Direct Entry to Madness

Today marks a sad day in history for British policing and will pass us by relatively unnoticed.

Its a day where common sense is over ruled by the need of politicians wanting to get more and more control and say over the way policing is made in this country.

A day where once the police were a force, became a service, will now be a business.
Today marks the end of the policing rule of "rising through the ranks" and instead, recruits from 2014 can, with the "right" qualifications be recruited at direct entry from Inspector and above.

Gone is the rule that a British citizen can be a police chief. From 2014 any former foreign police chief or military officer will be able to apply for the role of Chief Constable or Commissioner.

Since Robert Peel founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829, the only way to enter the force has been to join as a constable.

Those rules have come under pressure in recent years, with critics saying the police need to open up to a wider pool of talent to ensure forces have specialist skills, especially in management and information technology.

Damien Green the Police Minister has stated that this effectively stops the "Closed shop of the police service"

A "Closed Shop" that has been in place in this country for a very good reason.
The Police Force/Service call it what you want, should not and never be treated or run like a business.

From 2014 Graduates will be able to apply directly to become a Senior Manager and for an Inspector this will be achieved in a fast tracked three years.

The Inspector rank has been respected for many years, why? Because we know that whether we like the Inspector or not, that person has been on the factory floor and has got their hands dirty and earned their rank.

Their experience in the Job has allowed them to be capable in that role which we can call upon should the need arise. Whether that be for an important tactical decision or for day to day running of a shift.

It takes two years to become a qualified police constable. From day one, week one at training college to the day you are confirmed.

During this time the constable is monitored, tested, vetted and learning to make sure they fit the grade. Even after two years you are still on a steep upward learning curve and although this does ease off, you never stop learning.

Now they say Police Inspectors can be fast tracked to the rank from recruit in three years?

From 2014 an Oxford University Graduate with little or no life experience can suddenly think "I fancy being a police officer"

They will then be force fed all the necessary training, fast tracked and be expected to make difficult decisions that other officers of that rank who made it through years of experience will have to make.

Could you imagine the situation with the 2011 England riots and important tactical decisions having to be made by someone who had just walked out of Uni?

Would that decision result in the arrests of suspects and successfully contained rioting or potentially the deaths of public and officers?

This is not scare mongering, this is real life.

I wouldn't expect to be able to walk into any job and do theirs without adequate training, supervision and progress through the years before I could take over a role as someone in charge.

I understand that the higher the rank in the police the more they become managers, in charge of budgets and resources but these officers understand the factory floor and know what officers can and cannot do.

These officers are still required to make important tactical decisions and be able to attend incidents to deliver or control them and they can do that calling on their vast experience.

With someone walking in who was director of a business, yes, they can do the budgets etc but policing is not a business, they will not be able to make the same tactical decisions based on experience.

They simply do not have it.

Would a former manager of Tesco be able to make a critical life and death decision when in their previous company the worse that could have happened is you lost a few pounds?

The wrong decision in the police could cost someone their life.

What makes no sense at all is that redundancy is being brought in to remove officers with experience and yet direct entry to the rank is being brought in for those with no experience.

If this is the case you will have people wanting to join the police with no experience policing at management level.

With all the changes to the terms and conditions to the police, gone will be experienced officers who can make split second decisions based on their knowledge gained.

Instead you will have people dipping in and out of The Job because they fancy it and in five years will be gone. These officers will be lead by former managers of companies who also, won't have a clue.

This will create an "Officer Class" amongst the ranks. A division that cannot be crossed where possibly the rank of Inspector will become the equivalent of the Military, Non Commissioned Officer.

What chance has a Private becoming a General? What chance then has a Constable becoming a Superintendent or even Commissioner?

I was told that I was sensationalising on Twitter when I said that an inexperienced cop could end up running a Borough or investigating a major crime.

I don't think it's sensationalising at all.

It could end up with someone who's been fast tracked through their probation and given a rank ending up in charge of officers with many years of experience just brushed over.

I've seen many officers including myself, fail the Sergeants exam by a mere one or two percent and whist I appreciate that a miss is as good as a mile.

I still see brilliant officers fail to meet the grade because they cannot pass an exam. Whilst those who can, some of those make crap senior officers because they were crap Constables.


The public are going to suffer.

This will be policing of the future:

You come home and find you have a burglary. You call 999 sponsored by Thames Water and after numerous options finally get through to a operator run by a contract call centre in Cardiff and ask for police.

After being asked if you want extra insurance or pipe cover you are despatched an officer aged 20 who's been in the job for six months and a recent university graduate.

Because they don't know what to do whilst on scene (as this is their first burglary) they call their Inspector who is a direct entry recruit and a former retail manager but has less time in than the officer they have sent to you.

After looking through a manual they have been given and a look around for an experienced officer to speak to but cannot find one as they have all been made redundant, they send out a scene of crime officer who is employed by G4S.

They will only be there an hour as they are booked for an appointment to go some where else and they will lose money if they are not there on time.

This is all taking too long because the contract CSI has spilt their fingerprint powder all over your carpet and everyone is made to leave by the officer in charge who is now worried about the budget for officer over-time and powder stain removal.

Leaving you wondering why you even bothered.

You make a complaint to the Superintendent a former Argos Executive who invites you in to speak to them.

You wait at the customer service desk with lots of others also making complaints, and take a number and wait for it to be called.

Which is a bit of luck really as the Superintendent in charge of customer service today used to run a chain of butchers last year.

I'm going to apply to become a brain surgeon. I can deal with blood and I fancy the money. I'm sure that someone with experience could make the very difficult decisions for me.

What could possibly go wrong?

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Death and the Police

Once again the Daily Fail that police hating news paper has criticised police forces and its officers for receiving "macabre bonuses for dealing with dead bodies"

Daily Mail Article Click Here

They state "Families of victims of accidents and crime are likely to be horrified that officers are profiting for dealing with dead bodies"

How the Daily Mail can claim families are likely to be horrified that officers are "profiting" is quite frankly disgusting, speculating and unevidenced.

I can just as easily state that maybe the families are happy that the police force concerned dealt with the death and the delivery of the sad news with utmost professionalism and dignity and that a few extra pounds is worth the shock and horror of dealing with a particularly nasty end. I have no evidence for this just as the Mail will state that families will be horrified but with the experience I have had with families I have the edge.

I can also with justification state with my 10 years experience of dealing with death and destruction that any officer that deals with this would rather not have the money or have the death in the first place.

I have seen aspects of death like many other police officers that would make a desk bound journalist scream and run. So to be told by the Mail that we are profiting from this, is quite frankly, an insult.

I have never had in my numerous incidents involving a death where I have either had to search, fingerprint, collect body parts, discover, remove the body or identify a body, collected any bonus or reward. Nor I will add, have any of my colleagues.

I have heard of this practice but yet to meet any officer who has or indeed, want to collect this "bonus"

The Mail goes on to say that officers dealing with unpleasant crimes can receive £500 totalling an estimated £100,000 a year when all other bonuses are scrapped. It then states that train drivers when they witness suicides do not get bonuses, paramedics nor firefighters get bonuses when they have to handle dead bodies.

Train drivers who witness suicides, as unfortunate as it may be are entitled to claim compensation, its not automatic. However, they are not the person who has to pick up the pieces, identify, sit with, and deal with the family. As tragic as it is for the driver you can say the same for anyone who kills someone whether they be in a train, lorry, car. They are a witness first and foremost. If that is the case what about all the unfortunate witnesses who saw a person jump in front of a train and witnessed the body destroyed?

Police officers are for law enforcement. Yes there is going to be death but if you are a Paramedic or Firefighter, then with no disrespect, you do not go into the job without expecting to deal with a dead and badly disrupted body.

I know a few police officers who are lucky to be in their service and not yet have to deal with a death. These officers have told me that they are worried because they have not dealth with a death and if and when they do, how they will cope.

So to say it is expected for police officers to deal with death is once again arrogantly assuming that the police are becoming a one stop shop for all to deal with.

We are keepers of the peace, social workers, truant officers, marriage guidance, bouncers, undertakers, firefighters, life savers and targets for abuse when all is wrong with the country.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, vowed to quiz Home Secretary Theresa May over the issue this week.
He said: ‘I would have thought that dealing with these matters were part of the job and did not require additional payments.’

Yet, today, on Twitter, Mr Vaz tweeted a reply to me and said

@Keith_VazMP
@ResponsePlod. An element for this should be in basic pay not in a bonus. Police pay has been in effect reduced in the last 5 years.

If this is "Part of the job and did not require additional payments" why should it be added as part of the salary?

Why should officers who work behind the scenes (in equally important roles) be paid the additional in their basic pay and not have to deal with the trauma that the officers attending a scene have dealt with?

Criminal justice expert Harry Fletcher added: ‘It’s traumatic for anybody to deal with a fatality and the best way forward is to provide counselling rather than a pot of money. Most victims’ relatives would rather emergency services were given counselling than paid extra.’

I have to agree with this. As stated before, I have not received any extra money so if it goes into a pot to assist people I would not miss it. With the number of deaths I have dealt with, some very nasty I can safely state that I have only been "debriefed" twice.

In case anyone has forgotten, especially the Daily Mail. Police Officers are HUMAN with feelings and emotions like anyone else! Death effects us all. We put on a professional face but deep inside we are hurting, especially if it involves a child.

How do you know that the officer delivering your death message or picking up the pieces of a road crash, explosion, train suicide hasn't themself just returned from a tragedy of their own.

For an MP to call upon the Home Secretary to review this practice is laughable and an insult when MPs live in a different world to the rest of us, a world of 15% voted in pay rises, low pension contributions, second houses and crazy claims for expenses such as toilet seats, cleaning for moats etc.

However, it's easier and easier these days to attack those that cannot defend themselves or claim to know or judge something you cannot or will not do yourself.

And as for the Daily Mail to say that police are "simply handling dead bodies" I say this:

Police.....Could you?



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Makes My Blood Boil!

This weeks "Total Prat" award goes to Daily Mail journalist Peter Hitchens for his article on Sunday 15th September 2013 titled

Get rid of the guns, cars and Tasers and we might just end up with real policemen

I must admit that I don't expect anything else from the Daily Mail when it comes to police bashing which they seem to do in the most derogatory, holier than thou manner but Hitchens has sunk to new lows even for the Daily Mail.

Published three days short of a year since Greater Manchester Police lost two of its finest, PC Bone and PC Hughes (18 Sept 2012) Hitchens goes all out in an ill educated and insensitive way.

For those who can't and won't read the Daily Mail because it makes you feel physically sick, I shall sum up Hitchens words for you.

Hitchens says:

What use are the police these days? We know they have a pretty ambiguous attitude towards us, the public, avoiding us where possible by staying indoors or racing about in cars, and seldom going out alone in case one of us actually approaches them.

He then waffles on about the incident at Buckingham Palace with the Duke of York and drags up the incident with Andrew Mitchell which he conveniently fails to ask the question which we all want to know the answer:

"We know, what you claim you didn't say Mr Mitchell, but what did you say?"

Water off a ducks back, but what really angered me was Hitchens stating:

Call them all back in. Take away their guns and their Tasers and their stab vests, sell their helicopters and their fast cars with the go-faster stripes. Give them proper British police uniforms, which mark them out as the people’s servants, not their masters.

And send them out on solitary foot patrol, yes, even in the rain, where they might once more meet those they are supposed to serve.

What planet does this idiot live on?

I would love to see Hitchens join us on a late or night shift when we have to deal with call after call to fights, drunks, drug addicts threatening us with knives and needles.

When those we arrest are kicking, punching us and spitting in our faces and the calls are mounting and mounting because there are so few officers on such a massive patch.

This man calls to "take away their stab vests and their Tasers"

We all don't live in gated communities and the particular area I police is one of the roughest areas I've ever covered. I've got ten years in and I had a wake up call!

I do not go out without my stab vest, I have had many occasions when a knife has been pulled or a knife has been found on a person I've arrested and or searched.

There has been many occasions where a Taser would have finished a dangerous situation safely for everyone, especially the public but instead, people and officers have been hurt.

A year in three days time we lost two officers to a man with a gun who were tricked whilst they were attending a routine call.

Without the fast cars, helicopters, Tasers etc that Hitchens wants to remove from us this man could have and would have carried on killing officers.

Hitchens has never had to deal with a violent person day after day, week after week, race to a call that may affect someones life with the outcome.

He's never had to pick up the pieces after a road crash, literally in some cases.

He's never had a malicious complaint made against him and still has to carry on, still having to deal with the violence, the sadness of delivering death messages.

Never helped endless lost pensioners, children, adults, or dealt with mental health patients.

Never spent hours on paper work in order to send someone you know is guilty of a serious crime and if you get it wrong you're in serious trouble,

He's never seen the tears and the anguish of a rape victim.

I bet he's never heard the last words and seen the last breath of someone fatally injured.

What angers me even more about this lazy style of abusive journalism from Hitchens is that if he was ever burgled, he would expect the police to turn up with their fast cars and their helicopter and if the suspect was found on his property and was violent towards him, he would want them tasered and if we wasn't there in five minutes, he would be the first to complain.

Yes Hitchens you and I may go home to our families at the end of the day, but I treasure mine the most.

....and lets face it, the public needs the police far more than they need journalists.

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Responder RF/1 Boots Test Drive

First of all let me inform you that I have not been paid to write this or given a free pair of boots to test. This has been written independently, by me, to give you a run down of these new boots on the market as Twitter does not have enough characters to give a review of these boots to @Responder_Boots

First Impressions Straight From The Box:

The box is a stealthy black emblazoned with the Responder logo on the lid. I liked the look as it gave me a secure feeling, almost déjà vu, as if I had bought these before.

The boots were better than I expected. Instantly I was reminded of top end Magnum boots. Similar to the Stealth series.

Unlike some other boots out of the box, there was no mucking about lacing them up, they were already laced up and ready to go, providing I remembered to take out the balls of paper first!

They also have a lovely leather upper for shining. Something I miss on my Lowa's.

The boots went on a treat. I love the side zipper! I've had several boots in the past where I've struggled to either get them on, or get them off. These went on and came off in seconds. The great thing is, you don't have to untie the laces, just unzip and off they came.

On The Feet:

They felt like I had worn them for years, as if they were already broken in. Many boots I've bought in the past take a while to feel right but these felt light and didn't look like cross channel ferries on the end of my legs. I suffer from plantar so I am really picky when it comes to boots especially being in this job which can involve a lot of standing around.

I have an expensive pair of Lowa's but because of feet ache I've had to buy a set of inserts. The shank on the outside arch of the RF/1's give nice support where I need it. Lifting and moving them around feel light, almost training shoe like and nothing like a divers boot.

Test Walk:

The two mile to and from walk to my daughters school to collect her gave me the chance to test these out and see how they perform.

I wore trainers on the way to the school this morning and these felt no different. As stated above, they felt light weight and very comfortable. It was a mlld Autumn day and on the way I walked quickly due to running behind. Arriving at the school, my feet didn't ache and I actually forgot I was wearing boots. Arriving back home, removing them was a synch, in fact 5 seconds per boot. No sweat on my feet, cool to the touch and dry inside. Exactly what is needed. The collar gave excellent ankle support. Just enough, with no over bearing squashing of your ankle, which constantly reminds you that you're in a boot.

Overall:

I've yet to put these to long term test but for first impressions these are excellent boots. They are well worth the price of £29.99. I would have happily paid at least another £20 for these as they compete, in my opinion with the likes of some models of Lowa and many of the Magnum series boots.

A great price for us budget cut emergency service personnel from Responder Footwear

Looks 5/5
Comfort 4/5 (based on first test walk)
Ease of use 5/5
Value for money 5/5
Overall 5/5

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You Won't Hear The Last Of This!

Tory Chief Whip, Andrew "Thrasher" Mitchell has certainly realised that this week, now his alleged words have echoed through the press after his confrontation with Police officers at the gates of Downing Street!

He denies calling the officer an "F***ing pleb" and a "moron" but doesn't deny having a confrontation with Diplomatic Protection Group officers after they refused to open the main gates for him to cycle through, stating they could not be opened for security reasons.

Thrasher has then allegedly gone on to shout "You don't run this f***ing government!" And "I'll have your jobs for this"

This is the usual jumped up snobby public school crap that we have to put up with many a Friday night when pissed up Suit wearing snobs say to us when they've been told to wind their necks in after becoming gobby.

What angers me more, is that, this is the Chief Whip who is meant to be in charge of discipline in the Tory Party. If he's like this, what are the rest like?

This not only shows total lack of respect and a holier than thou attitude towards "lesser mortals" but comes at very bad timing considering the day before two officers were shot dead in Manchester doing their job on a salary considerably less than his.

Just how out of touch are they? They have been silver spoon fed all their lives and live in gated communities so out of touch with reality they believe that they can genuinely speak the way they want to people and get away with it.

These are the people that make key decisions in our lives. And we in the police usually have to pick up the pieces when these decisions go wrong.

The constant attacks on us, cuts, pensions and Winsor reforms without even a buy your leave means that they are only after one thing. Money.

A literal smash and grab.

Then the words said by David Cameron and Theresa May after the deaths of PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone.

Many officers including myself believe these words to be nothing but hollow rhetoric. They may have said what was politically correct and, as some have stated to me on Twitter, we would have been angry if they said nothing.

Part of me wishes they had just remained quiet or said the bare minimum. Stating to the press that officers face danger every day and its a reminder of what we do for safety of communities stinks of pure two faced cheek.

They are cutting front line numbers which will weaken community safety, pushing officers to the limit and making us work longer, for less. Bone and Hughes would have more than likely been discussing the cuts and how it could affect them.

We all know what shifts we have to do, last minute changes, extensions, cancelled rest days/leave, missing family celebrations, putting up with abuse and violence from people who hate us, want to fight us and in some cases, kill us.

To have two senior politicians take more away from us, make our job harder for us, then state how hard our job is, is an insult.

Then to have the Chief Whip verbally abuse us, shows just what they really think of us.







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Officer Down

Today we lost two of our colleagues from Greater Manchester Police.

PC Nicola Hughes, 23 and PC Fiona Bone, 32.

These unarmed officers died doing their job with what should have been a routine call.

It is believed that the suspect, Dale Cregan, 29, allegedly lured them to a false report of a burglary in Abbey Gardens, Mottram where they were attacked with a gun and a grenade.

It is reported that after the two officers went into the property which had stood empty for some time, witnesses heard approx 12 shots fired then an explosion.

One officer died at the scene, the other died in hospital after the emergency teams battled to save her.

It is shocking the number of officers that are killed or seriously injured whilst attending "routine" calls.

If an officer is sent to attend reports of gunfire then that officer will be equipped and trained to deal. They will also know what to expect when they get there.

My mate lost his team colleague PC Phillip Walters, from a handgun blast to the chest when he was attending reports of a domestic. He wasn't wearing a vest but even if he was, chances are, at that range it would not have been any good as the vests are designed more against knives.

PC David Rathband, shot, whilst sitting in his patrol car.

PC Sharan Beshenivsky shot attending an attack alarm at a jewellers.

PC Ian Dibell, off duty, shot outside his home whilst confronting a neighbour who was threatening to shoot people.

PC Ian Broadhurst shot whilst dealing with a traffic stop

PC Alison Armitage run down by a car thief in a stolen vehicle.

All of these officers died or in the case of PC Rathband, seriously maimed as a result of attending routine calls.

The debate has been raised again about routine arming of police officers. At this time of austerity it is a difficult choice to make.

Some officers don't want to carry guns. Some, are incapable of carrying guns. And sadly in some cases, there are some I don't trust with a ball point pen let alone a gun.

Psychometric testing is expensive. Kit is expensive and law suits are expensive. If an officer pulls the trigger immediately in the eyes of the all seeing media the officer over reacted and the person shot was an "angel"

Would anyone want to be routinely armed and then find themselves in this scenario?

The question that will be asked is "Would guns have helped PC Bone and Hughes in the attack?"

It looks like they were ambushed and sadly, probably shot before they would have had a chance to draw their weapons.

This is not the USA, remember, where officers regularly unclip their weapon or ready it when attending calls and I hope that day here never comes.

Confusion, fear, anger, disbelief, tactics, training, muscle memory, adrenaline, all take place to an officer during a serious incident.

These can either hamper your response or help it.

A colleague of mine who served in the Cayman Islands Police told me that his colleague attended a routine incident. As he pushed open the door of a house he was confronted with a male pointing a gun at him.

There was a split second shock from both sides but the officers instinct told him to turn and run.

He lived, the bullets cracked against the wood frame and pierced the air around where he had just stood.

However, If he had gone for training and drawn his weapon. He would have been killed.

Those extra couple of seconds to draw the gun would have been too late.

It's a difficult debate. If I'm handed a weapon, it'll go on the kit belt with the other "offensive weapons" I carry. They are tools of the job, it'll just be another one. Many members of the public I speak to, already believe we carry guns and are surprised when I tell them, there isn't one

Remember, the public didn't want us to carry batons, spray and Taser either.


Rest in Peace PC Bone and PC Hughes. You did your duty well.

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Hillsborough

I saw this today quoted by someone on Facebook who I'm glad to say is not a friend of mine and the only reason I saw this is because a mutual "friend" a former PCSO replied. There was a lot more involved with the quote but this is the part that actually made my blood boil and considering earlier today I had a message sent by a friend who is not Job stating that:

"South Yorkshire Police have done a lot of damage to police image"

this just made me even angrier.

The excert is as follows:

Shame on you every member of every police force in this great nation, for you should all now be ashamed of your chosen profession. As you now go about your daily duties, I hope every one of you will feel the distaste that we, the people you are supposed to protect, will have for you as we see you on our streets.

What a positively disgusting and ill educated sweeping statement to make!

I am NOT ashamed of my profession because of the totally inept, corrupt actions of those made over TWENTY YEARS AGO!

I was FIFTEEN YEARS OLD in 1989!

I have officers on my shift who weren't even born when this disaster happened! So, are you saying they should feel shame too?

I chose my profession, to serve, to make a difference and to lock up bad guys!

If the sight of me on the street makes you feel sick, then take your Daily Mail reading behind, back in doors and don't come out!

What sickens me more, is that you will only too quickly pick up the phone to call us and want us to your house in five minutes if you discover a burglary! Of course, yours will be the only crime being committed at the time and it'll be our fault we have no officers to come to your aid as soon as you want!

The dreadful, disgusting actions and lies that were made 23 years ago DO NOT reflect the work of the good men and women who put themselves on the front line day in, day out with little regard from YOU and the public. We face cut after cut, after cut, yet we still, every day, turn up for work to protect YOU!

I am shocked and appalled at the disgusting cover up by those who worked on the Hillsborough disaster. Those that did this should be brought to task no matter who they were. Those families deserved justice and they finally got it. To claim their loved ones stole, obstructed emergency services, urinated on the dead and helpers and to find out that was all a lie, is utterly absymal!

Your attack on the police as a whole is disgusting and is not helpful in anyway to those who are trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. It is hurtful and tasteless. You are tarring all police officers with the same brush. We are not robots in uniform, we are human. This is the same problem I get trying to put across to other people who still stare at us as if we have two heads.

You are probably one of these people who sneers at us, where others smile.

I and many officers had great fun with the public over the London games.

You cannot spoil that for me and I refuse to believe that every member of the public has disdain for us.

How dare you speak for all of them.

I still enjoy my job, even if it means one day I may have to come to your unthankful aid.



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Securing Your World*

*As long as there's a profit in it

So it would appear that G4S, the company that was awarded nearly £300 million for securing our Olympic games has failed to deliver the goods, announcing this to the world via whistle blowers with less than a fortnight to go before the opening ceremony.

This has literally meant calling in the troops to fill the 3500 very large gaps left by the inadequate recruitment by G4S.

Let's face it. They've only had since March 2011 to sort this out when they were awarded the contract. During this time, the police and military could have recruited, trained and deployed thousands of personnel.

This has left the police and military seething at this potential meltdown and many military personnel have had their well earned leave cancelled to repair the cock up left by this profit making company.

Whistle blowers have stated, they have had recruits falling asleep, listening to ipods, playing with their phones during essential training and then during practice sessions have missed guns, knives and bombs in the x-ray machine and on stooges.

There is an old saying:

"If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys"

It's been reported that G4S were going to pay these security officers a considerable low wage. Well, that's what happens. If you pay near to minimum wage, you will get what you pay for.

Security on a budget. Why? So G4S can turn over a big profit and please their shareholders.

It's bitten them heavilly on the back side because now they face a massive fine due to cause in their contract with LOCOG, their shares are tumbling (down 9% by the time this went to press) and the possible loss of the CEO Nick Buckles and if he goes there will possibly be a big payout.

Even he stated that he doesn't know if the employees for the games can speak any English.

I don't know what frightens me more, the fact he doesn't know, or the fact they can't speak English.

However, he's apologised so I guess that makes it alright. That's his amount of accountability for-filled.

A few months ago, many very experienced security officers were made redundant by G4S. You have to ask "why?" when they need to recruit for probably one of the biggest events in their company history.

Simple really. They were on a bigger wage and uneconomical for G4S' grand plan of "Profit profit profit"

Many of these security personnel called to get a job during the games and were told "No"

Those that were interested in delivering a professional package were many who had been unemployed for some time. Hoping to better themselves, many found that they were never contacted again, couldn't log onto systems, missing uniform or even sent to the wrong locations or denied a job for no reason at all with "vetting" being the reason.

With less that a fortnight to go, many have still not been vetted or received any uniform or instructions.

Yet, Lord Coe, insists, "security has not been compromised"

What worries me though, is, because of the slack vetting, how many of these guards are illegal immigrants?

How many are terrorist infiltrators?

Only time will tell.

Thankfully the shortfall falls on experienced personnel now as soldiers are manning security check points instead.

It's the total professionalism of the military who are facing massive reduncancies to just knuckle down and get on with it.

They are angry about it and rightfully so as this should be their time with their families or in many cases finding another job.

It's not the first time that G4S have been in the spot light for all the wrong reasons:

G4S subsidiary Wackenhut, in September of 2005, faced allegations of security lapses at seven military bases where it was contracted to provide services. The company claimed the accusations were false and promoted by a union seeking to enroll its employees.

In March of 2006, whistle-blowers employed at Wackenhut released information to the press revealing that the company cheated on an anti-terrorism drill at a US nuclear site. It also performed poorly on another drill at a separate location. The allegations claimed that Wackenhut systematically violated weapons inventory and handling policies and that managers showed new hires spots at the facilities where they could take naps and cut corners during patrols.

In the autumn of 2009, G4S personnel in Australia went on strike, arguing that the company had subjected them to low pay and poor working conditions. The strike imperiled the operations of the court system in the state of Victoria. The guards provided entry-point screening for weapons and bombs in both the County Court and Magistrates Court, as well as additional security in the court rooms themselves.

In October 2011, inmates in Birmingham Prison, which is managed by G4S, were locked in their cells for almost a day after a set of keys fitting every cell door went missing. In another incident in August 2011, G4S staff attached an electronic monitoring tag to the false leg of a one-legged criminal, meaning he was able to go out and leave it at home. G4S sacked the two members of staff responsible.

G4S having already secured many civilian roles in the police, are the company tipped to take on may more.

However, I'm a believer in the "thin end of the wedge" theory and that this is just the beginning.

How long will it be before PCSO's or detectives get replaced by this profit making company who are completely unaccountable to the public, where the police are?

How many more disasters caused by cheap labour employed people will it take before this goverment realise that you cannot police on the cheap?

Whilst I appreciate that the police are not infallible. I would be a fool to say we were. At least we are accountable for everything we do.

We don't run a profit making business and it never should be.

Those in the higher echelons of Parliament need to realise this and accept that maybe this is a taste of things to come if they think contracting out is the way forward.

With rumours of the Home Secretary knowing of this recruitment disaster 10 months ago. Maybe in the next cabinet reshuffle, someone else maybe facing redunancy to the back benches.




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Fatal Shooting of Serving Police Officer

It is with regret that I write this today under the knowledge that PC Ian Dibell a serving Constable with Essex Police died today after being shot whilst assisting in an incident, off duty in a Clacton-On-Sea road.

Essex Police are looking for the man shown in this photo in connection the fatal shooting of PC Dibell and another man left with serious leg injuries.

Peter Reeve, who is shown above is believed to be armed and dangerous.

If seen, DO NOT APPROACH, CALL 999

http://www.essex.police.uk/news_features/homepage_latest_news/reports_of_shooting_in_clacton.aspx

My thoughts and prayers go out to PC Dibell's family, friends and colleagues at this sad time.

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Anti Winsor Network

It's an amazing media, Twitter. People who have never met each other, united for a cause, one that means much to them all.

In this case, it's united against the former Rail Regulator, Tom Winsor. This is the man who once stated to the government that they should keep their nose out of a business [railways] which it knows nothing about.

Mr Winsor, has obviously forgotten his very own words of advice and taken the big fat pay cheque, ironically from the government, in order to slash and cut the police like Dr Beeching did with the railway.

Mr Winsor has never been a police officer, never experienced the stress of the shifts and the dangers that go with it, never experienced the strains on relationships thanks to the sudden extended shifts due to arrests, cancelled rest days which ultimately lead to disrupted family events.

Lately, thanks to a large number of events, protests, football etc. I have had numerous rest days cancelled. I was due to go to a birthday party for my Nephew, a 60th birthday party for my Aunt but due to a lack of officers. I can't go to either.

It's going to get worse. With the Jubilee, Olympics, and mutual aid last weekend in Luton I have kissed goodbye to my last weekend off now till the end of September. The last two were cancelled, so no weekends off for me, from end of April till September.

I work the hours which entitles me to these rest days so when I have them cancelled it winds me up.

Then I see my wage slip at the end of each month. Little or no overtime. A huge chunk taken by tax and my pension, a pension which Ministers and Winsor say is "Gold plated"

Well, I've worked myself to tears sometimes. Seen stuff I don't want to see but have to carry on. Slept in the police station in order to double back due to a late job taking me beyond my hours for little or no thanks.

That pension is payed for Mr Winsor, with blood, sweat and tears. I have been punched, kicked, spat at, headbutted, knives pulled on me, a barrel of a gun pointed at me, hit with metal bars, dogs set on me, petrol bombs, bricks, bottles and stones thrown at me whilst I work the long arduous hours only for you and the media to say I'm fat and lazy and need to be pushed more.

I deal with the aftermath of death. Whether it be from a suicide, murder or car crash. I have been there to pick up the pieces, literally in many cases.

I have brought pain to many families when I tell them that their Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Partner, Husband or Wife isn't going to be coming home, ever again.

It is a pain that we in the police feel every day. It never goes away and it feels like I leave a piece of me at every scene like that I go to.

How much of me is left to go round?

On May 10th we are protesting to this Goverment that us police officers have had enough. We've been hit hard enough as it is. We understand that there needs to be cuts, but hitting the front line is dangerous and opens the way for the streets to be taken by those who only want to do you harm.

Mr Winsor is playing with fire. He's playing with your safety on the streets. He's taking away what cannot be easily replaced. He's potentially endangering lives as calls could go unanswered, and longer response times.

Times in which you may be desperately waiting for us to arrive.

The government only see pound signs before them. They have no realisation of the potential dangers these cuts could bring as none have been in our shoes.

We have earned our money, leave our pensions and front line alone for us to keep the public safe and we will return you dividends.

I promise.



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Oh! You Don't Wanna Do It Like That!

So it appears that the world and their partner know everything they need to know about how the police should do their job and exactly how they would run it if they were Chief, Commissioner or Mayor.

It seems that wherever you go, people are quite happy to tell you how you should be doing your job, where you are going wrong and exactly what they would do if they were you.

Critical of our job, many members of the public think it's perfectly ok to berate us for carrying out a dangerous, thankless task even to the point of shouting out "Haven't you got any rapists or murderers to catch?" if you dare to deal with them for law breaking.

Would any of these people dare to tell their dentist how to pull a tooth, or a doctor how to perform heart surgery?

I ask this because it looks like even Mayoral candidates such as Green Party member Jenny Jones has suddenly became an expert on policing despite never having stepped foot on patrol in a police uniform and having never carried a warrant card.

Her comments for the incident involving the recent pit bull terrier in Forest Gate spoke volumes:

“Calling in CO19 just seems such an expensive way to deal with a mad dog. Could they not have used a Taser?

“Police should have done their homework before carrying out that operation.

They should have realised the potential for a dangerous dog at the premises.”

Not one quote from her concerning the five injured officers. Three with life changing injuries.

...More concerned about the cost.

I would like Jenny Jones to actually attend Plaistow, or Forest Gate, the area where these injured officers police and actually spend a front line shift with some officers and see exactly what we do.

When an incident like this occurs, Ms Jones, we front line officers do not put a thing like "cost" at the top of our list of priorities.

We put ours, our colleagues and public safety first and foremost and therefore I'm sorry if the cost of a couple of CO19 officers was too much and blew the budget.

Maybe if the officers had have put this thought first, the budget would have been saved,

....several officers and public may have been killed by a crazy dog, but at least some money would have been saved.

As for the remark about the Taser. I seem to remember you stating that it would be a bad idea if police officers routinely carried Taser. Stating that we would be "paramilitary"

Having worked alongside many Taser trained officers, I know for a fact that a Taser would have been no good against a fast moving animal. It takes a couple of seconds to reload a Taser and the chances are the probes could have hit someone else if the dog darted out the way.

Two quick bullets, however, did the trick.

....it also saved on the vets bill as after all, that dog has already been destroyed.




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Oh! Mr. Winsor, What Have You Done?

The second part of the Winsor Report was published Thursday much to the misfortune of police officers in England and Wales.

According to the recommendations by Winsor, Police officers' fitness could be checked annually with disciplinary procedures facing any officer who fails the test three times.

Whilst I do agree that there are certainly some officers who need to get fitter, the nature of the job doesn't always allow this as easily as it seems.

We rarely get down time. Eat poor food, usually reheated several times due to racing off for calls. So fast food and microwave meals are usually the order of the day as its quick to eat.

We don't get the time to sit as a team and eat a cooked meal. Mainly because we aren't all allowed to be back at the nick at one time. Even allocated meal breaks don't work as assistance shouts or I Grade calls take priority over every thing.

We don't get the down time to work out. Unlike other services we can't stay in the nick until a call comes out then react. So therefore we don't get a chance to work out on equipment and even if we did, there's rarely the room to store it or the budget to buy it.

And thanks to pay freezes etc, gym membership is now considered a luxury. Thats if you have the time to fit it in with your shifts and family life of course.

If it's recommended that we have annual fitness tests. Who's time do we get fit in? Ours or The Jobs? Either way, The Job should then provide equipment or subsidised gym membership to assist.

Winsor, says there should be higher minimum educational standards for new police recruits.

I cannot understand how he thinks that someone with higher qualifications are immediately better than someone without.

A colleague of mine, left school with no qualifications at all. After lazing around for a bit he joined the Navy. After leaving there he joined the Prison Service finally becoming a copper 15 years ago. He is now an Inspector and one of the best Inspectors I've ever worked with. He has common sense, a nose for the job and is a good leader and listener.

Why will someone with A Levels or a Degree immediately make them a better prospect than him?

Winsor says some should join directly as Inspectors and Superintendents.

This will create an "Officer Class" amongst the ranks. A division that cannot be crossed where possibly the rank of Inspector will become the equivalent of the Military, Non Commissioned Officer.

What chance has a Private becoming a General? What chance then has a Constable becoming a Superintendent or even Commissioner?
I was told that I was sensationalising on Twitter when I said that an inexperienced cop could end up running a Borough or investigating a major crime.

I don't think it's sensationalising at all.

It could end up with someone who's been fast tracked through their probation and given a rank ending up in charge of officers with many years of experience just brushed over.

I've seen many officers including myself, fail the Sergeants exam by a mere one or two percent and whist I appreciate that a miss is as good as a mile. I still see brilliant officers fail to meet the grade because they cannot pass an exam. Whilst those who can, some of those make crap senior officers because they were crap Constables.

How can you have direct entry to the police as Senior Officers?

How can, for example a Director for Hovis suddenly decide to apply to become Superintendent?

They will know as much about policing as I do about baking bread.

Whilst I appreciate that senior levels are about managing budgets and people which a director will be very good at but at times that senior officer will need to make tactical decisions based on years of experience and consultations with their colleagues.

How will a director for Hovis make tactical decisions about the Notting Hill Carnival?

How will that stand up with other people from the likes of the local council when they find out that the senior officer in their meeting about the carnival has only about two years policing experience and most of that was in a class room?

Who will they trust to make the right decisions?

The officer who has made it thought the ranks with experience behind them?

Or the one bundled through the ranks?

Chief constables would have powers to make police officers compulsorily redundant to cut costs - at present they can do this only if police have served for 30 years or more.

So you can see where this is going.

Officers with years of experience who cost too much will be made redundant. Eventually replaced with new starters costing a lot less. The front line will be replaced with cost effective youngsters with little or no experience and no one to learn from.

There would also be new powers to remove police officers who are on restricted duties and cannot return to work.

So under these plans the likes of David Rathband would have been sacked.

It's the same with many other jobs and services. There are always those who swing the lead. Take the money but want to sit at home with their feet up on long term sick. Yes I agree, these do need reviewing and if necessary get them off the expensive wage bill but if you are a genuine case of ill health especially if its been brought on through an incident at work then The Job should help them, not get rid of them purely because they cost too much.

Constables would be able to move up the pay ladder more quickly but a "specialist skills threshold" should be introduced at the final pay point of all officer pay scales.

So they'll be massive queues for courses and the course grabbers especially those I know who sit behind desks getting a shiny backside and apply for courses because "why not" never use them and take up the quota for those genuinely want and need them.

What courses will be classed as "specialist" in order to get this wage increase?

I am a Response Driver, CBRN, Public Order, Search Trained and Optical Intelligence Evidence Gatherer. However, I use these skills regularly (apart from CBRN, one I hope I never have to use)

Those who gather courses to build up their wage but not experience will effectively be on the same wage as me and if not controlled properly, they will sit on these courses and watch them gather dust whilst their money rolls in.

At the moment, these courses are voluntary. That way, The Job knows that those who want to do it, are doing it for the right reasons.

The retirement age would be raised to 60 and a new system of negotiating pay rates set up.

So, I assume that this fitness test will allow for age like the military?

Also stated, it's going to be raised to 60 to bring it in line with other public services.

Do these public services suffer the same amount of stress and abuse with their jobs? Are they frequently having their days off cancelled, changed, lengthened? Do they have to work nights putting up with the evils of society while everyone sleeps?

Who wants a burnt out copper still walking the beat at 60? Theres a very good reason we do 30 years and that's because we're burnt out after!

I can't see anyone getting to 60 as they will probably be made redundant as they cost too much to keep them.

....or collapse under the stress of it all.


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If You Pay Peanuts....

The shape of things to come?....

"Westshire Constabulary PLC today went into liquidation. This was after a a run of mishaps and blunders that could not be investigated due to privatisation of the organisation. Due to the loss of confidence in the board by shareholders and the glaring media spotlight, share prices plummeted and insolvency practitioners were called in...."

The above is of course fiction but could be accurate in the future as West Midlands and Surrey Police constabularies are inviting bids from security companies to carry out particular types of jobs usually done by police officers such as investigating crimes or patrolling neighbourhoods.

Claiming that money is tight after the budget slashes, these constabularies believe that this is the way forward for saving money and increasing front line presence.

Is it the way forward though?

In my humble opinion, no, it isn't.

Private companies such as G4S are answerable to the shareholder, where the constabulary is answerable to the public.

That means that the security company will put one thing only at the front of their agenda and that's "Profit" for its shareholders.

This could mean cutting corners as other companies in PPP to save money possibly affecting safety of those working with and working for the company. Reduced wages, reduced equipment all to save on costs.

I have never been a believer in contracting out to other companies. Yes I appreciate it creates business and therefore employment opportuniities but you need to look at the broader picture.

Take hospitals as an example, cleaning used to be done by the ward nursing staff. Nurses were responsible for the cleanliness of their ward and they were cleaned to within an inch of their lives. As a result, viruses such as MRSA were not in existence.

Give the contract to a cleaning company who's one sole aim is to make money and you could find that wards are quickly dusted due to there not being enough cleaning staff or mopped with an old dirty mop as buying a new one will effect budgets.

You only have to look at the failed Public-Private Partnership of London Underground to realise just how dangerous this move can be.

The collapse of Metronet in 2007 cost us, the tax payer £410 million. Who's to say that this would not happen again? No one dreamed it would happen to Metronet and them winning the contract with Tube Lines was like the Golden Goose.

Has anyone thought of asking the tax paying public what they think of this and do they have their permission?

So let's ask?

You have been burgled, who would rather arrive to investigate?

A police officer, duty bound by law to investigate? The police officer would have been fully trained, experienced and have knowledge of forensic procedures.

Or a security guard who's company will want them to check it out as quickly as possible as they have three guards off sick and it's costing them to send a substitute guard subcontracted from another company?

Who do you want to see patrolling your streets?

A fully equipped police officer who can not only arrest a person breaking the law but deal with the investigation when necessary?

Or a security guard who cannot arrest, will not be fully equipped and in some cases may not speak much, if any English?

Once you start cutting costs to improve efficiency you effect the quality of service.

West Mids and Surrey are claiming that it will help protect the frontline during cost cutting restraints.

How?

If security guards are patrolling the streets, how is that protecting the front line? In my opinion, that's a significant cut back.

Also, how is it a better option for saving money? and who's decision will it be that one neighbourhood will get police officers and another will get security guards?

If that neighbourhood is paying the same contribution from their Council Tax towards policing, I would want a refund or a significant reduction as you are not getting a police service.

It's a cheaper option and from my experience of many things, quantity isn't quality.

The company, once it's landed a contract over several years, may suddenly find that they need to put their prices up a significant amount to keep up with other businesses alike.

The constabulary may well then find themselves in the middle of a price battle that spirals out of control. In several years time, the contract could cost more than having actual police officers doing that job.

That's when it will go full circle.

You see, this is my point. If I buy a cheap garden shed from a budget supermarket that sells other products as well as garden furniture, I may be making an initial saving but in the long run it will show why it was so cheap when the wood rots and the roof falls in and I have to buy another one or pay out a lot of money to repair it.

If I bought from a company that specialises in garden furniture, yes, it will be considerably more expensive than the cheaper option but it will last several more years and will not need much money to keep it maintained.

I know that the police are not perfect and I would be a fool to claim that they are but if you invest the money back into proper policing you will get results even if it costs more in the short term.

This is why I believe policing should remain with the police and let the guards look after the shops.

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Cops Behaving Badly

This was the title of last nights BBC Panorama programme which in its description was:

"What happens when the police fail in their sworn duty to protect life, when they get it wrong, or when police officers themselves break the law?"


Less than a week after the deaths of two officers and one stabbed all in the course of carrying out their sworn duties to protect life, the BBC chose to show this, poorly timed, political hack of the police in this country.

If this week's topic had instead been about "Sudden Deaths at Home" the BBC would have probably moved the schedule, as done in the past, to another more appropriate time in the future so as not to upset the family of for example, Sir Jimmy Saville.

However, they chose instead to run with this programme, in my opinion, in poor taste and sensationalist ways.

I clearly stated my displeasure about this subject on Twitter last night and one or two of the responses I'll highlight here:

TheloniusBostik T-Bos 

@ 

@citizensmitt never! let's face it. you can't even highlight bad practice without offending the good cops... sad.

TheloniusBostik T-Bos 

@ 

@ResponsePlod we have the right to know. we're mature enough to form studied opinions.

citizensmitt smitty 

@ 

@ResponsePlod @TheloniusBostik So what would be a 'respectful' time to have shown it, then?

I appreciate this feedback and it's difficult to try and express yourself in 140 characters or less which is why I'm glad I have this.

I understand completely that the Police have to be accountable for their actions, period.  How can we provide  reassurance and law and order but be above it ourselves, it doesn't work.

What I was stating is that the programme was poorly timed at best.  If they insisted on showing this programme it could have been aired in the new year to let the dust settle for the families of the deceased.

These families could have seen on prime time television, footage of members of public, quite rightly in some instances, stating that they have lost confidence in policing and that officers are lazy etc.

Not true in the cases of PC Goodlad, PC Jay and Garda Jones.  These three put themselves first, before anything else and two paid with their lives.  Less than a week later, the BBC is showing footage of completely the opposite.

Good police officers do not make good television.  Watching grainy footage of a police officer apparently "beating" a male is shock factor and therefore, apparently, does.

The programme then went on to state that there was an issue of complaints and discipline going on "behind closed doors"

What public interest is there to hear that PC Bloggs has not ironed his shirt again or PC Doe has sworn at her Sergeant?

There isn't,

... or is it only the "juicy" stuff they want?

No other public domain company/service does it including the BBC, and I'm damn sure the Houses of Parliament will not!

A Twitter colleague wrote last night "Police officers don't go to work to do wrong" 

Unfortunately there are a minority element, like all jobs, who have the bullies, who are rude to their colleagues or customers, lazy, incompetent.

The problem with the police service is that if someone is like this, then they leave themselves wide open for complaints or severe lack of judgement calls that could cause someone to be injured or worse.

Discipline in policing has gone completely wrong, it's too "pink and fluffy"

If a Sergeant gives an officer an old fashioned "bollocking" for cocking up, that Sergeant is suddenly accused of bullying and the problem isn't solved.  Problems fester and a lazy cop, or worse, an incompetent cop isn't dealt with quickly enough.

Then you have the issue of malicious complaints.  In many cases some throw a complaint back, in order to "get off" or damage reputations to muddy the water in court.

The system is not infallible. Whilst you have humans as police officers and politicians in power, there will always be mistakes.  The IPCC and the court system are not perfect.  You only have to look at former PC Michael Bunting to realise that terrible mistakes can be caused by so called "professional people" Michael found himself serving four months after kicking out at his attackers whilst they brutally assaulted him and put him in hospital, seriously injured.  This case went before the IPCC, the CPS and the courts yet he was still convicted of assault.

In my opinion, last night's topic was a political attack on the police, designed to damage feeling towards us.  What with the cuts to the police set to be drastic, what better way of sweeping arbitration hearings under the carpets with sympathy destroying topics like that. (Which, ironically are a week away)

You only had to watch the Twitter trend for #Panorama for the immediate lack of sympathy and hate of the police.  Many stating "ACAB" (All Coppers Are Bastards) and yet they will be the first to scream for 999 if they are themselves attacked.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

This week has seen the loss of two officers whilst on the front line helping those in need.

PC Mark Goodlad of West Yorkshire Police and Garda Ciaran Jones of Garda Síochána County Wicklow.

PC Goodlad was struck by a lorry on the M1 Motorway after he stopped to assist a stranded female motorist who had broken down on the hard shoulder.

Garda Jones, whilst off duty and in some of the worst conditions in living history, left his car to warn drivers that a bridge near his home was about to collapse. He was washed away in the flood water and believed to have drowned.

These two officers without a second thought for their own safety, went to the assistance of those in need. Something that takes place every day with every police officer around the world.

Is this bravery? I would say, no, it's the job that we do and is an everyday occurrence.

However, to be killed doing it brings home the very dangers that us officers face day by day.

Yes, soldiers face danger day by day, but with all due respect to them, if you sign for the Armed Forces you don't join to study the flora and fauna.

What angers me, is the total lack of media coverage for these two officers.

These two officers represent the majority of officers world wide. Those that join the job, serve, committed, professional and want to go home safe at the end of every tour.

However, the media chose to focus their attention on a Met PC call handler who "inappropriately handled emergency calls"

Whilst I agree that, yes, this does require attention, but to have on the tv full interviews with the IPCC and only give brief coverage of the two officers was simply not on.

It seems to me that lately the media only want to concentrate on the bad side of the police.

The riots, what we did wrong, the student protests, the sit in at St Pauls, Dale Farm etc, all concentrate on the "lack of police response" rather than, "the police finding themselves the targets once again"

Every day, an officer does something that can save or change a life. Do we hear about it? No of course not, it would become tedious as after all, if you speak to any police officer they will say the same thing:

"I was only doing my job"

However, it is about time that the media and government stop getting into bed with each other and realise that police officers are human. We have lives, we have feelings and if you push us we will break.

But we will always continue to serve

... even if we have to pay the ultimate sacrifice

Dining Out

I know I've mentioned this topic before so for those who are aware of it please excuse me whilst I rant about this once again but what happened to me and a colleague today needs saying because it wound me up.

My mate and I were taking refs away from our home station and thought we would take in a local cafe which came recommended.

We were sat towards the rear of the cafe but thanks to the fact that it was situated on a corner and quite a large premises we were still visible from the street but only if you looked.

Half way through our meal I glanced up to notice that people were actually stopping to look at us through the window. Some were pointing and telling people they were with to look at us while we ate. This continued for most of the meal.

Then out of no where, a woman walked past, looked in, saw us and took her phone out of her bag and started to take photos of us while we ate.

We certainly didn't smile for the photos and judging by our facial expressions and waving her away, her friends may wonder why she took photos of us if she shows them.

I was too gobsmacked to interupt my food, get up, walk the length of the cafe and go and speak to her but she knows we werent happy, yet continued to photograph us.

After paying up and leaving to return to duty it was almost like the pub scene from An American Werewolf in London, suddenly everyone stopped what they were doing and stared.

I said to one gawper "I take it you haven't seen policemen eat before."

One turned and said "It's alright for some!" so I turned and replied

"Yes, it certainly is, I mean, you are out in your own free time with your family and can eat anytime you like, whilst my family are at home without me. So it is alright for some isn't it?!"

The reply will go with me to my grave:

"What a waste of tax payers money!"

Well, dear reader, I can safely say that I went off on one after that. I was polite but extremely firm informing him that in future he should mind his own business and to keep ill educated comments like that to himself. I pointed out that I am not a robot, I need food and assuming he works, he probably has breaks too.

I frequently leave half eaten meals to race off to calls and then attempt to reheat them later or eat cold. Thanks to my job, I double on food expenses as I either have to take something in which I've had to buy extra or order out. I frequently end up with indigestion and have lately suffered with high cholesterol.

What amazes me is the complete and utter disregard for the fact that under this uniform is a living, breathing human.

How would they like it if I sat and gawped at them through a restaurant window? Took photos and dare say to them that they shouldn't be eating.

Will the photos taken of us appear in the paper with the headline:

"Police skive whilst tax money goes on food"

or

"Police integrate with the community" ?



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It Would Never Have Happened To Smeaton...

So, after I posted a blog entry entitled "The Blame Game" exactly what do we blame for the causation of the Summer riots of 2011?


The 'original cause', the death of Mark Duggan has been  significantly over shadowed by the riots which took an even uglier turn with the death of six people across the country and the destruction of peoples homes and businesses.


Tariq Jahan eloquently, wisely and whilst still grieving for the death of his Son called on everyone for peace.  The Duggan family also told the nation that they condemned the riots and did not want them carried out in his name.


So, what caused them?


These riots were going to take place no matter what.  An antiques dealer in Tottenham started to receive telephone calls about a week before they took place, asking if he wanted "protection should anything happen"  This would suggest to me that this was going to happen even if Mark Duggan wasn't fatally shot that August day.  This death was merely a catalyst for events that were going to happen, like it or not.


So where do we start this "Post Mortem" of the events that took place.  What caused this Cancer that spread very quickly across this great city and then the country that I love?


It is very easy and quick to blame the police.  The police would have received the blame whether Duggan lived or died, the fact that there was an illegal firearm, fully loaded in the vehicle he was in, keeps escaping people.


Here in lies the problem.  


The 24 hour news companies were quick to film people on the street hearing that the "police don't respect us" or "the police here don't do nothing to help us" and "the police are always harassing us"


Well, in my opinion, respect is earned.  I hear this a lot in my job "Don't DISS ME" "You need to show me respect"


Funny how quick those who have none for other people are quick to expect it shown to themselves.


"You're only stopping me because I'm black" 


No, it's because I saw you slip a knife under your jog top, or you blew through that red light with no care for anyone else and you have no insurance, MOT etc but, no, lets blame it on the fact you're black being the reason I stopped you and not because you committed a crime.


"If you touch me, I'm going to sue you"


Thank you America! This is another thing I hear regularly.  Including my Mother In Law who is an English teacher.  Some of the story's she tells me, I would quite happily take a machine gun to her pupils. [edit due to complaints on Twitter: This does not mean I will do this literally!  For God's sake get real people! If I meant every time I said to my brother I was going to kill him, I would still be slopping out at Parkhurst!]


My own 11 year old Godson said something similar to his mother the other day when she said to him "You're not too old to get a slap"


The fact he meant what he said shows how damaging our culture has become over the years with discipline.


Our 3 year old daughter was kicking off the other day and my wife said to her "I will count to five and if you don't stop I will slap the back of your legs"


The look of disgust she got from a woman who overheard, speaks volumes, in my opinion of the interference from outside agencies in just simple discipline.


I'm in no way condoning violence towards children but I believe, children need to be taught from an early age that every thing in life has a consequence.  


It is my belief that there are too many groups these days who leap out and attack the ways of parenting and even criminalising parents who have smacked their children when the real abusers slip through the net.


Then we have the schools.  In my day I would get the cane.  I got it twice and never again after that I can tell you.  The mere fact that it was on the wall on a plinth above the Head meant it was destined for your hand after the talk was over.  I respected my teachers and in actual fact, I still speak to one on Facebook who sent me for the cane.


Now we have pupils fighting against teachers, parents who, instead of trying to find out why their little darling set fire to the chemistry lab, want to blame it on the teacher for daring to give their son or daughter a detention for throwing things at another pupil.  In some cases, teachers have actually been attacked by parents for showing discipline to their children.


My Mother In Law will not walk down the road of her village or to our house in case one of her pupils sees her.  She's had her house egged and her windows smashed by her own pupils many times.


However, if my Father in law got hold of one of them, he would be the one arrested.


How wrong, is that?


We have football players who think it's ok to have multiple affairs, to commit numerous criminal  offences and be seen to be rewarded with multi million pound contracts.


These people are supposed to be role models.  


Gangsta Rap which tells their listeners to kill one another for daring to live in another post code or come from another class.  


Single parent mothers who claim they cannot control their child as they have to work every day and that the council took away the local youth club.


"They're bored"  


Well, I grew up in East London, right where they are building the Olympics.  We had miners strikes, Cold War, recessions, 3 day working week.  We didn't have iPods, Nintendo's, X-Box, PS3's etc.  The latest thing I wanted was a set of clackers which you could bounce faster and faster then lose your knuckles in a blinding flash! 


We went out in groups on bikes.  Budgies, Boxers, Strikers, Choppers and Grifters being the fad in those days and we played cricket with a bat made out of floor board and a tennis ball.


We would disappear for hours with our parents safe in the knowledge that we would come back in one piece and with what we went out with.


These days the youth are taught that if you want something, take it.  Kids are bombarded with images of the latest tech and if you don't have it, you're a target in the playground and even the classroom.


We are a society that is quick to take, quick to throw away and quick to blame someone else for your own wrong doings.


I learnt very quickly when I was young that everything has a consequence. 


I got into trouble when I was about 11 and my Dad informed me that I would come home from school, do my homework and I would not watch TV for a week.  For me, this was a disaster, early evening TV was a must. I knew that if I timed it right, I could watch the tele and turn it off just before my Dad got home from work.


My Dad got home, walked to the TV, put his hand on the back, felt the warm glow and then I felt the warm glow of that hand as it connected with my backside.


I didn't do that again, I can assure you.


I was grounded.  My Dad then saw me frantically riding home on my bike with my mates as he crossed the park walking back from the local Underground station.


I learned then too.


I was always told that if I ever brought the police home or got into trouble at school I would suffer the consequences.


Imagine my horror when the local bobby, a big bearded fellow, followed my friends and I to the garages behind my mates house as we collected his bike!


"What's going on 'ere then?  Breaking into garages I see!"


Cue frantic explanations that we were just innocent lads getting my mates bike from his Dads garage.


"Let's just check this lock here then" 


Praying that Tony had actually locked the garage and what on earth my Dad would say if he heard I was taken down the local nick even though I was innocent.


I feared the police, but respected and even admired them all the same.  I called him "Sir" and I meant that too.  These days I get no respect.


Nowadays it's "See that man, he's the one who will take you away when you're naughty"


Or in one case: "See that son, it's a pig"


The police were a "force" not a "service".  If you got on the wrong end of the police you would expect a clip round the ear and taking home to your parents where you would receive a belting for not only breaking the law but bringing the "Old Bill" round the house!


These days, if a police officer lays a finger on someone it's on the news in seconds, filmed on mobiles and shown on You Tube.


Police officers fear striking back for losing their jobs, their homes, or worse, be imprisoned. 


So what is to blame for these riots?


Well in my opinion I would say it's a combination of ill discipline starting with parents, schools which results on a lack of respect for those around.


The "I want it now" and "I'll just take it" culture caused by the mass media marketing strategy from everything from a pair of new trainers to the latest car.  The "upgrades" which means people have to have the latest and you can include football kit.


We didn't have a lot when I was a kid.  Mum only started to work again when we went to school full time so Dad had to pull in a lot of hours.  We got by, but we were well taught that if we wanted something, we had to earn it.


We had to make do and live with it.


What's the solution?


If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be in this job, I would be earning a fortune on the lecture circuit.  


But it's my belief that if we allowed teachers to regain the classroom without fear of reprisals, parents to take some responsibility in their offspring instead of expecting others to do their work for them, the police to become a "Police Force" again instead of a "service" doing Social Services job for them and take away the mindless amounts of red tape and the ready critical media we have.  Stop this blame culture, the ambulance chasing solicitors who immediately say 


"Where there's blame, there's a claim"


If we get this little bit sorted, perhaps, just perhaps, the world may be a better place.