What I found utterly amazing were these acts of solidarity across the country, made by individual officers and their staff associations and the UK Police Federation, but based on scant information about the Chris Kaba killing. Policing is supposed to be evidence-based, however a critical mass of armed officers put their rational thinking to one side and joined this mass hysteria of handing back their firearms authorisation....after all, how many of the black mobs that gather outside police stations when some gangster has been taken out stop to 'consider the evidence', eh?
What this showed me was the toxic culture of some in the firearms fraternity.Is that more or less toxic than the knife and machete fraternity, then?
...I hope each and every officer reflects seriously on why they carry out their role, and reminds themselves of the rewards and risks that apply when first they seek to join the firearms command, things that are reiterated to them during training. The reward, for some, is the glamour of carrying firearms and the associated paraphernalia; the risk is the scrutiny that follows the discharging of a firearm and the possibility of ending up in court to defend their actions as proportionate and necessary.
Even when that's already been decided, Leroy?
I was a firearms officer in a County force for several years. I was never identified by rank or name in court cases and, in some instances, was allowed to give evidence screened from the public gallery. Why? There was a time when hardened villains, even the Krays, would not go after a Police officer's family. Those days are long gone and every armed officer knows that their family, house, and relatives, would be targeted by the criminal scumbags today if their identities were known. Little things, like going to the pub; going out for a meal, or even a walk in the park, would be considered dangerous. As for using a car, even after it's been checked for explosives, being rammed off the road doesn't have much of an appeal. I would suggest that Leroy believes that criminals play by a set of rules. They don't.
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Lpgan is absolutely hated by 99% of police officers. He's one of the many retired senior ethnic officers who are making a living being traitors in the media. They all served their time and only become brave once they've left.
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"There was a time when hardened villains, even the Krays, would not go after a Police officer's family. Those days are long gone..."
ReplyDeleteAs are the days when police would be protected from this sort of farce, sadly.
"He's one of the many retired senior ethnic officers who are making a living being traitors in the media. "
He must be earning a good screw from the 'Guardian', he seems to be their go-to columnist these days.