Sunday 12 February 2012

False Representation Is An Offence, Isn't It?

Meet the world's dimmest PCSO (I know, it's a strongly contested title):

I've got a fluorescent jacket, I must be The Law!

The video footage posted on YouTube then shows a PCSO telling a bemused Ms Firth he can confiscate her camera under the Terrorism Act 2000.

When Ms Firth asks him to explain, he the animal rights campaigner was part of a group 'connected to known terrorists'.

She asked the officer to explain further but was told: 'No - it would breach data protection.'
Bwahahahaha!
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said a letter of apology was being issued.
Should be a P45...

25 comments:

Uncle Badger said...

An apology?!

And yes, a p45 - but for the Chief Constable. Or a lawsuit against the force in question.

There need to be the direst consequences for this sort of behaviour, otherwise, oh, I don't know... police officers might start doing really outrageous things, like kicking-in elderly drivers' windscreens for no good reason...

Captain Haddock said...

Whattock-Hunt ..

But then, all PCSO's are .. its a prerequisite for employment as such ..

jaded said...

Uncle Badger-are you Melvin is disguise? Let's not debate the windscreen kicking in tomfoolery again.........for no good reason?....read the story again...not the Daily Mail version.

As for the PCSO-well they were a stupid idea when Labour bought them in,and they still are.

A salt and battered said...

@ Uncle Badger

A word of caution in respect of replying directly to Jaded. You will never 'here' the end of it and anything mistaken for a Valentine only serves to torment long suffering parents.

Her lonely hearts file, with its five figure dowry and disclaimer in braille, speaks for itself.

SadButMadLad said...

Watching the video on youtube the PCSO isn't the only one who is dim. It's the normal police too.

Anonymous said...

To Jaded the 'policeperson' Many thanks for serving the official bleached police version, right in my face. My own eyes and 'eres' inform me that blaming the PCSO is equally dishonest.

The only place to dump your garbage is a police blog, if any remain open.

A salt and battered said...

Ooooh, popcorn anyone?
A little extra helping of rope for you, Jaded?

jaded said...

Oh dear,several people disagree with me.Never mind.Time to flounce off.

Well I think Salt and Battered disagrees with me,i've popped his post into google translate and i'm still not sure.

Anonymous said...

Jaded, I think they're all Melvin except the good Captain who was, as usual, spot on.

Unfortunately, the police have got themselves in a terrible mess, just read any local paper any `day of the week and the sheer, unadulterated bollocks spouted by senior tosspots is, well, chilling. Such hubris.

A shame for the few thousand remaining 'good guys' if I may, like yourself. Even 'Angry People in Local Newspapers' has a great example of the lack of common sense in modern policing with yet another AWFUL e-fit from the police force that brought you 'Lettuce head man' (Google it) - Hampshire Police.

I could go on but you've heard it all before.

Uncle Badger said...

Touched a raw nerve, eh, Rambo?

A salt and battered said...

@ Ranter

You are wrong and your conduct suggests an inclination to give your conviction rates a helping hand...but I stop short of the compliment that you and Jaded are plod who mastered the art of framing suspects.

jaded said...

UB-I always write my posts with a tongue-in-cheek mentality.I don't get upset with people who have a different opinion.
Melvin and I chase each other around on lots of blogs (where he isn't banned of course) and I find it quite amusing.
Unlike him though I can take criticism.Being in the job that I am in I cannot please everyone.
Back to the radiator!

Woman on a Raft said...

What has not been explained in the video is why the WPC appears to defer to the PCSO.

Is there something we don't know about the control of PCSOs? The behaviour of the officer suggests she either doesn't have operational control of him or that she inadvertently behaved as if he was her husband being left to deal with a neighbourhood dispute.

What she should have done is either make her decision to take things further, but if not (and that was probably wise) to prevent the PCSO being drawn in to legal discussions which he was obviously not equipped to have and which were only going to be an embarassment for the force.

I don't think PCSOs are a good use of money and I would discontinue them tomorrow, using the budget to buy proper officers.

The Jannie said...

I noticed "poor misquided little lamb" comments about the PCSO over on the newspaper comments list. Bollocks! Ignorance of the law is no excuse, as they'll delight in telling you. The ACPO sent out clarification on photography in public places and the penalties for misusing the terrorism legislation last year. The tosser should have read it.

Brontosaurus said...

Some police officers and PCSO's don't like being filmed in case they make twats of themselves. Sometimes they do. Most of the time they don't. Clearly there needs to be more basic training regarding the right of the public to film our actions. We are under more scrutiny than ever and that will only increase as more and more people whip out their mobiles to record what is going on.
Officers need to adapt to the notion that their actions may be being filmed. If you know what you are doing being recorded can be used to your advantage. The trouble is there are some idiots out there who don't have a clue what they are doing. Recording their actions should be used to help get rid of incompetents. Something, which if we are honest, we are not very good at doing.
Back to my radiator now.

Eddie Willers said...

Behold - the face of an Auschwitz Oven-Door Closer

Dr Cromarty said...

The only thing that's missing from the twat is the phrase "Ihre papieren, bitte."

Anonymous said...

@ Brontosaurus

Using a technically incorrect term for a pseudonym, another plod makes the obligatory display of a severely constrained education.

The apparent heading towards Dostoyevsky was entirely in monkey and typewriter fashion. Yes, please do return to your radiator and doughnuts, there's a good chap.

jaded said...

Rather than debate on the facts let's find a tiny spelling or grammar error and go on and on and on....

Let's be honest there is no-one in the world as clever as you Melvin.I have accepted this and, although crushing, I will muddle through.

blueknight said...

The Police Reform Act 2002 allows for the employment of CSOs. No mention is made of PCSOs.
I should imagine that a lot of Police Officers feel insulted at Nulabor's implied suggestion that a relatively untrained PCSO is as good as a Police Officer

JuliaM said...

"There need to be the direst consequences for this sort of behaviour..."

Reading Gadget's column, you get the impression the police are the most tightly-regulated public service in the world, terrified to put a foot wrong in case PSD swoop.

And then you see this, and wonder who is telling the truth.

"As for the PCSO-well they were a stupid idea when Labour bought them in,and they still are."

Agreed. And noticeably, the ConDems have done nothing about them.

"Watching the video on youtube the PCSO isn't the only one who is dim. It's the normal police too."

Not an impressive video debut, to be sure.

"Even 'Angry People in Local Newspapers' has a great example of the lack of common sense in modern policing with yet another AWFUL e-fit from the police force that brought you 'Lettuce head man' (Google it) - Hampshire Police."

Ah, yes, I saw that one yesterday. Good god, what were they thinking?

"What has not been explained in the video is why the WPC appears to defer to the PCSO."

Damn good point. Is it because she's equally ignorant of the law regarding photography (and as The Jannie points out, this shouldn't be the case) or is it she feels she must back up 'us' against 'them' at all costs?

"If you know what you are doing being recorded can be used to your advantage. The trouble is there are some idiots out there who don't have a clue..."

Good point. Maybe training in this is needed? It's not going away.

Anonymous said...

I am almost at the end of my Police Career and could weep at the damage that has been done by interfering politicians.

PCSO/CSO's are policing on the cheap. They do not get much law training and to be honest, neither do regulars.

I believe this is deliberate and good luck to you all when it is Group 4 who are enforcing the law.

Anonymous said...

@ anon 12:35

That cheerful sanguinity throughout the decades of Rome burning and the dedication to our Holy Mother Radiator, has surely not evaporated?

SaleGamine said...

A bit off topic, but I thought this hilarious and maybe deserving of one of your pithy posts.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9066337/CCTV-police-officer-chased-himself-after-being-mistaken-for-burglar.html

JuliaM said...

"A bit off topic..."

Ahhh, yes! Very amusing, that one!