Week ending 22nd January

Our Friday miscellany of the week's news and events ...
Driving us mad ... We've mentioned the lack of manners among some Brylaine bus drivers on the Into Town service before, in that they tend to think that no one else on the road matters but them. The latest example of such indifference to others was spotted on Wednesday when a bus exiting Strait Bargate beside Waterstone's simply accelerated straight across the mini roundabout rather than around it (like everyone else does.) The result was confusion for other drivers and also fore pedestrian who use the roundabout as a halfway house refuge when crossing the road. Please, Mr Brylaine, tell your drivers that the phrase "Knights of the Road," which used to apply to HGV drivers because of their courtesy towards other road users, should not be misinterpreted as "Kings of the Road."
Long distance call ... A fortnight on, we have an answer for the reader who asked: "why have the public not been able to contact Kirton police office lately? Could it be that someone has vandalised the police phone?" The answer appears in Boston North West County Councillor Andrea Jenkyns's blog. She tells us that she has reported to the "local" Police Authority the fact that the telephone number has not been working since early December, and that the station was unmanned for 12 days over Christmas.
Crime, what crime ...? Perhaps avoiding contact with the public by phone or in person is why Lincolnshire Police have decided that solving crime isn't really worth the effort. We read in the paper that one in six crimes in Lincolnshire - 15 per-cent - were "screened out" by the police last year. A total of 7,849 crimes were not investigated filed as completed without the need for any further investigation instead. The term "screening out" apparently refers to those crimes which do not need any further investigation and can be filed as completed. - which is interesting give that only a cursory look is taken at the information available, after which no officer visits the scene of the
crime and no attempt is made to catch the culprit. The cops blame this on lack of resources.
Pay as you mind how you go ... Which is probably why they seem quite keen on the idea that residents pay local security firms to do their job for them, as may soon be the case in Spalding. There, a local firm plans to pilot a street patrol scheme for which residents would pay 39p a day to have their streets patrolled, and thinks that Boston could be the next town to "benefit." The company's Operations Manager, Nectario Greenfield says:" We believe as a company that Boston could benefit from this scheme due to the statistics on crime and anti-social behaviour." What a gift to Boston Police if the idea comes to fruition, and where does it all end? To add private security patrols to the existing tiers of police, PCSOs, special constables, town rangers, a council-run Community Safety team and uniformed security staff at Pescod Square, seems like a sledgehammer to crack a nut. It also yet again dilutes the pressure on the people who are paid £120 million a year apparently to do less and less.
Good old days ... We yearned for times past when we read in the Standard's memory lane feature the decision to sentence a Boston man who stole a bicycle to a month's hard labour. More interestingly, this wasn't back in the 1800s when people were hanged for stealing a loaf of bread, but as relatively recent as 1945. What a shame that the law has become so wishy washy in such a relatively short time. The police would have a lot less to do if tough sentences rather than warnings were issued buy the town's magistrates. Far too often we read of defendants who've made repeated court appearances being told that they face prison if they offend again. Then they do ... and they get exactly the same warning. Boston magistrates please take note.
Gardeners' cash-in time ... After the debate on the Cloud Cuckoo Land allotments in Wyberton, we're privileged to be able to show you an artist's impression (below) of what they'll look like once the Bypass Independents have finished showering them with money. Who knows, with even more cash they could be made even more attractive!
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