John Humphrys on BBC Radio 4 this morning, seemed amazed when he heard that 30,000 complaints had been made last year against police. That’s nearly one in four policemen complained against, he implied.
These figures always ignore some basic facts, and it is lazy journalism to continually fail to report this.
Anyone who has had dealings with the police can complain.
There are no checks to see if they are a criminal, related to a criminal or involved with criminals. There are no checks to see if they are mad.You know what also seems to suffer from this 'No checks' thing, Inspector?
There are no checks on CCTV, which can sometimes be a bit unfortunate for you in court.
There are no checks on attics when you're searching relative's homes while hunting for a missing girl.
There are no checks on eBay when someone tells you they've suffered a burglary, until they eventually do your job for you.
There are no checks on what it might be wiser not to say, given the laws in this country, even when you are of supposedly senior enough rank that you really should know better.
There are no checks on whether someone has form for false allegations before you start the whole thing off again.
There are no checks when you arrest an autistic girl (despite her being the victim & not the offender) and hold her in a cell for being drunk and disorderly. Well, except for the medical report by the police doctor, but you know better than him, right?
There are no checks on whether you've screwed up twice already before you go hammering the door down for a third time.
There are no checks on whether the information you are handing out to the public is based on anything other than lies and a desire to gild the lily to stitch up a political enemy.
There are no checks on which of two complaining parties might be a bit more believable, what with the restraining order and all.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture, eh?
Also, I do like the way it's assumed by you that those 'related to criminals or involved with criminals' must therefore be suspect. We don't get to choose our relatives, do we, Inspector? That's like saying that if you run a business, you should be held responsible for the actions of your custo...
Oh. Right. I forgot, that's the new policing, isn't it?
*No, I meant the cat! I'm not writing about Mandelson, am I?
But luckily for them they do get to apply a check** on "the Crime Stats" seeing as they decide (a) whether to record something as a Crime and (b) how it is classified if they do. Helps keep "recorded crime" on a downward path ....
ReplyDelete** "check" - Slow the growth or development of ... in case anyone from the I G camp was wondering, so I thought I might save them from having to go "check" a dictionary .....
... perceived 'vendetta against the police'
ReplyDeletePerceived? No, its quite real.
Discounting those complaints that are brought maliciously (and I'm sure there are more than a few) the rest are genuine symptoms of disappointment with a service that is anything but.
It was the police/politicians that set the Force apart from the public and broke the Peelian principles that most of us were justly proud and prized as part of our national character. They shouldn't bitch and whine now when the 'them n us' divide manifests itself in antipathy and FU couldn't care less attitude from the public.
I had to stop reading his blog a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteAll it did was confirm my opinion that I don't want anything at all do with the police.
Even after repeated checks http://www.bexley-is-bonkers.co.uk/miscellany/police/corruption.shtml
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteGadget folly is a dessert best served chilled and consumed silently. Who are we to check the steady progress of her lemmings towards the edge of the crag?
So in Gadget's ideal world if you were the sort of person who comes into contact with the police, you should automatically be barred from complaining?
ReplyDeleteSurely he must realise that someone who has, say, been arrested for a heinous crime such as drink-driving might be treated poorly by police and have grounds for a complaint?
Except he obviously doesn't realise this. He has some weird fetish about police officers which makes him think that they can do no wrong.
I don't think he's a real person.
I thought his/her site was all about selling merchandise to serving plod?
ReplyDeleteNo?
Gadget and the Gadgeteers are a schizophrenic bunch and I stopped supporting them a while ago. Whilst Gadget did post on some pertinent matters, over the last 2 years he seems to want his cake and eat it whilst completely disregarding the effects that policing policy over the past 20 years has had on the public that he and his disciples serve. Not all of these changes are down to the target-driven lunacy of the Labour Party - most were driven by the desire for constant change and insane tinkering by the leftist Bramshill boyz 'n' gurlz, The British police service is a lumbering, inefficient farce these days and this is a viewpoint shared by any Pc, Ps and Insp with 20 − 25 years in PLUS all the police pensioners who write rabid, mouth foaming letters to their respective Narpo magazines and websites about just how much 'The Job' is fucked. Any serving police constable and above serving since 1994 will generally have been recruited under a system where standards have been dropped to ensure correct race and gender quotas, have been poorly trained (especially over the past 7 years as traditional training schools have gone in favour of non-residential, child/family/ religion friendly working hours), have no concept of the awesome power of discretion, no longer understand the concept of a constable as a 'citizen' able to speak and interact with 'us' - the public - without treating it as a potentially hostile interaction requiring a form to be completed. I could go on. A huge number of serving and former police officers know only too well the frustration of trying to get the modern police service to take the slightest bit of interest in things or to be able to deal efficiently with matters important to 'us' but considering trivial by 'them'. The joke used to be that if you wanted to get some police assistance at anything say you had been racially abused or you thought the other person was concealing a weapon - just allege a hate crime and where once there was none to assist - suddenly the TSG, a helicopter and an armed response unit will be by your side. Change is necessary but I cannot agree with some of the things that are being done, the increasing centralisation of police operational units makes them even more remote from 'us', they no longer 'serve' and the Neighbourhood Policing concept is now no more than lip service to what was once a bedrock of policing philosophy - a citizen locally appointed with authority derived from The Crown. I could go on but there's little point. The police will no longer ever be truly independent of politics (not that it really ever was) - maybe we, the public, really do have the police service we deserve -along with every other fucked up institution in this country - thanks to our wonderful political and cultural elites and our apathy.
ReplyDeleteI, too, stopped reading his blog a while ago. Police always right no matter what. Even when are obviously badly wrong. Of course they do a hard, thankless job, but they are no better or deserving than MOPs (sic). No sense of humour, no common sense, no sense of right and wrong. Bloke's an idiot.
ReplyDeleteWell done Julia for posting links from your own biased blog after running out of Daily Mail stories.
ReplyDeleteNot all, but most complaints against police are completely unjustified.Just like the ones against teachers,doctors,lawyers etc etc. We deal with pond life all day and we expect them to be pond like.
Here are my two last complaints.Firstly I was stationery at red traffic lights when I took sip of water from a bottle.The motorist behind me took my number and rang in a complaint that "I was setting a bad example to other road users".
Secondly I was called to my local Asda where two halves of a hillbilly family had run into each other and had a scrap after one of them had posted insults on Facebook about the other.After trying unsuccessfully to mediate between them I rolled my eyes and suggested they call the Jeremy Kyle show instead of the police next time.One of them complained to my Inspector that she felt insulted by being compared to the people on that programme,when she was exactly the sort of person he has on there.
Jaded.
"We deal with pond life all day and we expect them to be pond like."
ReplyDeleteAnd there, in a nutshell, is a prime example of what the police think of the public these days.
I'm more convinced than ever that the police have no idea the scale of the storm that is headed their way.
"It was the police/politicians that set the Force apart from the public and broke the Peelian principles..."
ReplyDeleteSpot on! And the rot continues apace.
"I don't think he's a real person."
Oh, sadly, I do...
"I thought his/her site was all about selling merchandise to serving plod?"
It has become rather commercial of late. And that's when the quality of comment started to drop.
Coincidence?
" Whilst Gadget did post on some pertinent matters, over the last 2 years he seems to want his cake and eat it whilst completely disregarding the effects that policing policy over the past 20 years has had on the public that he and his disciples serve. "
Spot on!
"Well done Julia for posting links from your own biased blog after running out of Daily Mail stories."
ReplyDeleteOh, come on, Jaded! Do you really think I couldn't have found the same stuff in the 'Telegraph', 'Mirror' or 'Little Whittlington Gazette'?
And what's a 'non-biased' blog? I've never seen one, even my own. Surely you aren't suggesting Gadget's blog is one?
I might believe that if I hadn't had so many of my comments vanished from it in the past. Sometimes they never make it out of moderation, sometimes they are removed afterwards.
Which leaves the usual suspects to jeer that I have 'run away because I have no answer'. Which is, I'm sure, the reason he does it...
"Not all, but most complaints against police are completely unjustified."
I'm not so sure the balance is tipped the way you think.
Though, there's always a few from inside the force...
"I'm more convinced than ever that the police have no idea the scale of the storm that is headed their way."
Lions led by donkeys, indeed!
"Firstly I was stationery at red traffic lights..."
ReplyDeleteI trust you made a note of it, Jaded.
Jaded: "I was stationery at red traffic lights when I took sip of water from a bottle"
ReplyDeleteWhat, like this woman?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/774655.stm
Or do you think you are above the law, like so many other policemen and women?
Before Jaded was fired as a Motel clerk, a guest once asked "Do you keep stationery?"
ReplyDeleteShe replied "Not always. Sometimes I wiggle my bum."
Jaded: "most complaints against police are completely unjustified"
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they are. Does that mean that nobody should be allowed to make complaints, as seems to be being suggested? Or does it mean that the police service itself needs to respond more sensibly to complaints?
Can you see the difference?
And with regard to your bottle of water thing, what do you expect when people are famously charged for driving without due care while taking a bite of Twix?
Julia, at least Gadget doesn't edit your comments as he does to mine! His publisher emailed me to apologise...
ReplyDelete"I rolled my eyes and suggested they call the Jeremy Kyle show"
ReplyDeleteYou can't see why someone might think that inappropriate, can you? You have heard the word "professional" before, haven't you?
Jim,well done you must have hunted high and low for that story.Give yourself a smug pat on the back.
ReplyDeleteMelvin-thank you once again for being the grammar police on the internet.When the masses rise ("the storm heading our way") I will no doubt be ducking petrol bombs from the yobs and dictionaries thrown by you.
John-the pond life I deal with refers to the criminal element,but you knew that and are just twisting my words.The majority of people I deal with under normal circumstances are friendly and law-abiding.And despite what you all think on here most of the public are very supportive of the police.But what do I know, compared to you armchair experts-i've only been a policeman for 24 years!.
Jaded
I'm in the process of leaving the Force having nearly done my time.
ReplyDeleteIf you are looking at Insp. Gadgets Blog for a 'balanced' view then you might aswell go and look at the BNP site for a blanced view of multi-cultural Britain.
Nobody represents my views but me with all due respect.
Even though i say it myself, i have managed to retain my humanity despite my time in the service and treat all people with respect, even those who have assaulted me.
I have worked on projects to help those in poor and deprived Neighbourhoods. I have often felt more hatred and contempt towards me, based on my occupation, from sneering intellectuals and rich people as i have from those on some of the tough estates.
Policing is just a job to me and whoever takes over my post is more than welcome. It is a great opportunity to do some real good as long as you don't get 'world-weary'. My worst phase was after a series of assaults and tragedies when i did feel empty inside and not overly bothered about the next sharon and tracey facebook spat.
If i land up working at Sales in some retail outlet i doubt things will be much different. There will be good colleagues, lazy colleagues, bullying colleagues...and if a customer has a bad experience then i will be guilty by association, just as i am for the mistakes of my police colleagues.
In all my years i have had just a couple of complaints. One was telling a motorist he couldn't drive down a stretch of road that was blocked by an accident. He felt it was his right to ignore me so i reinforced my message with a shake of my head...the universal sign language of 'no'. Apparently shaking my head saying no offended him.
I was always happy to meet people who complained about me so i could explain the reasons for my actions but we are all different.
No disrespect JuliaM, i like your blog, but what if you had a complaints department. How many people would complain because of the way they perceive you have been insulting towards them? In fact, i am looking for a job, can i be your complaints department...health and safety advisor??
@Jaded: I hardly had to search at all, I remembered it from the time. Two seconds on google and there it was.
ReplyDeleteI'm just wondering what the difference is between you as a policeman seeing a person sat in their car drinking or eating at the lights, and giving them a ticket, and the member of the public seeing you doing exactly the same, and complaining. Or would you prefer them to be able to give you a ticket?
Blue Eyes-it's all about context old chap.Some people are beyond help and don't deserve my professionalism...
ReplyDeleteJaded-fighting a losing battle on here.I wish to make a complaint about being abused and assaulted by underclass scum,where do I do that?
PS Julia I cant get the link working to email you,is it a fault your end or mine? Jaded.
ReplyDeleteSome people may be beyond help, but can't you see that it might not be a great idea to tell them that?!
ReplyDeleteJim-I have never given a ticket for something so trivial and never would.Just because you have found a story about some sad jobsworth PC it doesn't mean we are all the same.If I have done anything you disagree with then I will justify it (or try) but i'm not the spokesman for the whole police force.
ReplyDeleteBlue eyes-it was done more as a joke than as a malicious comment.They were fat tattooed chavs arguing over the paternity of a new baby one of them had.You couldn't get more stereo-typical of a JK episode.
Jaded
"John-the pond life I deal with refers to the criminal element,but you knew that..."
ReplyDeleteI do, and I'm not unsympathetic to your point of view. But it is a tone that we've heard from officers before even during quite casual encounters with the public. Its also the all too easy manner that some cops append the label criminal to anyone whose face doesn't fit.
By the way, the storm won't be petrol bombs and bricks; it'll be the total withdrawal of public support. A process that has already begun. If you doubt this, witness how much public support the force gets the next time they hold their hands out for more money/resources.
"it was done more as a joke than as a malicious comment."
ReplyDeleteIt sounds rather as though they didn't share your sense of humour. 24 years in did you say?!
Dear WC Jaded
ReplyDeleteHaving read some of the above atrocious comments, I do understand your stout defence of uniformed public servants. Many citizens are ignorant of the effort required to maintain your daily scorn of social undesirables.
We must all concede that your long dedication towards the welfare of others was not entirely wasted. Where there once may have been doubt, now there can be certainty that police will learn nothing of human nature, or anything else for that matter, by shift-hugging the radiator.
"What, like this woman?"
ReplyDeleteZING!!
"Julia, at least Gadget doesn't edit your comments as he does to mine! His publisher emailed me to apologise..."
That's pretty daft - it'd show he'd lost the argument, if his crowd were't so damned sycophantic...
"Jim,well done you must have hunted high and low for that story."
But he didn't. He might have had to hunt high and low for any police recognition that this was over the top, though...
"...but what if you had a complaints department. How many people would complain because of the way they perceive you have been insulting towards them?"
Oh, since I put the email link up, I've had complaints! I reply to them, address their complaint, if it's justified I edit or otherwise add to the blogpost they are complaining about.
I don't suggest that there's a 100% success rate for my blog.
"PS Julia I cant get the link working to email you,is it a fault your end or mine?"
ReplyDeleteIt should be working just fine - I had an email from it just last week. Do you get any kind of error message?
"By the way, the storm won't be petrol bombs and bricks; it'll be the total withdrawal of public support. A process that has already begun."
Yes, indeed...