Innovation & evaluation

One of the ideas that Tim Starkey is promoting is the need to look for fresh ways to tackle such issues as internet and telephone fraud. He makes the case that older (perhaps more trusting) people, people with dementia and other other vulnerable people are the ones who are often being taken for a ride by the tricksters*. He has identified that postal workers often have a sense of who is being exploited by the kinds (and volume) of mail certain households receive. Tim is keen to see if the dots can be joined up so that helpful advice on avoiding fraud can be targeted at people who maybe most at risk.

It seems to me to be a good idea and certainly one that is worth exploring further.

Last night at the hustings in Oxford, I happened to be sitting behind the Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire: Dave Etheridge. We got talking. He outlined for me a scheme that they are running in Thame (??) whereby local young people convicted of a motoring offence are sent to this fire station for a couple of hours. During this time they are (safely) placed in a burnt out car and 'cut out' by a fire crew. They are then shown a pretty graphic film about a car accident. All the while, the firefighters get to know the young person and what interests them. So far, he told me, they have had a 100% success rate such that none of the young people who have been on a visit have gone on to commit any more motoring offences. (They are carefully evaluating the intervention, I understand.)

So here's the thing: will PCCs see it as a critical part of their role to support and sponsor such innovations or are the of the view that not much needs to really change? Yes, I am talking about you Anthony Stansfeld... "If elected, I don't think there are going to be any great changes in policing." (Conservative Home blog)

So when you come to cast your vote now or on the day, will you vote for a PCC who is keen on innovation & evaluation or one that wants to conserve the status quo?

* Though let's be clear, we can all be duped!