"The police wanted to know if I wanted to press charges, but I don't want to, I don't want any more trouble. "‘Press charges’? That’s an Americanism. Maybe he's paraphrasing, but honestly, with the sort of quality officers we see gracing our streets these days, who can be sure?
Besides, the police shouldn't need permission from the victim – a man minding his own business and subjected to an unprovoked attack - to pursue and charge his attackers, should they? Would it make a difference if he'd been a Goth?
Isn't it an offence against the Crown, and not the person? I thought that was what made us different from the Yanks.
Police have now launched an appeal for people with any information about the attack to come forward.Well, it's a little late now, isn't it?
13 comments:
And from another episode of Hill Street Blues...
Three Millwall fans arrested in dramatic dawn raids
Riot vans. 5am. Suburbia. Tooled up cops. Stab vests. Media in tow. One little skinny hooligan in trackie bottoms hauled off to the station.
It's right that these yobs are arrested and charged, but what's wrong with sending round a couple of uniformed constables at a decent hour? Have the police totally lost all sense of proportionality these days?
Blogger John Pickworth..........yup that's right John, because all criminals, especially violent thugs always wait in for the cops to come round and invite them for questioning. And I don't expect any of them attack said cops when they are told that they are nicked. Seems the cops just can't win, but I suppose in some eyes they should expect to be assaulted as part of their job.
You would have been fortunate to find Sgt Jeremy Scott 'gracing our streets', Julia. As far as I am aware, this idle conglomeration of adipose tissue was just another radiator barnacle.
Most of us are indirectly acquainted with the charmer. He was the one using the pseudonym 'Government Thug' when verbally abusing citizens on Police blogs.
And the former Gadgetista was most famous for: "I hope her death was painful and degrading" and "The World would be a better place if David Cameron died."
But really, who would be stupid enough to believe the average plod understands what he is saying?
@ Swanseajock
But it's a fact the cops don't ever consider a polite knock on the door these days; its never an option. The default now always seems to be to go in mob handed. And if there were any risk, then why invite the media? Hey?
What about, for example, Dave Lee Travis? 30+ cops, dawn raid with media in-tow. A violent, deadly crim that needed taking down or merely another police over-reaction? There's no denying they have form... want more examples?
Unless the law has changed since I handed in my tin stick and underarm deoderant, if an assault is common or ABH, then an allegation from the victim is required. If the assault is GBH then no allegation from the victim is required. Of course, if it's murder, then only a CSO, or someone from SMT, would hang around waiting for an allegation from the victim!
Penseivat
John i'm doing a drugs raid in the morning.Could you look in your crystal ball and tell me what equipment I should take and if the criminal will be violent?
Oh I see the Daily Mail have borrowed it,just have to wing it then as always.
As for the topic-if the victim doesn't want to press charges then that's his right.Imagine if we forced him to court-then you could do another post on erosion of freedom to choose,the process is the punishment and all the other cliches.You would be surprised how often people don't want to give evidence.
Jaded
Riot vans?-No just vans.
5am? Yes that's when most people are home.
Suburbia? How dare criminals live there!!
Tooled up cops? If you mean armed then you are wrong.
Stab vests?Compulsory for all of us.
Media in tow? Yes the senior management love it.
Skinny little hooligan? Sorry he wasn't fat but is that relevant?
Once you start getting your police info from the DM then you lose all credibility.
Jaded.
"Media in tow. "
That's the thing that grates most. Shouldn't it have been considered along with leaks to the press?
"...but I suppose in some eyes they should expect to be assaulted as part of their job."
It's a very recent phenomenon, and often used inappropriately. Who knew Dave Lee Travis and Stuart Hall were such hardened thugs?
"Look out sarge, he's got a digeridoo and he ain't afraid to use it!"
".Could you look in your crystal ball and tell me what equipment I should take..."
Probably not 'a reporter'.
The whole psuedo -SWAT type of events is, like the Taser, an American import.
The idea of SWAT was that they would be a special squad to deal with violent and extra-nasty crims. Now there are 100,000 such raids a year in the US--80% of them for warrants on non-violent offences and against people with no history of violence. The cop thugscrums now seem to have a fad for shooting the family dog (the original bogus justification for this was that a small number of drug dealers kept attack dogs but now they seem to like shooting labradors, even if they come up with tails wagging--just because they can get away with it). And of course the cops have a lovely habit of getting the address wrong or mixed up and unloading their violence on people who are nothing to do with it,
The Ferderal tyranny is busy paying for evey one horse location in the US to have its own SWAT thugscrum as part of the militarisation of the police.
What happens over there is sooner or later copied over here.
"Once you start getting your police info from the DM then you lose all credibility."
yeah best too get police info from educatid peepl like what we is
Mr Ecks,
The SWAT teams of the USA are permanently employed on those tasks. They are either training for dealing with violent crime or actually doing it. In the UK, the Police officers you see with riot shields and equipment are the same people who, on other occasions, are patrolling the streets, dealing with reports of crime, carrying out school liaison visits or one of the many non-crime tasks foistered on them by other so-called 'partnership agencies'. Until this, over and the previous government started messing about with the Police, it was one of the most professional organisations in the world. Now it has been politicised and emasculated it is a laughing stock. However, in a couple of year's time, this country will have the Police force it deserves where the level of service will depend on whether you are paying for 'standard', 'premium', or 'superior' tariffs.
Penseivat
@ Penise
Few UK police attach self-blame to a laughing-stock service. Some swear it was their spiked tea but I rather suspect the major components were indolence and selfishness, casually garnished with stupidity.
Melv,
I'm not the Police - not any more. I will blame current forces for their shortcomings but also stand up for them if I feel they are being unfairly treated. As far as trolls such as yourself are concerned, there is no room for support. You get your jollies from insults, sometimes masquerading as 'constructive criticism' but usually out and out crap remarks which bear no relation to anything relevant. You're not even funny, which would make your comments acceptable. I've had more laughs cleaning the chip pan!
Penseivat
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