There are no new ideas in the police. I was on a very busy shoplifting team from 1997 to 2005 and I loved it. Between the six of us we had 15% of all the arrests on the borough which probably had around 500 officers in total. Shoplifting is a gateway crime. Nearly every burglar and other serious criminals start by stealing small items and work their way up the food-chain , especially when they realise that there is very little punishment. Now and again I would get through to a first-time offender and that gave me a little hope that I wasn't wasting my time.
Guess what-we got disbanded- thanks to a senior officer deciding it wasn't a priority. My old High Street is now a lawless shit-hole. Jaded.
Jaded - I'm guessing you and the team were not just cruising around in cars, but actually on the streets. Just try and get the modern lot away from their PC screens looking for easier to deal with crimes - most of them can't walk very far (or fast) these days!
Yes the patrolling was all on foot. No car needed to police a shopping centre. People used to stop and talk to us...unheard of....the shopkeepers loved us being around and we made a big difference in the quality of life there. Happiest time of my career by a mile. Jaded
Jaded, that relationship between police and the public is now a thing of the past. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time nowadays means that you're too close the police.
There are no new ideas in the police. I was on a very busy shoplifting team from 1997 to 2005 and I loved it. Between the six of us we had 15% of all the arrests on the borough which probably had around 500 officers in total.
ReplyDeleteShoplifting is a gateway crime. Nearly every burglar and other serious criminals start by stealing small items and work their way up the food-chain , especially when they realise that there is very little punishment. Now and again I would get through to a first-time offender and that gave me a little hope that I wasn't wasting my time.
Guess what-we got disbanded- thanks to a senior officer deciding it wasn't a priority. My old High Street is now a lawless shit-hole.
Jaded.
Jaded - I'm guessing you and the team were not just cruising around in cars, but actually on the streets. Just try and get the modern lot away from their PC screens looking for easier to deal with crimes - most of them can't walk very far (or fast) these days!
ReplyDeleteYes the patrolling was all on foot. No car needed to police a shopping centre. People used to stop and talk to us...unheard of....the shopkeepers loved us being around and we made a big difference in the quality of life there. Happiest time of my career by a mile.
ReplyDeleteJaded
Jaded, that relationship between police and the public is now a thing of the past. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time nowadays means that you're too close the police.
ReplyDeleteI would never voluntarily interact with the police nowadays. I don't trust them at all.
Delete"There are no new ideas in the police. "
ReplyDeleteAnd what there are, are guaranteed to make things worse. Where that's even possible,
"I would never voluntarily interact with the police nowadays. I don't trust them at all."
Sadly, I'm of the same mind.