David Is Going Home !

                                                        
                                   David Is To Be Returned To Italy


                          A bit of cultural news, for a welcome change.

                               Michelangelo's David is being returned to Italy

                               After a two year loan to the United States 

                                           

                                           His proud sponsors were;

                                 



Dual G4S and Lincolnshire Police logos on uniforms

 The thin end of the wedge ! We have gone beyond the beginning of the end now, surely...What do you think ?

A uniform combining the name of a police force with a private company logo is being worn for what is thought to be the first time. The uniforms are being worn by about 200 staff who transferred from Lincolnshire Police to G4S (Group4Securicor), including front counter staff at police stations. The Police Federation said the uniforms - also worn by control room and custody staff - would confuse the public. However, Lincolnshire Police said the uniforms would not make a difference.

Chief Constable Neil Rhodes said: "I firmly believe that the community is more interested in cops out on the beat rather than a small additional logo on the epaulettes of inquiry office staff. "Staff in our inquiry offices and control room wear uniform. We've added the G4S logo to that uniform to identify them as partnership staff. "They are still very much part of the Lincolnshire Police family and it's important that the public are able to see them as such when they call in our inquiry offices." Uniform reflects partnership. About 550 civilian staff employed by Lincolnshire Police Authority - two-thirds of the total - transferred to G4S on 1 April. The security company said this was the first time it had formed a "strategic partnership" with a police force, and the new uniform reflected this. The uniforms are also worn by control room staff at the police headquarters. A G4S spokesperson said: "It is worn by employees working in departments such as the force control room and custody as well as by town inquiry officers. "There are no plans to introduce the dual logo elsewhere."

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation, said the uniforms would "cause confusion in the public mind" and be less of a deterrent to criminals. "The people who we are trying to target will know the difference immediately," he said. "The deterrent effect of having warranted officers is lost." Government cuts. Other police forces and authorities are considering similar contracts with G4S and representatives from 38 attended a seminar at the Lincolnshire Police headquarters this week. Mr McKeever said he was concerned about an "explosion" in the number of police personnel who aren't directly accountable to the public. "I think all police forces are having to look at very radical ideas because of the low priority the government has given to police spending. "These are some of the consequences," he said. "G4S aren't doing anything wrong. They are doing what any private company would want to do, which is make profit and expand their organisation"

Low Morale in UK Police Service

Police Federation regional officers talk about the low morale amongst officers across England and Wales



What do you think ? You are invited to post your comments below. I would particularly welcome comments from serving warranted officers. Is morale as bad as portrayed by the Police Federation representatives ? If the current situation is as bad as asserted in the video then it is essential that all fair minded citizens, who value an efficient and effective police service which is widely admired throughout the world, urgently write to our Members of Parliament and demand that the Government listens to the opinions of grass root officers before implementing the full recommendations of the Winsor Report into the reform of police pay, pensions, terms and conditions of service.

A demoralised police service is extremely dangerous in a parliamentary democracy which depends on the rule of law and order as the cornerstone tenet of maintaining freedom for all irrespective of race, religion or political persuasion, etc. etc.

Divine Intervention ?

A lady goes to her priest one day and tells him, 'Father, I have a problem.

I have two female parrots, but they only know to say one thing.'

'What do they say?' the priest asked.

They say, 'Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?'

'That's obscene!' the priest exclaimed, then he thought for a moment.....

'You know,' he said, 'I may have a solution to your problem. I have two male talking parrots, which I have taught to pray and read the Bible...

Bring your two parrots over to my house, and we'll put them in the cage with Francis and Peter.

My parrots can teach your parrots to pray and worship, and your parrots are sure to stop saying... that phrase... in no time.'

'Thank you,' the woman responded, 'this may very well be the solution.'

The next day, she brought her female parrots to the priest's house.... as he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage holding rosary beads and praying...

Impressed, she walked over and placed her parrots in with them...

After a few minutes, the female parrots cried out in unison:

Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?'

There was stunned silence... Shocked, one male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and says,



'Put the beads away, Frank, our prayers have been answered!