A Plodcast
“ALWAYS keen to innovate and to make full use of modern communications, I have decided to become the UK’s first blogging chief constable.”
Thus begins the online diary of Richard Brunstrom, the so-called “mad-mullah of the traffic Taliban”.
Brunstrom joined Sussex Police after graduating in zoology from the University of Wales, Bangor, and his favourite saying is "carpe diem" (Latin for ‘seize the day’), narrowly beating “Where are you off to in such a hurry, wing commander?” and “You’re nicked”.
Other telling revelations are sure to become key elements in the policeman’s blog. And for those unable to read it, Brunstrom tells the Times that he is keen to get into podcasting – “an initiative that’s likely to be called a ‘plodcast’.”
How delightful it will be to download the thoughts of the talking policeman onto our MP3 players and listen to them as we drive along the roads of his North Wales patch.
Brunstrom may even pepper his oratory with sage advice – “While washing up today, I chose two marigold rubber gloves and a new blue scouring pad – Drive slowly!” – as my wife, dressed in her favourite Darth Vader rubber mask and beige support socks – Too fast!” – asked me what I thought about New Zealand apples – Slow down!”.
That for later. For now, the Times lists a few of the good man’s bon mots. And so good are they, that we have reproduced the section in full.
Monday, July 17: “On Saturday I spent the day (should have been my day off, but my wife’s away, so I can sneak off to have some fun) out near the Wakestock Festival at Abersoch with our ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) team.
“We did a 12-hour stint on the A497 in the outskirts of Pwllheli, in baking sunshine. This part of Wales is one of the nicest places on the planet in good weather — shame it doesn’t happen more often! The camera read 5,891 number plates, from which we had 321 hits, resulting in us stopping 109 cars.”
And this of his first arrest of the year: “We took one of our drugs sniffer dogs with us – a lovely spaniel, whose photo will appear in the local press, the Caernarfon and Denbigh. (a photographer turned up at the scene, and by general consensus it was decided that she was far more photogenic than any of us).. She had a great time rooting through people’s cars, and did find some Class A drugs (the more serious/dangerous ones).”
At the end of his first entry he signs off with a polite-yet-friendly “Regards Richard”.
It’s gripping stuff, and shows that policemen, rather than being distant, remote and slavishly obeying orders, enjoy nicking people.
Regards
Anorak
Posted: 20th, July 2006 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
