No Surrender!

If I don't hear that song sung for a long long time it'll be too soon!
I've been covering the movement of the EDL (English Defence League) protest in Luton or as the media and others call them "fascists" "'Nazis" "Anti Islamists" "far right" etc etc, well, you get the picture.

Now I'm all up for protesting what ever your cause as it's your democratic right. What I can't stand are those that turn up to fight each other and that's all they want to do.

The UAF (Unite Against Fascism) who claim they stand up against the far right usually turn up when the EDL are protesting to counter their demonstration.

The media and others call them "far left" "pinkies" "tree huggers" "soap dodgers" etc etc again, you get the picture.

Both groups are normally penned in separate areas to pretty much throw their chants and usually other things at each other.

Throw in a few more groups that turn up who hate each other and you can imagine the results.

"Very much like football hooligans" I hear you say, and you would be right as many are from football "risk groups" who like to fight.

In the majority both groups usually (apart from some of the chants) behave reasonably well. (as well as they can)

However a small minority think it great fun to throw fireworks, bricks, chairs, pretty much anything that isn't bolted down and if it is, they may rip it up and throw that as well.

Some morons were arrested for smashing up the trains and coaches on the way to the protest or for offensive weapons (our bloke had an extendable cosh and wouldn't come quietly which resulted in a roll around and leg restraints being (untidy) used)

The chants were not really up to the standard of the amusing ones you generally get to hear at football matches and they became intolerable after a while.

What amazed all of us was the sudden ending to the demonstration way before schedule and the extreme quiet as they ALL returned.

We were even thanked for us being there and they claimed it was a success because of our presence.

I even managed to crack a few jokes with some from both sides yet these were the same people who only a short time before, were throwing things at us and each other.

It was eerie.

The main thing was I managed to get stood down 2 hours early so I got to see my daughter before she went to bed.

The other thing was, we all returned home safe!

Oh! The Irony!

We arrested a bag thief today. He tried his luck whilst some unsuspecting member of the public was drinking her coffee in one of the well known coffee drinking establishments on our patch.

He was caught by an eagle eyed member of the public who alerted us as we passed and after a bit of a struggle, he was arrested.

Due to his previous for countless bag thefts and the exact nature of this arrest, we were authorised to carry out a section 18 search of his flat.

Upon arriving at the filthy clutter ridden hovel we were greeted by the tell tale signs of previous forced entries by past colleagues.

Searching through the rooms, my colleague shouts

"Here take a look at this!"

He hands me an envelope, inside it was a letter with the familiar "Metropolitan Police" blue logo.

"We are sorry to hear that you have been a victim of theft namely £250" it read

I had to read that again:

"We are sorry to hear that you have been a victim of THEFT!"

The thieving sod had even had the cheek to request Victim Support!

Awww the poor little darling!

He must have been heart broken!

The laptops, cameras, purses, handbags, suitcases he's stolen in the past has in no doubt left his victims gutted.

Now he's has a taste of what it feels like yet he still continues!

I wonder if he gave one minutes thought to the fact that this is EXACTLY how he's made his victims feel in the past and again today?!

.....Probably not

Liar Liar Pants On Fire

I've just spent the best part of 9 hours attempting section 18 property searches.

Bloke in custody nicked by us for fraud and immigration issues gave five addresses all over London.

Coupled up with address checks, locating them, heavy traffic and the wasted journeys to literally all four corners of the Capital, I doubt very much he'll get the cost of our wages and the fuel added to his penalty

....if found guilty of course!

Ops for Ops Sake! (Targets For Gods Sake)

One thing that always gets my goat is the never ending badgering from SMTs and their increasingly annoying ways of trying to find reasons for me having to justify my existence.

Stick me in a uniform where the public can see me, feel reassured (hopefully) and when necessary ask me loads of SFQs, then I am doing my job.

However Sir/Ma'am, making me stop and account people for the sake of it to make you and your figures look good just for you to obtain that third pip, crown or fried egg is quite frankly insulting.

I don't see you out there with us on yet another pointless anti social behaviour operation purely designed so the nick/area can meet it's detection targets and you call it "ASB" so it can meet yet another force target.

I don't see you stopping someone in order for you to reach the teams targets and have that person give you a mouthful of abuse because it's the fifth time that week they have been stopped and missed their train, bus or appointment.

I don't see you on a freezing cold night having had your nights extended yet again in order to achieve some crazy goal set out by you earlier in the year.

I don't see you stood in the witness box before a Magistrate having to explain why you arrested someone for a minor offence when there was a better option like a good old fashioned "ticking off" which was not given because of the force's "Positive Arrest Policy" and that Constables are pursued hungrily for arrest figures and given bollockings by down trodden Sergeants or by a power hungry Inspector eager for their next promotion because they haven't met "Performance Targets"

What I do see are members of the public getting annoyed at being stopped regularly, their car being stopped again and again in road checks.

What I do see are members of the public coming up to us and asking if everything is alright and why there are so many police about. It panics them as it's out of the ordinary and they fear something bad is going on.

What I do hear are the comments from passers by when on these operations along the lines of "Haven't they got better things to do?"

What we seem to be doing in this target driven business and that's what it's become, a business, is alienating the very people we are out to protect.

By arresting someone purely to enable a box to be ticked, stopping someone to meet a target for another pointless operation it drives a wedge between the public and us.

How can the public trust or understand us if we are constantly abusing that trust?

Crime Maps

Well as you've probably seen on the news or followed on Twitter #Crime #CrimeMaps. The world and his wife are talking about Crime Maps.

A great idea? "Yes" say some Estate Agents but a big fat "NO" from me as I'm trying to sell mine and if the young couple who have put in an offer look up my postcode on www.police.uk and find out about the nutter in my road or the fact the couple a few doors down failed to lock their front door one afternoon to come back and find all their stuff nicked, I'm screwed!

However, with 18 Million hits in one day, one crashed website and the fact it cannot find the police area I live in (Strange, as I do see them about occasionally) it might be some time the couple can look up the crime in my area. By then, hopefully the contracts will be signed!

The problem is, if you find crime down your road, what are YOU the reader going to do about it? "Not a lot" I hear you say, as I cannot see the local Estate Agents being over run with clients all eager to move from their well established homes and areas.

However, think again if you find your area virtually crime free!

Areas that have little crime, you can kiss goodbye to your PCSO's and Neighbourhood Officers as they will be moved to an area that is seen to have a crime problem and here begins the vicious circle.

Target chasing SMT's will want their forces to look all clean and tidy and complaint from the public free,

So if "Little Johnny ASBO" is constantly breaking windows in your road, then I have good news for you. If you or your neighbours are reporting this, then soon you'll be seeing gleaming new or expanded policing teams heading your way to clean up the mess and "Little Johnny ASBO" will be dealt with expediently right up until a Magistrate releases them with a £10 fine paid over a hundred weeks.

BUT when crime levels start to drop and your road becomes deterred from crime by the high visibility policing, don't expect your policing teams to remain.....

They will end up being moved back to clean up the mess in their original area, as crime has risen to such a level the SMT are getting complaints from the public. Not only will they be angry that the policing has gone but crime levels are through the roof thanks to "Little Johnny ASBO" who has had to move in their road as he's no longer allowed where he lived!

So the Policing teams are moved in to tackle with little Johnny ASBO and.......

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Guess who's back?

Well I'm probably talking to myself publishing this as any followers I did have have probably long since left. Although they may suddenly get a surprise email if they subscribed to my posts! But then who can blame them for going? I certainly can't.

Long story short. Since my last post there has been two additions in my family, both girls. The eldest now three (yes it really has been that long!) and the youngest 17 weeks.

It gets a tad tough when every time you go to sit and type on your pc the wife calls you down to deal with one of the kids and so on!

Thank God for the iPhone and blogging apps! It occurred to me that they have Twitter (@ResponsePlod) and Facebook on the apps so why not a blogging app. They have and here I am using it.

I'm still in the job and I will be endeavouring to keep these blogs going for as long as I can (even if no one is reading them)

The only difference being is that I cover response occasionally now as these days I'm on a Tasking squad designed for dealing with pretty much any problem that comes our way.

Hopefully these blogs will be interesting and I hope amusing at times!

So. Here's to Response Plod 2 The long awaited sequel (well, for me anyway!)

Cheers!

Response Plod (well, ish)

Police officer dies in road crash

From BBC

A police officer responding to an incident has been killed in a road accident in Manchester. Pc Christopher Hart, 40, was driving a police van on Pottery Lane in Openshaw when it collided with a car, overturned and hit a set of traffic lights.

Pc Hart suffered serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. His colleague and three people in the VW Polo suffered minor injuries.

Investigations into the cause of the crash are under way.

The junction between Ashton Old Road, Pottery Lane and Alan Turing Way was closed shortly after the crash, at 2355 GMT, while officers dealt with the scene.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the second male police officer in the van was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary but was later released.

Pc Hart was a response officer based in Bury.

Ass Chf Con Justine Curran said: "This is a tragic incident in which a serving officer with Greater Manchester Police has lost his life. "Our thoughts are now with his family and colleagues and we are offering them every support."

Chf Supt Jon Rush, Bury Divisional Commander, said: "Chris was a respected member of Bury division and his tragic and sudden death will be deeply felt by his family, particularly his young son, and his work colleagues."

Chris Burrows, of the Greater Manchester Police Federation, said: "We are mourning the loss of a respected colleague and father. All our thoughts are with his family at this time."

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My condolences to his family and friends at this sad timeIt's a worrying thought which must go through my head every time I switch the blue lights and sirens on. Is the call worth this blue light run? and I hope we get there safely. I would rather arrive two minutes late than never at all