ON PCC Martin Surl’s reaction to calls for more bobbies on the beat following the stabbing in Stroud earlier this month.

Posted by reesfaithman: I think I have hit a nerve of the PCC. A very defensive response to my recent article on the stabbing in Stroud. What I and the public are asking for is for the police to get out of their warm cars and start to engage with the public. For example, police officers should go and stand on a high street, walking about for a bit, stand by the schools when they are finished, walk through the parks or stand on the road side and by road junctions. It’s there you prevent crime, it’s there where the public will tell you things and hand you bits of paper with valuable information on! I can recall many times when on foot patrol I would observe bulges in coats and jackets only to find prohibited items and then as certain persons walked past you would get a whiff of cannabis. You don’t get these results from ‘drive-by’ policing. I am not asking for the employment of further officers as I too am well aware of budget cuts but if the police were managed to do the fundamentals we could prevent certain offences before they even happen. If I were the next police and crime commissioner, as I am thinking of applying, I can assure the public that things would change.

On the change to a pay and display system at Merrywalks car park in Stroud.

Posted by combemarshal: More flexibility by being able to top up by phone instead of rushing back? Unlike the old system where you paid for your time after so never had to rush back. And how many of the older generation will be able to download an app on their smart phones to pay? It’s obviously a way to get more money as most people will put in more than they need. Also the exit is now more dangerous as cars leave faster as there is no barrier to make them stop before exiting. Maybe the barrier should be left and operate between vehicles.