only meet monthly, is well nigh impossible and at best hugely time consuming  and always frustrating.

What is your experience ?

More to follow...  .. 

  

  

G4S's Olympic "Humiliating Shambles" Performance

------------- On 03/07/2012 Mr Buckles the SUPREMO at G4S Security -

 the holders of the contract to supply 10,000 security personnel for the Olympic games said t be a valued in the order of £250Million was informed that his organistation cannot be relied upon to meet their obligations for providing sifficient personnel to meet their contractual commitments. --- It also had become evident that their immediate arrangements to provide security personnel at certain team centres in Manchester, earlier this week and today's cycling event actually did not materialise in full - falling well short of the numbers promised and planned, to such an extent that alternative arrangements with the Police force etc were immediately needed to cover the emergency. -

Why? Why? we will all ask is it that, we have so many unemployed in this country, presently looking for a job or work - is it that for such a huge occasion as the once in a lifetime Olympics games in our country they have failed so miserably as to have their organisation referred to by a Parliamentary Select Committee  as a "Humiliating Shambles" to which the G4S Chairman mr Buckles response was "I cannot dissagree"

Can the answer be if you treat enthusiastic individuals with disrepect and treat and expect them to undergo training in their own time and at their own expense and then pay with them with peanuts and expect them to jump thro hoops - then what alse would you expect ? Particularly when the Chairman says direct to the Committe  that "profit for this contract was never going to be huge" - This says everything..  ..  including a 15% fall in their Stock Market Share valuation

The Governement should bear this "Humiliating Shambles"as an absolute failure and bear it in mind when  this company attemptots to bid for future Governments sponsored Contratcs