A man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murdering a mother-of-three at a New Year's Eve party at her home.It seems that this case is even less likely to be ‘murder’ than the last one:
Revellers watched in horror as the party's hostess Sharn Jones, 46, who was also celebrating the 21st birthday of her son, Martin, collapsed after an argument.
It is thought she had been rowing with a neighbour who was a guest at the party in the village of Minsterley, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
Post mortem results have not yet been revealed.Of course, she may not.
But it is understood that no weapon was involved and that she may have suffered a heart attack.
But just what the hell are the police and CPS playing at...?
Do you think it possible that one of the Home Office targets imposed on the police is the number of arrests as well as the number of convictions? If so - and this applies to your previous example of over-assiduous charging (where arrest for a "murder" scores more points than arrest for "manslaughter") - the conduct of the police is, if not excusable, at least explicable.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as we are only too well aware, an arrest (rather than an invitation to speak to the police) means that DNA/finger prints can be added to the database: hence the over-assiduous use of arrest powers. Remember this is Britain 2009 not 1959 (or even 1989). For a policeman of limited education and no appreciation of the Peelite tradition of policing by consent, arresting and intimidating a prima facie law-abiding citizen is not only easier and more pleasant than arresting yet another scrote with an existing ASBO - it looks better on your career file.
It's a possibility - nothing would surprise me anymore - but you'd think even the dimmest politician (and I'm talking David Lammy-level dim here) would see that the consequences of setting that target would mean idiocies like this one.
ReplyDeleteBut then this, and the announcement that we are likely to take in 'asylum seekers' from Guantanamo Bay so that Obamalamadingdong can fulfil his election pledge, makes me think they know they have no chance of re-election and are just hellbent now on ruining the ground for their successor...
Umbongo said - "...For a policeman of limited education and no appreciation of the Peelite tradition of policing by consent, arresting and intimidating a prima facie law-abiding citizen is not only easier and more pleasant than arresting yet another scrote with an existing ASBO - it looks better on your career file..."
ReplyDeleteSuch stupid and ill informed statements are on the increase by people who should know better - don't blame the individual police officer blame this government and ACPO, blame the 40 year assault on the Criminal Justice system by the left wing aided and abetted by the lawyers.
Such arrests are commonplace and they are one of the legacies of the whole Stephen Lawrence mess. It has been policy since about 1998 to arrest on suspicion of murder anyone who could be a 'suspect'. Part of the 'Golden Hour' Critical Incident philosophy and the seizure of possible evidence especially DNA is the principal reason. Individual Officers have no say in this and could face action under the misconduct regulations if they fail to apply these very strict instructions.
The traditional discretion of a constable has been slowly removed from individual police officers NOT by legislation but by creepinmg policy and procedural changes.
"Such stupid and ill informed statements are on the increase by people who should know better - don't blame the individual police officer blame this government and ACPO, blame the 40 year assault on the Criminal Justice system by the left wing aided and abetted by the lawyers."
ReplyDeleteI have sympathy for Umbongo's comments, as well as for the position of those officers who can see the damage being done by adherence to 'the rules'.
The problem is, it's all very well saying that 'We don't make the rules', but the public see the police carrying them out every day.
They read about pensioners in fear of gangs of feral youths alongside idiocies like the 'Longbow Siege of Harlow', and start to think 'Who are they working for? Not me!'.
"Such arrests are commonplace and they are one of the legacies of the whole Stephen Lawrence mess. "
*sigh* When I build my time meachine, that's the first thing I'm going to fix...
"The traditional discretion of a constable has been slowly removed from individual police officers NOT by legislation but by creepinmg policy and procedural changes."
Indeed. But who is going to give it back? The Tories...?
ranter
ReplyDeleteI take your point that the ACPO dummies and their bosses in the Home Office are the major contributors to the present state of policing in Britain. But the increasingly jobsworth, authoritarian attitude of the ordinary policeman - exacerbated by a failing education system and an apparent contempt for Joe Public - doesn't help.
My experience in the last 10 years of speaking as a (potential) complainant to an ordinary policeman, being on a (legal) demo as a non-violent law-abiding citizen, trying to reason with a jobsworth in possession of a warrant card and an anti-middle class mindset, trying to report a crime at a poorly manned police station has been an eye-opening trail of rudeness, incompetence and aggression on the part of ordinary PCs. This has little to do with the crap who happen to run the police - it's all to do with the attitude of the guys at the sharp end.
Umbongo, I do agree completely with the points you make. I was trying to make a point (badly obviously) about why 'suspects' are arrested in such particular cases and why there is nothing anyone can do about it. It is pointless blaming the officers attending or investigating - they have NO CHOICE. That said, many officers on the front line DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER! They've known no other system.
ReplyDeleteThe very important traditional discretion of an individual constable has almost completely gone and there's no clock that will ever be turned back.
For all their huffing and puffing the Tories really started the rot. Nu-Labor have cemented the changes.
An overtly left wing political elite in ACPO. Ian Blair was the ultimate product of the Bramshill system.
Lower standards of recruiting necessary to fulfil stupid and unrealistic and unrepresentative equality quotas based on gender, sexuality, race, creed and disability.
The introduction of PCSO's to allow for this.
The whole system has been taken over by people who believe that policing is the same as producing biscuits or cars - hence the complete ploddlygook spouted by everyone from Chief Constables down and the over reliance on policing targets, the use of penalty notices, CCTV, Gatso's etc etc.
Adverts for policing posts could be placed in the Guardian Jobs section alongside all the various empowerment and monitoring jobs with local authorities. The wording and competencies being the same.
There is so much wrong with policing today that many despair.
Read any police blog and this is well illustrated with awful and despairing regularity.
The principles of policing by the first two commissioners, Rowan & Mayne mean nothing to today's Home Secretary, the chief officers and the people at the sharp end (I was going to say the constable on the beat but what's that), except for an ever decreasing minority of 'dinosaurs' who are no longer relevant.
The UK has the system of policing the lefties and lawyers have always wanted.
It is a great shame and you are right, the police have alientated their traditional supporters in the working and middle classes.
An overtly left wing political elite in ACPO. Ian Blair was the ultimate product of the Bramshill system.
ReplyDeleteI meant to say that there's plenty more where he came from. In my opinion it doesn't matter who is the next commissioner of the Met, it'll be more of the same. Man or woman, black or white, straight or gay, they won't have any real power and will be chosen to make a point, all on the short list have their ulimate prize in sight, a nice salary, a great pension and maybe like Sir John Stevens a couple of fab jobs at the end of their contract on top!
Good post, and good comments and discussion. I wish I could leave the country - now!
ReplyDelete