Olympic cruise ship for police branded 'an insult' (From Dorset Echo)
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Olympic cruise ship for police branded 'an insult'
2:00pm Friday 6th August 2010 in News
A COUNCILLOR has blasted A £6.6million plan to base police officers on a cruise ship during the 2012 Olympic Sailing events as ‘an insult'.
County councillor Tim Munro is calling for the millions of pounds expected to be invested in accommodation in Dorset for hundreds of officers during the home Games, to be spent on ‘a lasting legacy for Weymouth and Portland'.
He argues that the estimated ‘£6.6million’ cost should be used for permanent infrastructure rather than mooring a private boat in Portland Harbour – which will then ‘sail away'.
Dorset Police has said that officers drafted in during the 2012 Olympic sailing events could be based in university halls of residence in Bournemouth and Poole or on a boat closer to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.
If approved, the vessel would also be used as a briefing, deployment and feeding centre for up to 800 officers stationed on board and on land.
Organisers discussing plans for 2012 Dorset Police accommodation have ruled out military barracks, holiday camps and local schools, a spokesman said.
Coun Munro described the plans as ‘absolutely disgusting.’ He said: “If the figures are right and £6.6million is spent on housing police, then why on Earth is it not invested somewhere in Weymouth and Portland?
“A cruise ship will sail in and sail away and that’s £6million going in the pocket of the owner of the cruise ship group.
“It should be spent on a housing development to help create a permanent legacy or on the former officers’ mess site of Ocean View apartments on Portland that’s only two-thirds completed.
“Or it could be used to start a social housing project with the Synergy Housing group.”
Coun Munro added that when Canadian police chiefs brought in three cruise liners for the Vancouver Winter Games there were complaints of ‘naughty officers’ involving allegations of drunkenness, unwanted sexual advances and mislaid guns.
A Dorset Police spokesman said: “No final decision has been made.
“Dorset Police are currently working through a number of options to identify the most appropriate and cost effective solution for accommodation during the Olympic operation.
“These discussions are still within the early stages.”
He added: “A number of options have already been discounted.
“These include military barracks, holiday camps and local schools for a variety of reasons including timing – because it’s the holiday season – and unavailability.
“It might be that they’re being used by another part of Olympic planning.”
Comments(20)
siratb
says...
2:52pm Fri 6 Aug 10
Doughbun1958
says...
6:50pm Fri 6 Aug 10
key-word flat-lack lol
biggestoaf
says...
11:02pm Fri 6 Aug 10
uluru
says...
9:26am Sat 7 Aug 10
Dorset Guy
says...
11:16am Sat 7 Aug 10
uluru
says...
1:36pm Sat 7 Aug 10
Dorset Guy wrote:Oh yes a ship comes with a crew and a restaurant and a bar etc so where is the gain for the local economy, base them in Poole or Bournemouth again where is the gain for our local economy and you can bet your bottom dollar that others will be considering the ship option, in the mean time Weymouth and Portland get all the aggravation and very few rewards. There are options available that would be of benefit to our local population like building houses together with a housing association or taking over one or more of the old accommodation blocks, the only way this farce can be even remotely justified is by the locals doing very well out of it and I mean ALL locals.
College holidays ?there should be plenty of rooms spare to sleep with schools as feeding stations more likely they cant get staff at least a ship comes with a crew
One further point have we had any assurances that our promised new buses will not disappear as fast as the competitors after the Olympics?.
heartfelt
says...
4:59pm Sat 7 Aug 10
billetted on a cruise-ship for what could be several weeks sounds very expensive.Add to this the vast overtlme costs which will inevitably occur,it is to be hoped this event will be funded by Mr Cameron's government and not left to The Big Society(e.g. local tax-payers such as you and me).
Gordon Bennett
says...
6:54pm Sat 7 Aug 10
heinrich
says...
8:32pm Sat 7 Aug 10
had that many.Never mind they can
always bring their paperwork with
them to help pass the time.
acop40
says...
10:15pm Sun 8 Aug 10
RobinofLocksley
says...
10:15am Mon 9 Aug 10
acop40 wrote:Yes, acop40, there is an end. Late August 2012.
6.6 million pounds that the country cannot afford, 800 police officers to police an event that nobdy is going to be able to see? Is there no end to this stupidity?
Most of the tourists will have gone, as will the olympics and its vast security army.
From then on it's legacy all the way!
(Until someone comes up with the next big stupidity, of course |-)
FitterC
says...
11:36pm Mon 9 Aug 10
PoetPeter
says...
10:53am Tue 10 Aug 10
PoetPeter
says...
10:54am Tue 10 Aug 10
PoetPeter wrote:Oh! I see "sea ckocs" is a banned word!! Political correctness gone MAD!
I'm tempted to suggest that once we've got them all on board we could sail it a few miles out and open the sea ****. Trouble is as well as the bad apples, the bullies, the lazy ones and the boy racers there might be a dozen or so good coppers on board. That wouldn't be fair then would it?
FitterC
says...
12:35pm Tue 10 Aug 10
PoetPeter wrote:It's not actually a PC issue in this case (but I recognise your point). It's because there is an automatic system that checks for words like "f cuk", "bllocks", "psis", "cokc", etc. to prevent rude and ignorant people from using abusive language... You could try "sea-****"!
PoetPeter wrote:Oh! I see "sea ckocs" is a banned word!! Political correctness gone MAD!
I'm tempted to suggest that once we've got them all on board we could sail it a few miles out and open the sea ****. Trouble is as well as the bad apples, the bullies, the lazy ones and the boy racers there might be a dozen or so good coppers on board. That wouldn't be fair then would it?
FitterC
says...
12:36pm Tue 10 Aug 10
FitterC wrote:LOL! But that doesn't work either!
PoetPeter wrote:It's not actually a PC issue in this case (but I recognise your point). It's because there is an automatic system that checks for words like "f cuk", "bllocks", "psis", "cokc", etc. to prevent rude and ignorant people from using abusive language... You could try "sea-****"!
PoetPeter wrote:Oh! I see "sea ckocs" is a banned word!! Political correctness gone MAD!
I'm tempted to suggest that once we've got them all on board we could sail it a few miles out and open the sea ****. Trouble is as well as the bad apples, the bullies, the lazy ones and the boy racers there might be a dozen or so good coppers on board. That wouldn't be fair then would it?
PoetPeter
says...
12:58pm Tue 10 Aug 10
I do agree though. It would be completely absurd to waste this money on temporary accommodation when it could be more sensibly invested.
notreally
says...
1:57pm Wed 11 Aug 10
biggestoaf wrote:the very same.
Hang on. Is this the same Tim Munro who was so opposed to a housing development for the sailing teams which will then be available for social housing afterwards? Now he wants a housing development? Has he had a complete change of view? Or does he just like to moan about everything?
RobinofLocksley
says...
8:49am Thu 12 Aug 10
I know - I'd get a cruise ship and moor it in the port!
Some people seem to be looking for 'legacy' in everything to do with 2012. None of the land-based alternatives suggested are realistic.
Building or converting something suitable for the requirements would cost lots of money, (assuming it could be ready in time) and what would we be left with as a legacy afterwards ? A barracks, or something very like it. Great..
radiator says...
2:42pm Fri 6 Aug 10