Staffs Police Observer

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fmttmadmin

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Last night I was a guest in the Control Room shadowing Staffs Police matchday operation. This came as an invite to a supporter after the Middlesbrough Supporters Forum and the Football Supporters Association approached the force for a meeting before the game. A meeting was held on Teams last week. After having pressed so long for an inquiry into last season's after match incidents we thought it would be very important to communicate again prior to the game. We were able to tell the police and Stoke City that some fans would not be returning this season because of the events last season. It was so important for all those travelling that there was confidence again in attending games at Stoke.
Am going to make a full account of last night at a later date but as everyone can testify there was a genuine attempt at extending a friendly welcome last night to fans from the police and stewards and I was able see the operation from the other side. Access all areas really, sitting next to the Bronze Commander and his walkie talkie after attending the command briefing and then the briefing for the entire match day force.
The police heard that we rated the helpful information and welcome of Preston, Lancashire Police as the best in the EFL. That was the target they were aiming for in the pre-match briefing.
I stayed with the Commander until the final Boro fan had left, apart from me and then was able to follow them home.
Everyone was extremely professional throughout and very friendly. Chris Wilder and Media Manager Paul Dews asked if I was in custody (joked) when I saw them pitchside, as I was flanked by police on either side.
One other thing I can say is both the police and Stoke stewards were extremely hot on race and hate crime. I also heard the stewards pre match briefing and it was really underlined for police and stewards, absolute zero tolerance. Something that was actually born out last night with several arrests made for racism from home fans. This was something that really took everyone by surprise. A very unwelcome throwback. But it was dealt with immediately.
So, if anyone saw me in the Control Room then that is what I was doing in there, an invited fan observer. Hopefully, opening a new chapter in relations between Stoke City, Staffs Constabulary and Boro fans.
 
fmttmadmin said:
Last night I was a guest in the Control Room shadowing Staffs Police matchday operation. This came as an invite to a supporter after the Middlesbrough Supporters Forum and the Football Supporters Association approached the force for a meeting before the game. A meeting was held on Teams last week. After having pressed so long for an inquiry into last season's after match incidents we thought it would be very important to communicate again prior to the game. We were able to tell the police and Stoke City that some fans would not be returning this season because of the events last season. It was so important for all those travelling that there was confidence again in attending games at Stoke.
Am going to make a full account of last night at a later date but as everyone can testify there was a genuine attempt at extending a friendly welcome last night to fans from the police and stewards and I was able see the operation from the other side. Access all areas really, sitting next to the Bronze Commander and his walkie talkie after attending the command briefing and then the briefing for the entire match day force.
The police heard that we rated the helpful information and welcome of Preston, Lancashire Police as the best in the EFL. That was the target they were aiming for in the pre-match briefing.
I stayed with the Commander until the final Boro fan had left, apart from me and then was able to follow them home.
Everyone was extremely professional throughout and very friendly. Chris Wilder and Media Manager Paul Dews asked if I was in custody (joked) when I saw them pitchside, as I was flanked by police on either side.
One other thing I can say is both the police and Stoke stewards were extremely hot on race and hate crime. I also heard the stewards pre match briefing and it was really underlined for police and stewards, absolute zero tolerance. Something that was actually born out last night with several arrests made for racism from home fans. This was something that really took everyone by surprise. A very unwelcome throwback. But it was dealt with immediately.
So, if anyone saw me in the Control Room then that is what I was doing in there, an invited fan observer. Hopefully, opening a new chapter in relations between Stoke City, Staffs Constabulary and Boro fans.
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‘hot on race and hate crime’ sounds great.. unless your police force is not fit for purpose and ends up bullying and harassing law abiding fans, then it doesn’t mean a jot! staffs constabulary represent the very worst. plenty of fans did the right thing by simply staying away.
 
The massive presence and body search seemed over the top to me,we're going to watch a football match,we're not terrorists.
 
What a great initiative and fair play to whoever it was in the Staffs Police Force who decided on this approach to last years fallout. Rather than doubling down in denial, trying to learn from the best and then doing what they can to show people that is excllellent thinking.
 
To be honest, I'm deeply cynical about all of this, but ...

fmttmadmin said:
The police heard that we rated the helpful information and welcome of Preston, Lancashire Police as the best in the EFL.
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That's really good to hear. Other forces (or whatever they call themselves now) don't need to invent some new form of policing: Preston have got it spot on for years, the lack of trouble/arrests at their matches proves it works, and there really are no excuses for not rolling it out as best practice across the country. Treating law-abiding adults as law-abiding adults is a crazy idea, but it might just catch on!
 
Canyoudigit said:
The massive presence and body search seemed over the top to me,we're going to watch a football match,we're not terrorists.
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It was interesting that the match had been set at Medium Risk by the higher command structure, something that those on the ground might not necessarily have agreed with but there were only actually a handful of police (seven) inside the stadium.
Stoke are really hot on drugs and pyro hence the searches. I heard that someone was found with drugs in another part of the ground. But the pyro that fans have taken to grounds like Preston is the big reason away clubs are so hot on searching us. Interesting to hear their description of pyro at briefings and the potential dangers, including possibly carcinogenic. Instruction leave it to trained ground staff to deal with. Something the steward briefing also later underlined.
 
Lefty said:
What a great initiative and fair play to whoever it was in the Staffs Police Force who decided on this approach to last years fallout. Rather than doubling down in denial, trying to learn from the best and then doing what they can to show people that is excllellent thinking.
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Genuine question as I'm not particularly up to date with this issue but didn't staffordshire police investigate the complaints regarding the use of cs spray on our fans (who had been herded into a tight space) by one of their officers last season and concluded that there was no wrong doing on their behalf?
 
Mfc79 said:
Genuine question as I'm not particularly up to date with this issue but didn't staffordshire police investigate the complaints regarding the use of cs spray on our fans (who had been herded into a tight space) by one of their officers last season and concluded that there was no wrong doing on their behalf?
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Yes there is a report published. They did criticise their lack of communication. And I suppose inviting a fan and sending out a tweet in advance was a start in addressing tnat.
 
Mfc79 said:
Genuine question as I'm not particularly up to date with this issue but didn't staffordshire police investigate the complaints regarding the use of cs spray on our fans (who had been herded into a tight space) by one of their officers last season and concluded that there was no wrong doing on their behalf?
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Yes, apparently it's ok to use cs spray indiscriminately as long as you claim that there were 'risk' as supporters present (somewhere).
 
fmttmadmin said:
Yes there is a report published. They did criticise their lack of communication. And I suppose inviting a fan and sending out a tweet in advance was a start in addressing tnat.
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Thanks for clarifying that. I am not anti police. There seems to be a lot of that now a days but it can't be reasonable to expect boro fans to have any faith or trust in staffordshire police given that one of their officers indiscriminatively sprayed cs spray at a section of our supporters who couldnt move away and that the subsequent in house investigation found that there was no wrong doing on their behalf. Staffs police were in a position where they had to condemn or condone those actions. To me it would seem they made the wrong choice.

I think most of our fans would have accepted an explanation of an over zealous officer who made a bad decision. Afterall, we're all human and no-one is immune to mistakes particularly under pressure but for the force to claim there was no wrong doing on their behalf in that instance rightly destroys any trust or way to move forward with staffordshire police.

The way to regain trust and confidence would have been to have to have investigated the complaints openly and honestly and admitted to the failures and then addressed them.

Simply welcoming us with smiling faces and open arms doesn't cut it imo.
 
They might have cleared themselves rather than have to take disciplinary action against officers, but the real test of whether they are doubling down is if they simply carry on as before or change approach. It appears that they have changed approach and tried to emulate the approach of the Police Force which were considered to be the best example.

I'm not condoning their poor performance last time, nor the findings of their review, by the way, that feels like a lack of justice. That is about retribution and punishment, which is an important part of any justice system as wrongdoing should have consequences, partly to deter the same thing happening again.

Avoiding a repeat is maybe an even more important aspect of any justice system than punishment and at least this part can still be achieved with their new and better approach.

By all means criticism where it is due, but acknowledgement of improvements where it is due also.
 
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