Police mount Braye Road surveillance op after six arson attacks
Monday 30th May 2011, 2:30PM BST.
Fiona Mahy with the remains of her Ford Focus and the gas cylinder that was in it. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 1141924)
POLICE yesterday placed a house at Braye Road, Vale, under video surveillance.
But they would not say whether the move was linked to a spate of arson attacks in the area over the weekend.
Cars were set alight in La Folie Lane on consecutive nights and vehicles were also burned near the Vale Church.
A hedge was set alight and firefighters were also called out twice to deal with a pile of wood on a demolition site that was also set ablaze.
Inspector Tom Makins said that given the nature and the frequency of the fire-related attacks that they were working on the principle that the incidents were connected.
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This is a disgrace…
no more strong tellings off if they’re caught.
Proper punishment. I hope the law makes as strong an example it can when these arsonists are caught.
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Lets hope the offender can’t read then!
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Why not put it up in secret so the fire bug gets caught?
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It would appear that the perpertrators are already known to the police and live nearby,so can we expect to see arrests very soon ?
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Not being an expert in such things, I’m happy to be corrected – but in order to be effective in catching criminals, shouldn’t these types of surveillance operation be covert, not published on the front page of the local newspaper?
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Lets all give a warm hands together for the Guernsey Police.
A week or two after wasting money on Armoured Vehicles which the island really really doesnt need, they have managed to get us to forget about it and instead have made us concentrate on the marvellous job they did last year in keeping information on a Town Rapist quiet and publishing the details of what should be undercover Police operations to catch an arsonist.
Again, well done, and Congratulations.
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Yorky.
Speaking as a Yorkshireman and visitor to your Guernsey for the last 30+ years, I totally agree with the comments of Dani and Paul Le Page.
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@Paul L P
Ah but, if the perpetrators know the cameras are there, then they may not do any more damage and then the police will not have to arrest any one and can or cannot as the case may be, direct their attention to more mundane matters thus saving the community loads of money and so on ‘ad infinitum’.
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I believe the police theory behind publishing details of the ‘surveillance operation’ is to scare the arsonists from doing any more because the police do not wish to actually catch them they would just like to prevent any future arson.
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What is going on in this island, the problem is when these idiots are caught they are put in clink and have a better life than some out side. the laws must change and be made like the older days life is to luxurious in prison today and thats why people like this do it.
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Maybe this is to deter them from more arson attacks which could result in someones death?.
It doesn`t have to mean they they don`t want to catch them as they might already have enough evidence to piece together to (hopefully) catch them.
But they must do what they can to stop any further arson attacks.
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Stan
Are you speaking from experience? Or from a Daily Mail perspective?
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Looks like someone at HQ forgot to activate the Cone of Silence ; )
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Do these idiots (the arsonists) understand the potential consequences of their actions. In view of the dangers our emergency services are exposed to in fighting these deliberate fires, I wonder what type of criminal offence the arsonists would be liable for if, for example, an exploding gas cylinder killed a firefighter. Sorry to use the same word again in the same post, but I think it’s the only appropriate one I can finish with – IDIOTS!
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Keeks – I like it! “The Cone’s the shizzle!”
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No surveillance at Mandarin garden then, this is the second time this has happened there in a couple of weeks.
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Yes, Brian, BUT, they will then go somewhere else to do their evil stuff. Nab them and “do em” is my theory, right or wrong.
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Phil
The imposter Stan seems to have an Alf Garnett perspective, never mind a Daily Mail one.
The real Stan is, of course, more literate and would never read the DM any more than you would.
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Yikes! bad step to publicise CCTV!
Surely the firebugs will move elsewhere to do their dirty deeds.
Seems like most half term/school holidays sprout similar problems. Conclusions anyone?
Anybody found guilty of such henious offences should have all their worldly goods confiscated and fired up in front of them! No doubt this would upset Health & Safety, Human Rights etc.
An eye for an eye?
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It seems the press have been giving the game away.
why advertise how the police is going to catch these terrible folks.?
they are putting folks lives in danger
the damage they are causing is also damaging our environment.The sooner these little sods get caught the better, I hope they are also made to help clear up the mess that these fires have left .
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Paul Le Page:
I agree, seems odd to advertise what I would have thought would be a covert tactic. I’d love to know the reasoning.
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Notsothick:
Interesting that you know it all. Why don’t you go and run the police since you are so good at it?! I am all with asking questions, but it seems you have decided you definitely know best.
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To Paul Le Page, Notsothick (really?), Brian, Soph:
What none of you have taken to account is the regulation around covert surveillance, but then, how could you be expected to?
The police on the other hand will have completed an assessment to see if covert directed surveillance would be permitted in the circumstances. What is evident is that the decision was taken to make this overt – and I suspect this is because covert would not be allowed in this case.
I used to ensure compliance of police surveillance operations, so trust me, it is not as easy for the police as some of you may wish. Give them some breathing space with things like this because frankly put, their job involves much, much more than you could be expected to understand.
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DS
You last sentence nicely sums up the attitude of many people involved in law enforcement i.e. arrogant and dismissive.
Quite how you feel that the police forces’s job is beyond the comprehension of somebody with even average intelligence is beyond me. It’s very easy to claim how complicated things are when no details can be given, the reality is that the job is relatively simple. Otherwise, how would your average police officer be able to do it?
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DS – Thanks for your response.
As per my original post, I don’t claim to be an expert on all the nuances of police work. That’s why I am happy to be enlightened by someone who knows better, which you have done – so thank you for that.
There was certainly no criticism intended from this quarter. You can’t blame us for asking though as to the untrained eye it does seem rather strange.
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@DS
Ah that explains it then Thanks, So (for example) why didnt the Jersey Police phone Up Mr Warren before he went on his jolly into Europe, maybe it should have appeared in the News a week before….er….oh no,they didnt inform anyone, it was done covertly and guess what ????? They caught him…..mmmmmm,food for thought.
@truthman
Run the Police?? bit off the point arnt you? Advertising a Surveillance operation as its happening!!! If thats standard procedere then god help us all !! Only in Guernsey eh
!
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These fire raisers are sick,a risk to all and sundry,and when caught should be put where they deserve to be,but in this namby pandy age it probably will be the fault of the car owner for having the cheek to park his car where these hools can get their cheap thrills!
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Phil:
Don’t be sensitive re my last paragraph: In the same way I cannot be expected to understand what a paramedic does and why (because I am not trained), people who are not police officers cannot be expected to understand the rules and regulations around surveillance. That was my point.
Was it my tone you didn’t like (in which case I apologise and I hope I have clarified what I meant), or the fact you don’t know about policing (in which case, you just need to accept that fact or become a police offier!)?
Last point: your ‘average’ police officer is not involved in surveillance, it is a specialism.
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Paul Le Page:
I absolutely understand why the questions are asked – I hope my last post didn’t sound as though I was suggesting people blindly accept the actions of the police.
I would simply urge people to understand that policing is a skill (sometimes officers do not display the skill well, I know!) and specialisms such as surveillance are particularly complex. Therefore, whilst people should certainly question I think it would be fair on the police if they are not judged when the critic is not in possession of the knowledge or facts. The same would apply to any walk of life – we should reserve judgement on things we do not understand, and we should spend time trying to understand them further rather than spending time moaning and criticising.
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notsothick:
Like I said before, the legislation and regulation around surveillance is complex. Your comparison between Jersey and Guernsey is not relevant since the regulation is different. I would therefore suggest that the food for thought is for you; to acknowledge that your early criticism might not be well placed.
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DS
I know quite a bit about surveillance actually, having been subjected to it myself in the past I undertook to find out what is required to legally carry it out.
My grandfather was a highly ranked police officer locally and my father served in the Met, so I’m not as uninformed as you obviously think I am, and neither of them have ever claimed that policing is as complicated as you consider it to be.
As for “specialist officers” being required to perform it, the two woodentops stood on the pavement at Braye Road at the weekend didn’t look particularly specialist. Holding a video camera isn’t too complicated a task for the average copper is it?
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Phil:
You are comparing old style policing with the current style – your Grandfather certainly (and possibly your father too) would not have had to contend with the regulations or the technologies I am referring to (your research you mention should have told you that Phil). Nonetheless, it is terribly sad that with family as ex-police officers you use expressions such as “Woodentop” – was that what your father was? Was your Grandfather a Woodentop?
Phil, also, your last paragraph indicates to me that I have not explained my point clearly enough for you, and I apologise for that. In these circumstances it has clearly been deemed that covert surveillance is not necessary or perhaps it was not permitted. Therefore, you’re quite right, holding the camera you talk of is not a particularly complex task. Had the decision been taken to use covert techniques, and had they been given the proper authority the situtation and training requirements would be a whole different and very complex kettle of fish.
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DS
I find it extremely interesting that you purport to have been in a position where you ensured the compliance of such surveillance applications and the tone of your comments have at least suggested that anyone outside of the Police cannot be expected to understand, yet you fail to recognise that the Police are not the only agencies allowed to be granted such a legal authority.
Supposedly being in a compliance role were you not aware of this fact?
In fact, having read through your posts again, I am more convinced that it is highly unlikely that you ever did perform such a compliance role and if you ever did you were obviously not very good at it as your comments on this subject are in the main inaccurate and misleading to say the least.
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This can be summed up in three words (although I condemn arson).
Nineteen Eighty Four.
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Of course you are all right in all of your thoughts and ideas.
However what always bothers me, is how the police and other people military for example. love to blazon the news reels and news papers about what THEY ARE GOING TO DO.
Then when it is all ovber they invariably congratulate any one who helped in any succsses,
Therby leaving them to retaliation by the
‘wicked ones or their gang members.”
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