Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Fedster + 1,307]

Devices purchased under Boris Johnson were not approved for use in mainland Britain.

Boris Johnson and Theresa May discussing water cannon in Parliament in 2015.

Date - 19th November 2018
By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle

 

The Met Police’s three redundant water cannon have been sold for scrap – after costing taxpayers more than £300,000.

The devices were bought under former Mayor of London Boris Johnson before they were approved for use in mainland Britain.

Then-Home Secretary Theresa May eventually refused to give permission for their deployment.

Today the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced their sale to a scrapyard for £11,025. The cash will be invested in youth services.

Mr Johnson approved the purchase of the vehicles for £85,000 in 2014 from the German Federal Police, following requests from senior officers in the wake of the 2011 riots.

While his deputy mayor Stephen Greenhalgh claimed the deal had to be done swiftly as there were other interested bidders, Police Oracle revealed in 2014 that was not actually the case.

In addition to buying them, the extra cost of refurbishing and storing the vehicles has seen the taxpayer spend £322,000 on the devices to date.

Mr Khan said: “For too long, London taxpayers have had to bear the brunt of Boris Johnson’s appalling botched water cannon deal.

“This has been another waste of taxpayers’ money by Boris Johnson. Londoners continue to live with his vanity.

“I am pleased we have managed to finally get rid of them and I made an election promise to Londoners that I would claw back as much of this cash as possible, and pump it into helping young people at risk of being affected by crime and giving them better life opportunities.”

The water cannon, bought in June 2014 only had an expected lifespan of five years. Despite this, former deputy mayor Stephen Greenhalgh called the sale “gesture politics” on Twitter, and claimed the devices he was involved in buying should still be used if necessary.

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[mike88 + 257]

Back in 2011 members of the public were calling for the military to be bought in, I think Londoners were more concerned about the police being ineffective at stopping the riots than money spent on water cannons. Khan is just trying to score cheap political points and continuing to bury his head in the sand.

[Zulu 22 + 4,575]

2 hours ago, mike88 said:

Back in 2011 members of the public were calling for the military to be bought in, I think Londoners were more concerned about the police being ineffective at stopping the riots than money spent on water cannons. Khan is just trying to score cheap political points and continuing to bury his head in the sand.

And crime in the Capital as soared under Khan, especially when compared to Boris.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Zulu 22

[Radman + 2,163]

1 hour ago, mike88 said:

Back in 2011 members of the public were calling for the military to be bought in, I think Londoners were more concerned about the police being ineffective at stopping the riots than money spent on water cannons. Khan is just trying to score cheap political points and continuing to bury his head in the sand.

Well he really needs to score political points doesn't he? What other options does he have available to him bar raising his hands up and admitting the disaster zone much of the capital now is... Murder is rampant and out of control, moped crime still up, robberies and acid attacks... 

Deary me, alot of talk, alot of finger pointing but no fixes.

[Mac7 808]

Who has been in charge of storing these vehicles? Why are they no longer worth their value (depreciation aside) and who negotiated the sale? The government don’t exactly have a good track record in selling assets. Remember the post office sale or the sale of shares post financial crash?

It’s hardly Boris’s fault. Someone has had to sign off this sale.

[Zulu 22 + 4,575]

41 minutes ago, Mac7 said:

Who has been in charge of storing these vehicles? Why are they no longer worth their value (depreciation aside) and who negotiated the sale? The government don’t exactly have a good track record in selling assets. Remember the post office sale or the sale of shares post financial crash?

It’s hardly Boris’s fault. Someone has had to sign off this sale.

The Mayor Sadiq Khan who is trying to score political points against Boris Johnson to negate the fact that Boris helped cut crime whilst under Khan it has rocketed.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

Well he really needs to score political points doesn't he? What other options does he have available to him bar raising his hands up and admitting the disaster zone much of the capital now is... Murder is rampant and out of control, moped crime still up, robberies and acid attacks... 
Deary me, alot of talk, alot of finger pointing but no fixes.

In all fairness, Khan isn’t responsible for the cuts that the MET have endured.

The rising crime rates rest almost exclusively with what the Tory Party has done to the police service and the wider public sector.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

The procurement of water cannon was a joke from the outset. Boris ignored the subject matter expertise offered to him that they were not suitable for deployment on the streets of London. And the Home Secretary at the time, the esteemed Theresa May, effectively banned their use.

The net outcome is that £300k of taxpayers money has been squandered by the moron who recently proclaimed that he could negotiate a better deal on Brexit than than the MayBot.

The only thing that Boris could negotiate effectively is negotiating his way out of a child support claim. The man is a moron!

[Zulu 22 + 4,575]

Perhaps you could let us know what Khan has done to reduce crime in London?  He is supposed to be in charge.

[Radman + 2,163]

54 minutes ago, ParochialYokal said:

 

In all fairness, Khan isn’t responsible for the cuts that the MET have endured.

The rising crime rates rest almost exclusively with what the Tory Party has done to the police service and the wider public sector.

 

It isn't just about cuts though is it?

The man spent millions on toilets for bus drivers across the capital as one example.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Radman

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

It isn't just about cuts though is it? The man spent millions on toilets for bus drivers across the capital as one example.

 

 

But he can’t sprinkle his magical Mayoral pixie dust and convert TfL money into being police money. Saying her spent money on toilets for bus drivers is neither here not. However, it should be acknowledged that everyone has a right to toilet facilities it was only today that The Guardian run an article on ‘toilet poverty’:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/nov/19/thousands-uk-workers-denied-toilet-access-unite

 

In relation to blaming KHAN for the star of the MET, it should be noted Thayer the MET is under the operational leadership of Cressida DICK. I haven’t heard anyone express the view that she isn’t doing her very best in the financially constrained circumstances that she is operating within.

 

She is an individual whom took a pay cut from the MI6 role that she secured after retiring from the MET before she rejoined the MET, suspended her pension and then lowered the pay that she would receive as a Commissioner. I am scratching my head as to why she would do unless she thought that she was the right person for the job and that it was the right thing for her to do?

 

The reality is that a great deal of knife crime is the result of the evolution of gangs into organised crime gangs. Just as there is a ‘McMafia’ at the top, there is a best practice methodology at the bottom that is deployed to groom and their exploit those at the most vulnerable. That was years in the making.

 

There have been cuts to prevention and intervention budgets, cuts to Youth Offending Team budgets and cuts to social care. All of these factors breed crime.

 

None of this is Khan’s fault. Knife crime is a public health issue in London and not just a policing issue.

 

It’s unfair to blame Khan for what is going on.

 

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

Perhaps you could let us know what Khan has done to reduce crime in London?  He is supposed to be in charge.

DICK is in charge. What more do you expect the MET to do in the challenging circumstances within which they operate?

[mla + 93]

 But he can’t sprinkle his magical Mayoral pixie dust and convert TfL money into being police money. Saying her spent money on toilets for bus drivers is neither here not. However, it should be acknowledged that everyone has a right to toilet facilities it was only today that The Guardian run an article on ‘toilet poverty’:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/nov/19/thousands-uk-workers-denied-toilet-access-unite
 
In relation to blaming KHAN for the star of the MET, it should be noted Thayer the MET is under the operational leadership of Cressida DICK. I haven’t heard anyone express the view that she isn’t doing her very best in the financially constrained circumstances that she is operating within.
 
She is an individual whom took a pay cut from the MI6 role that she secured after retiring from the MET before she rejoined the MET, suspended her pension and then lowered the pay that she would receive as a Commissioner. I am scratching my head as to why she would do unless she thought that she was the right person for the job and that it was the right thing for her to do?
 
The reality is that a great deal of knife crime is the result of the evolution of gangs into organised crime gangs. Just as there is a ‘McMafia’ at the top, there is a best practice methodology at the bottom that is deployed to groom and their exploit those at the most vulnerable. That was years in the making.
 
There have been cuts to prevention and intervention budgets, cuts to Youth Offending Team budgets and cuts to social care. All of these factors breed crime.
 
None of this is Khan’s fault. Knife crime is a public health issue in London and not just a policing issue.
 
It’s unfair to blame Khan for what is going on.
 

Hear hear.

Some information about where the Met gets its cash from. Not the Mayor's office in the most part:

https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/london-assembly/london-assembly-publications/police-funding-whos-paying-bill

But I doubt the actual truth of the matter will get in the way of Khan bashing from, the main, those that don't live in, or anywhere near, London! Certainly not to the readers of the Daily Mail, et al, who are quite happy in their comments to vent their diatribe that I wish had just undertones of racism -- in fact they're quite open about it!

[mla + 93]

Oh and as for that water cannon, very glad to see the back of it. No place for such things on the streets of London.

However, the sellers are quids in, aren't they!

[Zulu 22 + 4,575]

2 hours ago, ParochialYokal said:

DICK is in charge. What more do you expect the MET to do in the challenging circumstances within which they operate?

But is Khan not the Mayor and is the equivalent of PCC with control over the Met.?