Ronaldsway Airport

[Neil Down]

3 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

If there is anyone unhinged enough to try to blow up the airport you'd put good money on a taxi driver

Which taxi do you drive? Just so that I can avoid using you...

[TheTeapot]

4 minutes ago, Neil Down said:

Which taxi do you drive? Just so that I can avoid using you...

All of them. And all of the buses. And everyones private car too. At the same time. Stay in your house.

[Mr Helmut Fromage]

43 minutes ago, Neil Down said:

Which taxi do you drive? Just so that I can avoid using you...

Teapot is not Martin Moore........

[TheTeapot]

Thats absolutely right, I'm not. I did go to school with him though. You should all vote for him if you get the chance

[thesultanofsheight]

27 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

You should all vote for him if you get the chance

Unless you’re the KGB and you could disrupt his election campaign. 

[Derek Flint]

18 hours ago, Bud Wiser said:

Are you still involved in the threat assessment at the airport? Do you not think things may have changed or moved on since your report 10 years ago? Have the number of 'bobbies on the beat' remained the same over the last 10 years? I'm reasonably sure that numbers have diminished - you only have to look around at the empty police stations to see that. What's the police response time going to be for example on a race day in TT Week or a busy Bank Holiday when there's someone 'kicking off' at the airport? Yes, the local police deal with matters off site, or where investigations are carried out off site, as airport staff warrants are limited to the airport property and surrounding roads, so they already don't have full warrants as you put it. But isn't that the same as fisheries officers, or harbour officers (not referring to Port Security). There's a role being fulfilled on behalf of the IOM Constabulary and if and when it goes, what message is that going to send in reassuring the travelling public, or to the chancer who is perhaps willing to take the risk. You of all people should know that the early steps in conflict management is to have a uniformed presence, not necessarily engaging, but just to be there. How many times have the local police been called to deal with an angry group of passengers who are told they can't travel (probably none) - sometimes planes don't go and when they don't, people get hacked off!

I did the report some ten years ago, and nothing changed over that period other than the TAM picture got worse. I also watched the complete farce of a security solution when the threat level went to Critical. 

There is still enough capacity within IOMC to respond. It’s Eary not Ealing we are policing. 

Most small regional airports are policed on a risk-based model without any permanent presence. And that included our friends in the Channel Islands. You can’t base a risk model on mights or maybes - especially not a “mildly annoyed group of passengers who can’t get to Manchester”.  IOMC took some bold steps with regard to its patrol models because actually, the risks were so infinitessimally small as to not be worth considering. Elsewhere in IOMG should do a similar exercise. 

Ronaldsway, in real terms requires a uniformed security support presence with powers to manage traffic on the car parks and roadways. For disorder and crime, which is not something that it features highly on the stats for, the Southern Neighbourhood Team has the capacity, and also to randomly patrol its precincts. In times of heightened threat, a properly trained and accredited senior officer can assess the requirements for security, which may or may not include armed policing.

like I say, nice people down there doing their best, but in real terms it’s not a sustainable or realistic approach.

[Derek Flint]

16 hours ago, Bud Wiser said:

Where will these resources come from on a daily basis?

For example, the road at the front of the airport is no waiting without permission. Who is going to move vehicles on? All a contracted parking controller can do is issue a fine, so the driver sits in his or her vehicle and becomes a potential security threat and is then in contravention of a different bit of legislation that needs someone with a warrant to deal with. Is the local beat bobbie going to be available for every flight arrival? A traffic warden gets paid the same as the airport staff so no saving there.

A contracted service to G4S or similar provider - a bit like how Douglas Corpagh manage a whole town. And a contractor can still have a conversation with a driver before issuing a penalty. And they are on a lot less than airport warranted officers.

As for a security threat. If that had honestly been factored in there would be no vehicles allowed within at least 25m of the building, including taxis. And at Critical everything would have been no nearer than the back entrance to the car park, with nothing running past the front at all. 

But the assessment shows that the threat is low. We need to be realistic. And I apply that to much, much more than Port security. Across Government examples of disproportionate approach and inappropriate public spend will be found.

Anyway, apply for the regular force. It will be nice to poach a few staff back after a chunk left and joined the airport fire service!

[John Wright]

14 hours ago, Bud Wiser said:

Oooh interesting - who pays and how do you arrange it? Might be useful when I'm picking family up !!

 

13 hours ago, Andy Onchan said:

One more time.

I think you miss the original point Andy, which was that you could park out front if you were paying for valet parking. Rendezvous have an area adjoining the terminal with office ad connecting door. Not sure what others do.

[manxst]

1 hour ago, Derek Flint said:

Anyway, apply for the regular force. It will be nice to poach a few staff back after a chunk left and joined the airport fire service!

From what I’ve heard, it sounds like there are several reasons why a ‘chunk’ left the Police. Quite apart from now leading a much cushier life, those other ‘reasons’ apparently all wore pips or crowns instead of numbers, and looked after themselves and their careers/pensions, rather than the welfare of their subordinates. After speaking to a few front line bobbies now, you’d be mad to leave ANYwhere for the cops, much less the airport.

[Uhtred]

12 hours ago, Mr Helmut Fromage said:

Teapot is not Martin Moore........

Though one could be forgiven for thinking that Martin Moore is a teapot.

[Derek Flint]

2 hours ago, manxst said:

From what I’ve heard, it sounds like there are several reasons why a ‘chunk’ left the Police. Quite apart from now leading a much cushier life, those other ‘reasons’ apparently all wore pips or crowns instead of numbers, and looked after themselves and their careers/pensions, rather than the welfare of their subordinates. After speaking to a few front line bobbies now, you’d be mad to leave ANYwhere for the cops, much less the airport.

I've had a few conversations with former colleagues of all ranks and "its getting worse" has been vaunted more than once. There is no doubt that for a little oraganisation, its managed in a more complicated manner than it needs to be. And there have, over the years, been a number of WTF promotions into the highest echelons. 

Not sure what you do about that to be honest. I wasn't perfect as a leader by any stretch, but I hope I left a lesser trail of people destruction than some players. 

That said - it's still a good job. Make the best of it, play the game, don't be controversial or too forward thinking and you could have a great career. 

 

[Kipper99]

42 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

There is no doubt that for a little oraganisation, its managed in a more complicated manner than it needs to be.

You certainly did that

43 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

And there have, over the years, been a number of WTF promotions into the highest echelons. 

Yours certainly was

45 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

 I wasn't perfect as a leader by any stretch,

Looks as if you’ve got some insight, at last.

47 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

 I hope I left a lesser trail of people destruction than some players. 

Perhaps not

[manxst]

52 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

I've had a few conversations with former colleagues of all ranks and "its getting worse" has been vaunted more than once. There is no doubt that for a little oraganisation, its managed in a more complicated manner than it needs to be. And there have, over the years, been a number of WTF promotions into the highest echelons. 

Not sure what you do about that to be honest. I wasn't perfect as a leader by any stretch, but I hope I left a lesser trail of people destruction than some players. 

That said - it's still a good job. Make the best of it, play the game, don't be controversial or too forward thinking and you could have a great career. 

 

Thanks for the honest reply Derek, it’s much appreciated. It’s a shame that for someone who might have aspirations to be an officer in order to be a helpful part of their own community, your advice is not to be too forward thinking, and to play the game. I don’t believe that should be the way, in either respect. Coming from an ex officer like yourself, with years of experience, it’s a sad slight on the Constabulary, and the senior managers within.

[finlo]

1 hour ago, manxst said:

Thanks for the honest reply Derek, it’s much appreciated. It’s a shame that for someone who might have aspirations to be an officer in order to be a helpful part of their own community, your advice is not to be too forward thinking, and to play the game. I don’t believe that should be the way, in either respect. Coming from an ex officer like yourself, with years of experience, it’s a sad slight on the Constabulary, and the senior managers within.

What do you expect, it's just another government department with all that goes with that!

[manxst]

6 minutes ago, finlo said:

What do you expect, it's just another government department with all that goes with that!

Some government departments are obviously better than others....the Police probably comes top of the pile for these game playing senior managers, I’d imagine, which is a crying shame given the generally good work done by the actual front line staff.