Derek Flint

Honest answer too. I agree.

Or was it the other way round? I was watching a pal's bike footage yesterday - a local, who knows the roads and the way the one way works. Literally every bike he came up to he had to back off until he was able to be sure of what line they were going to take. And this is the problem. It is a fantastic stretch of road, but there needs to be a big, grown-up conversation as to what it's purpose is for this fortnight. It is ultimately a fairground ride, and a bloody good one at that! But the conflict between cars and bikes, with riders and drivers who may ordinarily be quick and safe but are unfamiliar with the road cannot be ignored. We are more sophisticated today than when we 'invented' the one way and whilst it solved the problem of the head-on, it has created others. I still go by the 'ring' approach, where it would be possible to demarcate cars and bikes, and properly deconflict them too, by controlled entry into the route. Whether that is charged for is another question.

Interesting question. there is an argument for a Commissioner of Emergency and Protective Services, with heads of delivery underneath. Fire, police, paramedic, coastguard. bit blue sky that though.

There’s a long way to go yet...

Moi? Surely not? As someone said to me earlier, someone who held quite a high rank in the force, "He just can't see it, can he?" We are all entitled to opinion..on this occasion I'm not a lone voice. And there are a lot of ways one can measure a career on the mediocrity scale. Especially in an organisation where difference isn't embraced, empowerment is limited and as such it can be impossible to thrive. I'm long gone, in a successful and meaningful second career, still contributing to the policing mission. Its all worked out OK in the end!

See section 27 Police Powers and Procedures Act 1998

Yes I saw that. It wouldn't be the first time. He usually DM's me when he thinks I'm out of order. But as I've been out of it for five years and a day now it is fortunately more an exchange of views now rather than a bollocking. I genuinely do hope he gets a long and fulfilling retirement. Regardless of anyone's views he has devoted himself to the public service of the Isle of Man and really cares about what he does. But like us all, we have an expiry date and the opinion of a significant number of commentators, internally especially is that his has gone. I knew mine had passed, and it was fortunate I was able to take a dignified exit with my medical issues. I wonder if he will get a full page in the examiner too?

It’s a fairground ride. Why this isn’t just accepted I don’t know? Close it, run it one way like the Nurburgring, with demarcated starts and separate car and bike sessions.

Which Act?

The difference is the office that a constable - including the chief constable, holds. That brings with it certain liabilities that just aren't replicated elsewhere in the public sector which compels them to live over the shop to a greater extent. But the CC gets 'at least' 42 days leave per year. it also depends on whether or not he or she decides to be part of the 'on call' rota, because if not there would be nothing stopping them spending regular weekends back 'home'. In a well-run police force, you should be more than comfortable with working at a strategic executive level, delegating operational control to your deputy and having absolute faith in your superintendents to lead with excellence. That is leadership.

There are a number of factors in play here. Firstly, I suspect Gary doesn't actually want to go. Through that, and his relationship with the DHA there may have been, shall we say an 'over-egging' of what is actually required here. The Isle of Man Police, if it operated a truly empowered model and trained its staff to the highest standards at all level, and worked on a basis of the habit of trust, is not a difficult organisation to run. It is full of decent, hard-working, motivated people who just want to be able to get on with their job and for that to be facilitated by good leadership. It is five years today since I walked out of the front door of Dukes Avenue, leaving my warrant at the door. In that time I've been privileged to stay in touch with many former colleagues still serving, but also to meet and build relationships with a significant number of senior officers, both serving and recently retired. The fact of the matter is that any decent contemporary Superintendent from a provincial or metropolitan UK force could comfortably occupy the Chief Constable's seat on the Isle of Man. They are working in an incredibly complex world, and their capacity, political nous and ability to process masses of information and deploy their resources effectively is inspirational. The Island has its complexities, but there is nowhere near the tempo of UK operations. I do believe that Dan Davies has been encouraged to look above far too high a bar. So why are people not applying? There are a number of factors. The first is that the adverts collided with an unprecedented number of ACC vacancies. Therefore, the talent stayed put, and the next tranche was promoted into the Supt and Ch Supt roles that were made available as a result. Secondly, I am told that there is a lack of understanding at the DHA as to how a modern CC might operate. They seem to be expecting them to relocate lock, stock and barrel here. As with Mike Langdon, all that is needed is a solid footprint - a flat or house to operate from so that family links can be maintained in the UK and time can be spent away to decompress. IF the force had maintained a Deputy Chief Constable model - which could be comfortably be filled by a local Superintendent in the old mode where that was their nominal rank, then it would be easy to model. As it is, the Chief has become all-powerful, with no intermediary to step up automatically in their absence. I think many of us still believe the removal of this rank in the force was a serious strategic error. And that brings us to another issue; the DHA has no 'tactical advisor' in respect of policing other than the CC. Therefore it will be inclined to do as it is told. I suspect if they had the good sense to take on a recently retired UK DCC or CC as a consultant on a retainer, who they could ring for another perspective, then things might well be different. As it is, the initial debacle of being unable to anoint a Deputy (interesting we now need one after many years without) was a good indicator of where things were going. I've spoken to a number of people who would have been exceptional candidates for the job. They've had a look, but are discouraged by the isolation, the politics, and the lack of flexibility at the DHA in terms of their personal life and work balance. If you cannot entice people to move for 150 grand a year and 20% tax, there is something far wrong. maybe the recent tranche of resignations and the Ranson case might be a flag to candidates that change is possible. In the interim, the sensible thing to do would be to get the failed local candidate away on the Strategic Command Course, and start to develop them for at least the DCC post/ CC interim so that Gary can get his retirement plans underway.

Well seeing as the author of the safety plan is a noted authority on pre-hospital care I can’t see him allowing anything else. It might even be in ACU rules?

Elephant in the room. The answer is to turn it into a state sponsored fairground ride. Thinking has moved on, the Isle of Man hasn’t. I like a fast run as much as the next man, but that doesn’t make current policy right. Let’s see what the next 2 weeks brings.

The roadwork restrictions were lifted a week last Saturday when I was over. there were some collisions around the sloc in 2019 so that might be it?

Good old DFE. remind me what the former CEO is now doing?