Monday, 9 September 2013

"'Serving - Protecting - Making the Difference' .."

That's the mission statement of West Mercia police. Notice it doesn't say anything about equality  or treating people as equal under the law. Turns out there's a good reason for that..

The 'Mail' focuses on the unusual court ruling made on this case as the most newsworthy aspect, and indeed, it is a landmark decision, but there's something else that's much more noteworthy about it:
Mr Johnson bought the five-berth Swift Azzura caravan from Malvern Caravans in Powick, Worcestershire, for £1,500.
After driving it to his daughter’s house nearby, the family went shopping. They returned to find officers at the house, who told Mr Johnson they had received a tip-off that the caravan was stolen.
The chassis number revealed it had been illegally taken from Birmingham months previously.
Despite showing police the receipt, Mr Johnson was arrested on suspicion of theft and taken to Worcester police station where he was held for eight hours.
 If by now you're thinking there are rather familiar aspects to this case, well, you'd be right...
Kathleen McClelland and her partner Michael Curry spent their life savings on the top-of-the-range camper and were devastated when it vanished from the secure site where they kept it.
When police eventually found the 26ft-long Bailey Louisiana caravan 18 months later, its owners were told a traveller couple and their two young children were living in it only ten miles from their home in Surrey.
Their initial relief turned to outrage, however, when the police said they had ‘no lawful powers’ to get it back.
They were told their only option was to begin costly civil proceedings against the family, which they say they cannot afford.
Quite a contrast, eh? I know what you'll say - ah, but Julia, different force, y'see.

Maybe so. But it's all the same law, no? Or so we are always told. And aren't we all supposed to be equal under it?

9 comments:

  1. 'Making the Difference' to UK police fitness tests would be the inclusion of new benchmarks for mental ability and aptitude.

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  2. "they had received a tip-off that the caravan was stolen."

    Very strange they received a tip off just hours after someone had managed to offload it for £1500 (in cash most likely). But I bet the police won't be bothering anyone at Malvern Caravans.

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  3. Hi Julia...
    Just a quick comment about police treating everyone as equal. Way back when I did my 2 days diversity training we were told that we don't treat people equally but 'according to their needs'. We were also told that the old adage 'when in Rome...' does not apply in this country because 'who are the Romans here?' In other words, there is no indiginous British population, we're all mongrels. Sorry to go on, but that was a few years ago and I'm sure it's the reason for a lot of these type of stories.

    From Martin T

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  4. Bunny

    I don't think the English are mongrels, myself included, I more like to think of myself like a lurcher, a cross breed for a purpose.

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  5. I more like to think of myself like a lurcher...

    I'm an annoying pompous yappy little thing with curly hair... a poodle perhaps?

    Oh! You know what, I don't wanna play the dog game any longer.

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  6. "they had received a tip-off that the caravan was stolen."

    I'm guessing this means the new owners had been in touch with their insurance company concerning their new purchase; and it was they that then contacted the police because it was flagged on their database.

    Which begs the question, why didn't the dealer do these checks?

    As for the point raised by Julia, I've long given up on trying to understand how the police (as an organisation rather than as individuals) operate. Nor why they feel it necessary to arrest all and sundry while they make a few phone calls or Google stuff... especially in this case where the 'suspect' has been apprehended at his home. Did they seriously fear he was about to flee to the Ecuadorian Embassy?

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  7. Bunny

    Mr Pickworth I did not know you were French

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  8. "But I bet the police won't be bothering anyone at Malvern Caravans."

    No, indeed...

    "...and I'm sure it's the reason for a lot of these type of stories.
    "


    I suspect you're right...

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  9. "Which begs the question, why didn't the dealer do these checks?
    "


    As Jim points out, you'd thing that'd be something the police would focus on, no?

    Maybe we'll have to wait for the case to be heard...

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