Inspector Derek Flint took time out from his busy preparations to answer some questions.
With the massive influx of visitors to the Island for the TT period presumably you have to draft in Police Officers from outside the Island?
This isn't in fact the case! Amazingly, the entire TT festival is policed solely by our own officers. You will see UK registered cars though. These are sourced from demonstration fleets and North west forces, so that we can increase the size of our Roads Policing fleet.
What is the best part of the TT from a Police viewpoint?
The best part would be when the last visitor rides up the ramp of the ferry, and everyone has left in one piece. Sadly, there are people who leave with injuries that will stay with them for a long time, or those who don't go home at all. This doesn't stop us working tirelessly towards minimising those numbers every year. Another great aspect is interacting with people from all over the world, and being told how much they enjoy being here, and even seeing how we police. We seem to do it a lot differently than many other places
And the worst?
It has to be dealing with serious and fatal collisions. They put a cloud over the whole festival. That is why we work so hard on the road safety aspect.
What is the most unusual thing you've had to deal with during the TT period?
Every year you see something that makes you smile, or stand back in astonishment. It's just that sort of event. This year is my sixteenth TT. I think the one thing that strikes me as unusual every year is turning up at some collisions and wondering how on earth someone managed to get it so very wrong. You learn something new every single year. I have learned not to be surprised any more though!
This year sees Mark Higgins attempting to beat his own fastest lap in a car record this year so would you prefer a lap of the TT course in the Subaru, on the back of a TT bike or as a sidecar passenger?
That's easy - none of the above! Although I admire bikes and sidecars as pieces of engineering, you wouldn't get me on one, and I'm quite happy driving round the Island's roads in my Volvo.
