TC
TC, Thanks for asking, & yes I am fine. I guess I did misinterpret what you were saying, - It was late & my response was over the top. Actually there is very little water between us, and as usual I do respect your view on the subject.
Yes my passion for the subject is still as strong, I guess that you cannot be connected with something for over 25 years, watched it develop,& been proud of what it acheived, without continuing to fight its corner.
As I have said so many times, in my humble opinion the proposals are essentialy right, the devil will be in the detail though, and I am worried that the new breed of ACPO are more concerned with saving money than keeping up effectiveness.
Once the criminal realises that his chances of being caught by an a/c are diminished he WILL take advantage.
I will never forget the advice given to me by my tutor constable back in the mid 60's. He said "Never be kind to the criminal my son, because to the criminal,kindness is weakness, and weakness is to be exploited" I heeded that advice and it stood me in good stead for over 30 years.
My concern is that by thinning out the cover we might be seen to be kind to the criminal. That will be interpreted as a weakening of our resolve to lock the ******ds up!
Good luck to you TC. I hope that your new ventures are continuing to bear fruit.
Tigerfish