NPAS News 2018
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Nessie1, Its a historical thing really. When UK Police Aviation was at the height of its development in the first 10 years of this millennium, there were something like 27 units in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, based on groups of Forces that had got together to provide mutual air support in their area. That system had well over 30 Helicopters in service and provided adequate coverage across the UK. The forces co-operated well with each other and tend to mutually support each other during maintenance down time etc. The one exception was Scotland were only one Force (Strathclyde) established air support. The remaining Scottish forces were either too small or not convinced that they had a use for air support. So it was when the Scottish Forces all combined into one, they only established with one Helicopter and it has remained so ever since. NPAS was never intended to increase Air Support, but was rather an asset shedding organisation and as such was never going to increase coverage. It could have been so much better, the idea of a National Police Air Wing was great but the way it was put together fatally flawed. The ONLY intention being to cut back on service provision and costs.
TF
TF
Maybe England and Wales should follow Scotlands lead and become One police force and cut out all of the higher management roles including the PCC's with their many hangers on.
Wonder how many hundreds of millions that would save? Think of all the helicopters it would buy.
Yes, Bryn, - As someone who was Culled as you put it. I have to agree. My crime then as now, was to point out the flawed concept of reducing the availability of Air support to the hard pressed officer on the ground. That was what so many of us worked so hard to achieve, and essentially the fundamental reason that Air Support was there for, - catching criminals and at the same time providing cover for the officers on the ground. When NPAS was first suggested I was very much in support of it but argued that whilst a National Air wing was good from economies of scale point of view, it could only be effective with REGIONAL control centres, not a single National Control. And NO reduction in the fleet or bases.
TF
TF
Last edited by tigerfish; 8th Oct 2018 at 18:07. Reason: clarification
Thread Starter
So, here are the numbers for 2017/18 for what individual Forces paid to NPAS. They are all the same as the previous year. Spooky!
You might notice that they are no “Hours Flown” in respect of each Force. NPAS say that they don’t record hours flown for each Force anymore, just the number of “Actioned Calls”; ie, tasks completed for each Force.
NPAS utilises ‘Actioned Calls for service’ as the currency for charging forces. This doesn’t rely on hours flown but creates a ‘unit cost’ by dividing the revenue cost of delivering NPAS against the numbers of calls delivered to forces.
The cost per force is calculated by considering
- The total revenue cost for NPAS
- The number of calls delivered to each force in the preceding 12 month period (Jan-
Dec)
- The total cost is then divided by the number of actioned calls providing a cost per call to be allocated
You might notice that they are no “Hours Flown” in respect of each Force. NPAS say that they don’t record hours flown for each Force anymore, just the number of “Actioned Calls”; ie, tasks completed for each Force.
NPAS utilises ‘Actioned Calls for service’ as the currency for charging forces. This doesn’t rely on hours flown but creates a ‘unit cost’ by dividing the revenue cost of delivering NPAS against the numbers of calls delivered to forces.
The cost per force is calculated by considering
- The total revenue cost for NPAS
- The number of calls delivered to each force in the preceding 12 month period (Jan-
Dec)
- The total cost is then divided by the number of actioned calls providing a cost per call to be allocated
- A call is only charged when an aircraft is assigned to a call and arrives on scene. If an aircraft is cancelled en-route the force requesting does not pay as an actioned call has not been delivered. If an aircraft is diverted en-route from one task to another it is only the force that the actioned call is delivered to that pays.
So about 10,000 hrs below the Hours flown prior to NPAS. How many criminals less apprehended ? How many crimes discouraged ? How many lives lost as a result of vehicle crime? How many Police Officers discouraged by the loss of overhead cover?
Sadly Policing has lost its way in the UK. The Criminal now rules the roost. And its not the fault of the Officer on he ground! Too many senior Officers afraid to stand their ground against the political masters! Once upon a time I did that almost daily, but now I am ashamed to admit that I was once a Police Officer, because once upon a time, it stood for something. Today................
TF
Sadly Policing has lost its way in the UK. The Criminal now rules the roost. And its not the fault of the Officer on he ground! Too many senior Officers afraid to stand their ground against the political masters! Once upon a time I did that almost daily, but now I am ashamed to admit that I was once a Police Officer, because once upon a time, it stood for something. Today................
TF
Thread Starter
So about 10,000 hrs below the Hours flown prior to NPAS.
Meanwhile, NPAS crews continue to monitor PPrune under threat of dismissal should they dare make any comment. As NPAS bosses obviously monitor this, everybody give them a wave:
MG,
Its just an example of what happened to me. Air support had become a way of life, and I decided to fight for it's future, come what may. For me the key to the success that we had already achieved, was in the strength and dedication of our UEO's, most of whom I knew well, and trusted implicitly. We were making headway, despite knock backs by CC's such as HH, but in the end my company was warned that my belief's were not conducive to future success. And so suddenly, despite some 26 years of fighting for the concept, I was history.
NPAS was not then, or ever since, receptive of constructive criticism. That was what secured their current ills's. Their whole credo was based on never ever listening to those who just might know how to do it! Reducing the budget and the cost was the only imperative. To Hell with Policing and catching criminals. That was no longer the aim!
TF
Its just an example of what happened to me. Air support had become a way of life, and I decided to fight for it's future, come what may. For me the key to the success that we had already achieved, was in the strength and dedication of our UEO's, most of whom I knew well, and trusted implicitly. We were making headway, despite knock backs by CC's such as HH, but in the end my company was warned that my belief's were not conducive to future success. And so suddenly, despite some 26 years of fighting for the concept, I was history.
NPAS was not then, or ever since, receptive of constructive criticism. That was what secured their current ills's. Their whole credo was based on never ever listening to those who just might know how to do it! Reducing the budget and the cost was the only imperative. To Hell with Policing and catching criminals. That was no longer the aim!
TF
It is all too easy to write this off as some sort of 'good old fashioned' activity. The older ones among us recall the screaming red faced sergeant/inspector/superintendent with his face one inch away from the face of a miscreant officer. That was how it was done then, and we were better more robust people for it. But it was not exactly bully boy tactics, the modern version is more mind warfare.
The modern trouble appears different, incideous and threatening tactics. A, now retired, chief constables black balling an employee of a commercial company quite openly may not be new but should never have been so open that it was common knowledge across the industry in days. That 'openness' was an early message to staff members not to even countenance 'terrorist' opinions. What sort of mind labels employees 'terrorist'?
The ringmaster may well have departed but we have to recall that a large number of people have been replaced and selected under that management style. Just pick up an early copy of the NPAS minutes and compare it with a more recent copy. The list of attendees in the early editions included some important faces that simply had enough of the management style and walked. NPAS has not been a happy place and unhappiness breeds flight safety dangers all of their own even if there is a so called safety programme in place. The safety status of that has not ever been demonstrated to me or my far better qualified associates at any time and I have been bringing together law enforcement safety managers from across the Western World for a decade now.
So within NPAS now we have a situation where there are people selected by (an alleged) bully in post. It is my opinion, having met several members of the new NPAS staff...... and I have been in this business almost as long as Tigerfish ..... that there are a fair few bullies lurking in upper management. You might think that best behavior applies when addressing the press and that no-one would actually go so far as to 'bully' the guest into soaking up the party line. Unfortunately I can go witness to that not being the case - which is more than the 'terrorist' staff with a point of view can do.
Throughout this process there has been a steady removal of people with plentiful skills and opinions other than that of the ultimate hierarchy and I do not see change on the horizon.
The modern trouble appears different, incideous and threatening tactics. A, now retired, chief constables black balling an employee of a commercial company quite openly may not be new but should never have been so open that it was common knowledge across the industry in days. That 'openness' was an early message to staff members not to even countenance 'terrorist' opinions. What sort of mind labels employees 'terrorist'?
The ringmaster may well have departed but we have to recall that a large number of people have been replaced and selected under that management style. Just pick up an early copy of the NPAS minutes and compare it with a more recent copy. The list of attendees in the early editions included some important faces that simply had enough of the management style and walked. NPAS has not been a happy place and unhappiness breeds flight safety dangers all of their own even if there is a so called safety programme in place. The safety status of that has not ever been demonstrated to me or my far better qualified associates at any time and I have been bringing together law enforcement safety managers from across the Western World for a decade now.
So within NPAS now we have a situation where there are people selected by (an alleged) bully in post. It is my opinion, having met several members of the new NPAS staff...... and I have been in this business almost as long as Tigerfish ..... that there are a fair few bullies lurking in upper management. You might think that best behavior applies when addressing the press and that no-one would actually go so far as to 'bully' the guest into soaking up the party line. Unfortunately I can go witness to that not being the case - which is more than the 'terrorist' staff with a point of view can do.
Throughout this process there has been a steady removal of people with plentiful skills and opinions other than that of the ultimate hierarchy and I do not see change on the horizon.
Bewitching UAS
Could this be the future of airborne law enforcement? 
:P. Dress up mannequin in appropriate uniform of said force, and voila....enough to scare the criminals away.
Cheers
:P. Dress up mannequin in appropriate uniform of said force, and voila....enough to scare the criminals away.Cheers
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Facts & Figures don't always tell the full story, but Pre NPAS ( I have no experience of working for NPAS ),
my Force had a Budget of £1.7 million - which paid for 1400 Hours - that's more or less 4 hours per day, every day.
On many flights, the Crew would often alttend to 3, 4, or even more Tasks PER HOUR flown,
such was the nature then of Self Tasking, and the ability of Ground Resources to call the Air Crew directly
without needing "permission" or a lengthy process of someone else making the request on their behalf.
Those latest posted figures - over £1350 per call, for the number of calls actioned,
works out at only 3 to 4 calls ( Tasks ) per DAY, which is roughly a quarter of the Pre NPAS figures,
while paying the equivalent of a reasonably experience Police Constable's annual salary more than the Pre NPAS budget.
Coconutty.
my Force had a Budget of £1.7 million - which paid for 1400 Hours - that's more or less 4 hours per day, every day.
On many flights, the Crew would often alttend to 3, 4, or even more Tasks PER HOUR flown,
such was the nature then of Self Tasking, and the ability of Ground Resources to call the Air Crew directly
without needing "permission" or a lengthy process of someone else making the request on their behalf.
Those latest posted figures - over £1350 per call, for the number of calls actioned,
works out at only 3 to 4 calls ( Tasks ) per DAY, which is roughly a quarter of the Pre NPAS figures,
while paying the equivalent of a reasonably experience Police Constable's annual salary more than the Pre NPAS budget.
Coconutty.
C'mon NPAS explain!, - Prior to your existence, the UK had one of the most highly motivated, and most effective Police Air Support facilities in the world. The evidence suggests that since your creation that effective aid to Policing in general, and crime suppression in particular has all but been eliminated. Serious crime in all areas is increasing. The officer on the ground, can no longer count on quick and effective air support!
How do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?
TF
How do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?
TF
