Category Archives: Public Protection

Policing, Public Protection, Uncategorized, Your councillor

Police & Crime Commissioner Elections

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“Caroline, what should I be looking for when voting for a Police Commissioner?”

Several people asked me this today.

Well, I’ve no intention of telling people how to vote but I’m more than happy to tell them what I think.

For me, the crucial things one should be looking  for in such an election are true democracy and non-party affiliation. You want to elect the best person for this taxing job – not one rich enough to risk the deposit or backed by a major political party, standing with a political agenda. Law enforcement needs to be above political ideology.

In these PCC elections  you needed a £5000 deposit to stand  (ten times more than the £500 required to stand as an MP) and there was no freepost delivery . This second point is very important –  the single free postal delivery that every candidate in a general election is allowed is what gives them a fair chance to address the whole electorate and explain what they want to do, however poor and unsupported they may be.

The current circumstances mean that nobody could stand, or put out a leaflet unless backed by a party or other wealthy organisation.

Is this democracy? I would say not!

So did I vote?

Of course I did. At least, I went to a polling station and I entered a polling booth with a voting paper in one hand and a pencil in the other.  And how I used that pencil is between me and my conscience!

Carers, Fire services, Public Protection, Social care

FACT – fire safety for the vulnerable

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I went to a meeting of the Wickham Market and District Carers’ group today, where, yet again, we were treated to the most brilliant and useful talk. This time it was from FACT (Fire and Carers Together).

Explaining FACT to all of us who are desperate to know..

The Suffolk FACT scheme is a free service in Suffolk for family carers and vulnerable people with additional needs who might find it difficult to leave their home, or understand when they should leave their home, or know how to leave their home, in the event of a fire. As you can see, it gives essential information.

How does it work? Basically, Suffolk Family Carers works in partnership with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service to assist family carers and vulnerable people to prevent fire in their homes. Fire safety officers will  come out to your home, and provide a very specific home fire safety check on site, and then give you advice – and appropriate (free) equipment if it is needed. By registering with FACT, you  – and those you care for – will learn how to prevent fire in the home – and will be helped to prevent it.

And more – FACT can give you a (free) listing on their an emergency database at the Fire Control and Command Room . This  alerts them to people with special needs or requirements should there be a fire on the property and will help them prioritise rescue.

We in Suffolk can be proud that FACT is the first scheme of its kind in the country.

So far, FACT has registered a great many people in Suffolk, and has also provided over 800 home fire safety checks. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has fitted many fire alarms, including sensory alarms (ones that can alert people with hearing difficulties).

Carers: there is no charge for this service… so please, please, make the most of it!

More details and how to register on the FACT scheme, here

'Divesting' services, Archives, Cabinet, Council reports, County Council Surgery, Libraries, Olympic torch, Policing, Public Protection, Roads, Suffolk County Council

November Report: whats happening at SCC

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To be frank, I’ve covered many of the details of this month’s report to Woodbridge town council in other posts, but people might well be interested in the proposals about  Libraries, Highways and Archives – all of which are decided outside full council by the Conservative-run Cabinet. Some of these will definitely bear keeping in mind.

Cabinet: Archives, Libraries, Highways and Social Outcomes

At this month’s Cabinet meeting (today, 8th of November) cabinet will be voting on proposals to:

  • create a new heritage organisation to look after Archives and Archaeology in Suffolk. The suggestion is that this should be in partnership with with the Museum of East Anglian Life – a folk museum in Stowmarket. At the briefing I raised concerns that this should end up midSuffolk-oriented and aimed at the tourism spectrum rather than fully considering the academic/research element

  • create an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) to run the future Suffolk Library service. This is anticipated to run local libraries and outreach services according to individual circumstances.

  • divestment of most of the future Suffolk highways services to a private sector company on the basis that “a fully integrated service model is considered to have the greatest potential to drive out savings and efficiencies whilst protecting the resilience of the service,” Please note the use of the passive tense in that sentence. At the briefing for this I asked who this passive was referring to – eg. who it was who considered this option to have the ‘greatest potential’? I was told it was ‘the market’.I asked who ‘the market’ was? The answer was ‘a number of large and medium-size private companies’  with an interest in making a profit from this option.
    I leave you to draw your own conclusions as to how disinterested this ‘market’ advice was. I would also like to remind you of the success of many past privatisations of public services in terms of customer service and cost. The railways, for example.

  • developing an investment fund to achieve social outcomes in Suffolk in collaboration with The Suffolk Foundation.

Olympic torch coming to Woodbridge

I’m delighted to say that Woodbridge has been chosen to be be one of the 16 towns in Suffolk through which the Olympic torch relay passes on its way to London next year. The other  Suffolk towns through which the Olympic  flame will be carried between 5-7 July 2012 are: Lowestoft, Wrentham, Reydon, Southwold, Kelsale, Saxmundham, Aldeburgh, Wickham Market, Ufford, Melton, Felixstowe, Ipswich, Haverhill, Bury St Edmunds, and Newmarket

Suffolk has new Chief Executive

By now, I’m sure its old news that Deborah Cadman has been appointed as SCC Chief Executive. The unanimous choice of the Staff Appointments Committee, she’s currently Chief Executive at the East of England Development Agency, and prior to that Chief Executive at St Edmundsbury Borough

I’m sure that you will also be pleased that her pay is significantly less than that of the previous incumbent: £155,000 with no bonuses or annual pay increments.

Suffolk Police introduce non-urgent 101 number

Suffolk Police have launched a new easy-to-remember number – 101- for non-urgent contact . This replaces the not-at-all- easy-to-remember standard switchboard number of 01473 613500.

The new 101 service is not for emergencies. For immediate, urgent police assistance, people should continue to ring 999

County councillor’s surgery

I have started a surgery for constituents: 3rd Saturday of each month, 10-12 in Woodbridge library; the first one being on October 22nd. The next one will be 19 November.