Police comment to the Parish Council following the events on the A33

Jesus and how he was raised from death and this was of great philosophical interest to them. In fact it was of such interest that they invited him to speak at a meeting of the Areopagus. This was in effect the Supreme Court.

Paul took advantage of this prime opportunity and addressed the court. He said that as he walked around the city and saw all the statues to the various gods, he had formed the clear view that they were religious people. And he was interested that they had covered all their bases by erecting an altar to ‘AN UNKNOWN GOD’. He went on to tell them that this was the very God they should be worshipping. He is the God who made heaven and earth and doesn’t need anyone to build him a temple to live in.

He went on to say God’s desire is that we should reach out for him and find him – though he is not far from us. Paul made reference to the words of some Greek poets: “We are his offspring” and said that we shouldn’t think of him in terms of a statue or altar made by human hands. God had excused that kind of thinking in the past but, now that Jesus has shown us the true nature of God, such ideas are unacceptable. He has set a day of judgement when the man he has raised from the dead will judge all who do not repent. The Message of Jesus wasn’t enthusiastically received by the Athenians. It seems they loved to debate and philosophise but weren’t great at reaching a conclusion. Maybe that’s true of our present society in which it seems every view is valid. In a situation where people are happy to discuss religious views but are unwilling to make a commitment, Paul’s message of a judgement day is a salutary one.

Next month: In the wicked city

Many thanks for letting me attend your meeting.

I can understand the evident frustrations felt by some of your parishioners in the meeting last night (5th May) and their perceptions around the Police action but as stated, the actions taken were to ensure the safety of the community. The numbers that attended the A33 on Saturday 1st May far exceeded the number anticipated and the blocking of both carriageways by up to 500 individuals meant that putting intermittent closures on the A33, with the Police resources available, ensured public safety whilst keeping disruption to those in the area to a minimum. The change in the subsequent information picture, not just the numbers and behaviour of those involved, but also the environmental damage and incidents at nearby hotels and licensed premises will impact on our Police response going forward. As stated in the meeting, please encourage parishioners to report any issues to the Police either online, through 101, via their Neighbourhood Team or 999 if it is an emergency. John Stribley | Inspector 2701 / T1085