A disabled couple forced from their home after suffering weeks of homophobic abuse and anti-social behaviour say they were driven to the brink of suicide.Sounds familiar…
Keith Stepney, 53, and his partner John Mead, 42, say they regularly had eggs and stones thrown at their home in Warwick Place, Northfleet, and homophobic graffiti daubed on the window.
Familiar ‘solutions’ too:
The couple, who have both suffered from depression and anxiety, kept a log recording around 100 incidents over a six-week period.I expect that was as useless as Fiona Pilkington’s…
Mr Stepney claims police only started to act quickly after they made 20 phone calls in three days.So in this case, the ability to invoke an ‘ism’ helped?
He said: “We were told to just mark it in on our log sheet and not to call unless there was a physical threat to us.
“After it became apparent it was homophobic crime they acted quickly.
Well, no:
Police say three youths had been arrested.That taught them…
Two were released without charge and a third was given a warning.
Splendidly PR-esque waffle from the man in the hotseat for this one:
The area commander for North Kent police, Chief Superintendent Paul Brandon, said: “Police in north Kent have worked closely with Mr Stepney and Mr Read to resolve problems they were having regarding anti-social behaviour.Wow! What a lot of positives and boxes ticked, eh?
“The Neighbourhood Task Team (NTT) was deployed to patrol at regular intervals in the area and a good relationship was built up between the local PCSO, Tiffany Hills and Mr Stepney.
“This week, he was visited by neighbourhood Inspector Mike Coltham who spoke to him about the issues he faced.
“Insp Coltham made sure he had contacts for neighbourhood officers at his new address.
He added: “Mr Stepney was advised to call 999 if he felt under threat or in danger - following the guideline that the emergency number should only be used in that situation.
“Patrols did attend to see Mr Stepney. A huge amount of work and resources went into dealing effectively with the situation he faced and I feel we offered a very high level of support to help deal with his situation.”Remind me, CI Brandon, just how you ‘dealt effectively’ with the situation?
Oh, it’s right here, isn’t it?
To escape their ordeal the couple last month moved into hiding outside the area.Yeah, you dealt so effectively with that one they left your area to escape…
14 comments:
Nice* punchline.
* Nice as in not nice at all and symptomatic of the breakdown in law and order caused by making kids behaviour above the law.
Well. I don't see what you're complaining about. Were the young person's human rights respected? And more importantly, were their voices heard? (Except when they were shouting 'Poofs out!' of course)
Headline in our local Paper yesterday.
Two yobs given ASBOs & banned from clearly defined areas of our town.
Photo of Yob1, presumably so he'd be recognised if he was seen in the town centre.
Yob2 - no photo 'cos he's under 16 "and can't be identified". F@cking brilliant joined-up thinking.
Tiffany Hills ! Wasn't she Playmate of the Month ?
Marvellous illustration of ploddleygook aka meaningless drivel. To master it is to succeed and ensure promotion. Each statement carefully conforms to national competency frameworks as each real life incident provides an opportunity for source examples for promotion/job applications. The one overused word I didn't see used was 'engage' in any of it's forms.
Take a look at Kent Police's page on anti-social behaviour http://www.kent.police.uk/Advice/Anti-social%20behaviou/Anti-social%20behaviou.html.
"We are...using all the powers available to us to address the causes of the problems, act to prevent them and, where necessary, take action against those responsible."
Apparently they are also visiting schools with a roadshow "to bring home the consequences of getting involved in anti-social behaviour".
"The roadshows use multi-media activities to illustrate the key themes - including dance, music and drama. The activities will get pupils thinking about the consequences of their behaviour, and empower them to take control and make informed decisions."
THESE are the coppers you need back;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1919_Battle_of_George_Square_-_David_Kirkwood.jpg
"Were the young person's human rights respected? And more importantly, were their voices heard? (Except when they were shouting 'Poofs out!' of course)"
Heh!
"F@cking brilliant joined-up thinking."
Yes, I'm getting really tired of the 'we can't identify them because they are vulnerable' line...
"Tiffany Hills ! Wasn't she Playmate of the Month ?"
What with that, and Delroy Smellie, I'm beginning to think there's a 'use a false name?' option on the police recruitment form...
"Marvellous illustration of ploddleygook aka meaningless drivel. To master it is to succeed and ensure promotion..."
'Ploddleygook'. I like that... ;)
"Take a look at Kent Police's page on anti-social behaviour http://www.kent.police.uk/Advice/Anti-social%20behaviou/Anti-social%20behaviou.html."
I think Paul Brandon must have written that!
"THESE are the coppers you need back;"
Indeed. Though some are doing their bit, much to the Beeb's consternation.
Can't wait for someone to ask why they didn't try to shoot the gun out of his hand...
Three officers from the Met Police's CO19 firearms unit then shot him 20 times in the head and neck.
Now I reckon that quite a few people around here know that my views on law and order MAY be slightly to the "right" of Mother Theresa.
However, THREE police officers fire TWENTY shots????
Sorry this does NOT add up.
A "Douple tap", the shots should be 6. If it needed more then the target must have been bloody Dracula or something.
NO WAY is twenty shots from three Policemen justified.
"A "Douple tap", the shots should be 6. If it needed more then the target must have been bloody Dracula or something.
NO WAY is twenty shots from three Policemen justified."
In England, it's odd, I grant you.
But in the US it used to be a case that the more lead they could put in the air, the better. In one report (from New York, I think) the attorney noted that, if the number of cops + types of weapons at the scene = bullet wounds to his client & surroundings, someone must have reloaded in the middle of the gunfight!
I did wonder at the fact that these were all head/neck - I always thought they aimed for centre mass, i.e the torso?
I did wonder at the fact that these were all head/neck - I always thought they aimed for centre mass, i.e the torso?
Correct.
The whole job stinks here.
I have done firearms training with Military, and now now civvy police (Here in Germany), I have USED firearm as Military police, and this does not "add up" at ALL.
I have just spoken with out forensics guy.
His question "After 20 shots WHAT head?"
I think that about sais it all.
Hmmm...
I'll look out for the inevitable 'Guardian' or 'Indy' investigation then! Strange no-one's been jumping up and down about it already.
Honestly, it really is nice round where I live. A 2-bed, 2-bath, thousand square foot apartment for three hundred quid a month. I'd offer you a billet in my spare room while you found somewhere except you know how tongues would wag (what with you being, self-admittedly, the most legendary cougar in the right-wing blogosphere).
Post a Comment