Public Question Time: Bodycams
A lady raised once again, about the recent purchase of the Bodycam that has caused concerns with members of this community due to its very large purchase price.
She had been told by the Town Clerk Alan Draper, that he would get back to her but he had failed to do so.
No surprise there then.
Alan Draper has refused to release information about the Bodycam claiming it would leave it open to “hacking”, don’t all laugh at once!
However, his stance does not agree with that of a government agency which readily makes known the make and model number of the cameras they use.
He had even tried to muddy the waters by refusing to release the serial number.
Unfortunately for him, the serial number hadn’t even been asked for!
This has led people to believe that the camera is hugely overpriced when compared to even very expensive ones on the market.
Concern has been raised that this could possibly be a scam or a lack of due diligence, both of which are very serious issues.
The first bodycam was purchased on 13/12/2019 at a cost of £160.70
The second bodycam was purchased on 24/11/2022 at a cost of £3889.34
Ferret appreciates we have rapidly rising inflation but something is definitely amiss here.
He even made the claim that the first bodycam didn’t conform to GDPR.
However, this was disputed by Councillor Maxine Hird, who stated that it did.
Once again, Mr Draper seems to have forgotten his own story, in which he stated that the Bodycam was purchased as the council needed an “extra” one.
Well according to a Ferret’s logic, if as Mr Draper says the first one didn’t confirm with GDPR, wouldn’t they have needed to purchase 2 bodycams?
I mean, Independent Hemsworth Town Council would never do anything illegal would they?
Ferret believes that it is in this community’s interest the the invoice, along with the bodycam purchased is made available for the lady to satisfy herself that nothing untoward has taken place.
Or perhaps a group of councillors may demand to see for themselves the truth of the matter, as is their right…
Independent Hemsworth Town Council: Leisure and Recreation Committee, 2 March 2023 – Bodycams…
Wherever there is money involved there seems to be a problem. Perhaps sid Middleton could do a root cause analysis again and then tell us it was an honest mistake. Then we can all be happy.
Hemsworth Ferret – both invoices have been supplied under FOI’s.
The invoice for the first bodycam purchased 13.12.2019 via Amazon gives all the information including the make & model number.
The invoice for the large amount £3889.34 only says to supply additional body cam & docking station. So I’ve seen both invoices so the question I asked could I have the MAKE & MODEL number of said purchase but was refused for the reasons you’ve put in this post.
So all I want is the make & model number not a big ask imo.
I’ve even asked a police officer which model he was wearing- no problem, told me.
Every single item purchased with our communities money should have the invoices produced when requested to members of the public who have followed the correct procedures and requested the invoices by submitting FOIs to the person who signs off our expenditure the Town Clerk.The public have a right to question the vast amounts spent on items that seem totally overpriced and especially as we the community are paying for them.
The said Bodycam and harness costing nearly £4000 appears to be grossly overpriced and requires an explanation especially as is it is not the first purchased and as we can see in January 2023 accounts yet again another purchase on 9/1/23 from SP Patrolstore for £68.98 for yet another Bodycam Vest,would appear HTC have increased its security for all these purchases of vests and harnesses .Truth and Transparency not prevailing again from HTC and the Town Clerk makes you question if they are trying to hide something.Let’s see if the parishioner gets the FOI reply with the make and model.
The real problem seems to be certain councillors are pulling Drapers strings for their own gain and a lot of money is involved. Bodycams are just a small part of an overall conspiracy to pocket as much as they can for as long as they can or are allowed to.
Let’s face it, that councillor’s Verdict on the Eccles at Christmas was too daft to laugh at and makes me wonder why he would attempt to cover up for them especially so badly unless his strings are being pulled too. That said there’s been a total lack of action taken no matter what has been raised and surprisingly little interest from certain councillors who we would have expected action from.
What does it take to have a criminal investigation in these matters, can the local M.P. do anything.
The silence speaks volumes from our elected HTC councillors as usual only the true community councillor speaking up and must feel like alone soldier in a battle .The silence from our so called HTC councillors beggars belief no statements,no apology’s only wanting to play stupid fake profile and ranting posting,you are all showing our community you do not deserve to be representing our community at all,everyone tired of your excuses and no action to put right and put back the heart into our community.
If you can’t serve and do what you were all elected to do as trusted councillors then stand down NOW and definitely do NOT stand in MAY the parishioners deserve so so much better .
Please can you post on FB Thankyou.
Something is beginning to smell here, maybe time to call in the rat catchers or more preferably the police.
Rats may be better company than some of these councillors.
Parishioners have a right to ask questions either to there councillors or through FOI , getting a answer is a different matter or be it a full explanation/report. We the parishioners have a right to no where OUR money is being spent and the town clerk has a duty under policy to protect our money and check that when anything being purchased is fit for purpose and value for money, in other words make sure we are not being ripped off.
The camera. There is no valid explanation as to why the town clerk cannot provide the information people are asking for , ask him where he as got his information from (security risk/GDPR). I believe for some unknown reason he his doing his upmost to avoid disclosing the make and model number, we can all speculate but its just a simple question that requires a simple answer. Perhaps councillor Middleton can get the information required or any other councillors for that matter.
Looked at the bodycam policy and general GDPR policy could not find that giving the make and model number of a bodycam or dvr (cctv) is forbidden perhaps the town clerk can help and point out where it says its a risk 🤔. To the town clerk where have you got that information from?. People are not requesting personal information or images or anything to do with a breach of GDPR
Anonymous brilliant work we know Mr Draper reads Ferret even though he says he doesn’t,hope you can send in an FOI the more sent in the more the HTC will know that the parishioners are looking into and checking everything they say and do and don’t do.The Town clerks in box needs filling as it appears they prefer only 15 minutes public question time in which they will not answer public questions and if they do do we get the correct and truthful answers NO the public don’t.
We will all have access to anything and everything documented at HTC from end of June and the whole month of July. Alan Draper fobbed me off last year by saying he’d send me all the information via email – but he didn’t send everything and, what he did send needed further information (but I was too ill with covid to follow things up).
I never managed to reconcile his year end figures to the figures he published every month.
I’ll be better prepared this year.
I’m glad to see they are seeking approval for yet another Reserves Transfer, but even after all my FoI questions and my verbal request in Public Question Time for a proper breakdown of the movements on the Reserves, I still haven’t been given it.
I honestly don’t believe he tells the Councillors the full picture and is hiding something, because why else would he not disclose all the figures?
More FoIs will be going in this week. There’s something fishy going on with the cheques, round about 23rd November 22. Who had this cheque book on this day as there seems to be a cheque unaccounted for?
Okay – rant over. I need to relax now.
Anyone please, what’s the difference between council and full council?
A full town council meeting comprising of all the elected councillors has the full authority to take or make decisions provided they are on the agenda.
The full town council can create committees such as finance or leisure and recreation that have delegated authority to make decisions over specific areas that are applicable to their title. These committee’s have less councillors on them than the full council.
The full town council and any delegated committee can create sub committees to look at specific issues and report their findings back as recommendations only. They have no authority but can only recommend and report back.
The confusion has arisen because all the council committees used to have the full authority to make decisions and implement them. At some point the full town council has changed them into sub committees that no longer have the authority to implement any decisions and they must report back to the full council who then make the decision to implement/amend or not.
The committees should be renamed as sub committees to avoid this confusion. Or all items should be dealt with by the full town council meetings.
Hope this helps.
Thanking you for that.
So if the sub committee no longer has the authority to implement decisions then am I right in saying that any individual councillor cannot push anything through without full councillors approval e.g sell off any assets the town council own ?.