Barrow ‘safe place to live’
Last updated at 17:30, Monday, 09 July 2012
DETECTIVE Chief Inspector Bob Qazi is in charge of police in South Cumbria. In the first part of a special two-part feature, he talks to reporter DAVID PICKTHALL about his work
BARROW has been the scene of two alleged attempted murders in the last three months – but the firm message from DCI Bob Qazi is “Barrow is a safe place to live”.
Despite those high profile incidents, which made some Evening Mail readers question the safety of the town’s streets, DCI Qazi said violent crime has dropped substantially over the past decade.
The 51-year-old, who joined the police as a PC in 1983, said: “In the last three months, we’ve had two alleged attempted murders, so it has been very busy, and this is only one type of investigation we’re carrying out, along with burglaries and other assaults.
“I need to emphasise how busy the detectives are – it’s a case of us all being very busy.
“But the reality of the situation is that Barrow is a safe place.
“We have a relatively small CID department which is kept very busy.
“However, crime-wise, Barrow is not a dangerous place to live.
“For both of these alleged attempted murders, we had people arrested very quickly and charged very quickly.
“We pride ourselves in Barrow, and always have done in South Cumbria, on the fact that we have officers with a huge amount of local knowledge which assists us in getting to the bottom of cases and identifying the suspects. We know the criminals in the town.”
DCI Qazi is one of six DCIs in Cumbria.
The former Dowdales School pupil started with West Yorkshire police in 1983 and returned to Cumbria in 1989.
He has worked across the county, both in the CID and as a uniform officer, and been in charge of the communications centre, local policing in West Cumbria, the counter terrorism special branch and the force intelligence bureau.
He has worked as a senior detective in the Derek Bird investigation at Seascale in 2010, was a sergeant at the scene of the manslaughter of Barry Green in Barrow Park in 1999, and was involved in the initial stages of the Carol Park Lady in the Lake investigation.
l In the second part of this special feature, in the Evening Mail tomorrow, DCI Qazi talks about how the nature of crime has changed during his career.
First published at 16:07, Monday, 09 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
QUOTE "Part of our duty is to ensure that the constabulary maximises the value of its assets as it strives to save £20million from its budget by 2015/16".
Does this Qazi guy expect members of the Barrow Public to believe that load of bunkum. Personally I couldn't care less how quickly a criminal is caught & convicted. I am more concerned with PUBLIC SAFETY. I would imagine from reading criminal investigative journals, that around 90% of people murdered either knew or know their assailant. So getting the criminal is the easy bit.Do I feel safe in Barrow in Furness. Yes I do, so long as I stay indoors after eight or nine at night and if I do venture out I most certainly would not be on foot, I'll be in my car with all doors locked.When I was a youngster the Policeman was respected, I doubt that now. Seeing the friendly bobby on the beat MADE YOU FEEL SAFE, why because he wasn't in a motor vehicle with sirens and blue flashing lights allowing all to see for a few blocks. He knew the kids in the block, the old lady who was living by herself and would have a cuppa ready for him.When my father was alive he slept downstairs because my mum was paralysed down one side of her body. It was a barmy summer evening so my father left the quarter light open. A perchance burglar tried to gain entry so Dad hit him over the head with my mum's walking stick. No it wasn't reported because perchance criminals are too hard to nail down, they just become a statistic.Wake up Qazi, get out on the street and talk to people because you and George Osbourne are living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.The would be criminal will be rubbing both his hands together when the FORCE (sarcastic) is reduced.A slogan for Ozzie Cameron & CleggREDUCTION IN COPSMEANS INCREASE
IN CRIME.
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Well,Michelle and Gemma--IF YOU DONT LIKE IT THEN .... ... AND LIVE IN SOME OTHER METROPPOLIS LIKE MANCHESTER,LIVERPOOL OR ROTHERHAM,BRADFORD OR WHEREVER,THEN YOU REALLY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO CROWE ABOUT.
Posted by Ram on 11 January 2013 at 12:53