There Is Something Rotten In The Police System

Before you read further, please view the video.  Do you remember it?

It’s not often I take notice of Daily Mail articles, but this one appears to be reasonably accurate.

I shook my head in disbelief that the individual in the yellow jacket received more that £400,000 compensation at a Cardiff hearing on Wednesday.  He was being ridiculed every day by fellow officers he said in his statement and ‘They thought I’d done wrong and I was lucky to get away with it’.

He did do wrong and he was lucky to get away with it, but with the compensation policy currently operating in police forces, he seemingly calculated he’d be better off resigning then putting forward a formal complaint.

There’s something rotten in the police system.

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When Will The PC Lobby Stop?

I saw this on Twitter the other day. Can’t confirm it was taken in Scotland but the photo itself looks authentic.

Society is changing too rapidly for me. Is there never going to be an end to the politically correct lobby?  

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Creeping Privatisation

The image is courtesy of this site and speaks for itself.

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A Policeman’s Lot Is Not A Happy One

A couple of years ago the future of Scotland’s police service was discussed on this blog.  The consensus was that policing should be local and the number of regional forces was secondary.

Of course nobody listened to our opinions and with what appeared to be unseemly haste, our eight regional forces were merged into one and renamed Police Scotland.  Nobody listened to Sir Charles Gray either.  He is a former local government head.

...“On one occasion the possibility of a single force was raised. I have never forgotten the contribution by a senior officer who would go on to serve with considerable distinction.

“He said very firmly, it should not be considered. You could have a rogue chief with a few well-placed deputies in charge of what could become, to all intents and purposes, a personal army and a police state…

Sir Charles’ foresight isn’t far off the mark and Police Scotland is a shambles.  Audit Scotland have wasted £132,000 renting offices they can’t use because the computer connections don’t work.  How to pay for that?  Stephen House insists that 65 front office counters in stations should be closed because some receive only one or two visits from the public a week.

One of the counters to be axed is in my local town.  I’ve visited there about half a dozen times and found my problems were handled speedily and with competence.  Over the years though, my local service has been slowly eroded; first by the direct telephone line being discontinued and calls centralised to a switchboard in either Dundee or Perth.  Then the hours of opening were gradually reduced because ‘there are not enough officers available to man the counter’. 

Why should a police officer be required to man a local office counter?  Doctors don’t man the local hospital's enquiries desk.  

Police Scotland have been tasked with saving £1.1bn and come hell or high water Chief Constable Stephen House insists the target will be met and making hundreds of police civilian staff redundant, resulting in police officers having to take over their jobs, is all part of his plan.

I decided to live here for three reasons.  One was the attraction of a small community, another was the presence of local hospital and the third was a very local police service which knew every nook and cranny in the area.  We’ve fought long and hard to keep our hospital and, for the moment, it seems safe, but our police service is no longer local.  An officer I spoke with over the weekend lived 24 miles away yet he had been allocated this area: “Don’t ask me why because I don’t know.”

When I asked of he was pleased with the changes he was reluctant to respond.  Eventually I gathered he was rather unhappy, not least because he wasn’t ‘local’. “Don’t even mention cardboard policemen either,” I was informed. Of course I did and, knowing there is no love lost between the ‘beat bobby’ and the traffic police, said that his traffic colleagues won’t be thrilled at being replaced by a cut out.  

Although he smiled at the comment I was very aware he felt demoralised at being unable to provide the service he wanted because his job now consists of ensuring the correct boxes are ticked above all else.  ‘Local’ is a dirty word in any of the services these days. 

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Police And Their Thug Culture

Before you view the video: The driver of the Range Rover is 74 year old Robert Whatley. Earlier he had been pulled over by the two police officers (in the chasing car), for failing to wear a seatbelt.



Mr Whatley was fined £135 for failing to wear a seat belt, failing to stop, using a vehicle with defective registration plates and having non-standard tinted windows. However he also received £20.750 compensation from Gwent Police for the damage to his car and £45,000 in costs, an employment tribunal heard.

Why was the pensioner mentioned at an employment tribunal?  Well, the police officer on the end of the baton has won an employment tribunal case where he insisted he'd been 'forced out of his job due to a bullying campaign'.  It appears his compensation will be a six-figure sum.

Looking at the video and noting the frenzied attitudes of the three officers involved, I would suggest a little time in one of HM prisons would be far more suited to their behaviour.

How did this country get to the stage that thugs are rewarded? The officers should have been charged with assault and then dismissed from the force.

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A Pearl From Strathclyde

"With the suspect making off with a small sum of cash, I would like to

make it perfectly clear to anyone who attempts to commit this sort of crime that the financial rewards greatly outweigh the punishment they will face when we catch up with them".

Strathclyde Press Release

PRIVATE EYE No 1293 22 July - 4 August 2011

Contributed by Edward Spalton

Editor: 'The truth will find you out' used to be commonly uttered.  It has in this case.

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The Police Say No To Ex-Army Personnel

A Sandhurst Parade

This weekend the MSM report that Downing Street wants to create an 'officer class' in local forces by fast tracking Army officers into the highest police ranks.

A Sandhurst-style police training college is also being considered by ministers for university graduates says The Times. Tom Winsor, the former rail regulator, has proposed this change since he was called in by the westminster government to advise on a future structure of the police force.  He is also the government's independent reviewer of police pay and conditions.

Last week David Cameron suggested senior officers from abroad could be brought in to 'turn around' the police force.  His government is introducing elected police and crime commissioners to ensure there is an individual holding their local force to account.

Will all these reactive decisions make a difference to the police service?

There is one rather large obstacle in the way and that's the culture within the police force. Police have no love for the military or those who have undergone military training. The military reciprocate the compliment.

I can't see many Army officers taking positions in the police force. To quote a couple of post-graduate youngsters who couldn't decide which service to join upon leaving university: "the police force has little camaraderie and the atmosphere is very competitive, whereas the Army's priority is team working which develops a strong camaraderie involving trust."  I'm paraphrasing here because it was a few years ago I spoke with these young people who had spend some days attached to both a police force and an Army battalion.  Both joined the Army and have never regretted it. They cite living together, eating together and working together as making the unique culture and strong bonds - something which they feel is missing in the police force.   Both have had dealings with the police in the course of their work and say the animosity directed at army personnel is more pronounced an ever.

The chairman of the Police Federation isn't happy with the prospect of Army officers joining his organisation:

"... it was important that recruits began as constables "in order to understand and appreciate the importance of policing by consent".

He also said it was imperative that senior officers had an "understanding and real experience" of working within Britain's legal system.

Some Army officers know as much about Britain's legal system as the police and many are very well educated and highly skilled people who, when they leave the armed services, will quite easily acquire very well paid jobs in civilian life.  Why would they want to join the police - particularly when the ACPO feels this way:

Peter Fahy, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, warned that allowing people from outside policing direct entry into senior positions would like "a medical student acting as a surgeon".


The police have created, with the help of politicians, an unyielding culture which will be extremely challenging to eradicate and I doubt if many retired/redundant Army personnel of any rank would enjoy the task.  Dare I once more suggest that David Cameron disbands ACPO first - and the Scottish government gets rid of ACPOS - for a start?

source

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The Police's Little Helpers

Peter Davies (pictured) is the elected Mayor of Doncaster and is one of only eleven in England.  He was head of religious studies and politics at Danum School for 30 years before taking early retirement.  He is a founder member of the Campaign for Real Education, an organisation dedicated to restoring high standards of learning and discipline in the state education sector.  He is also a founder member of the Campaign Against Political Correctness and campaigns for the withdrawal of England from the EU.

One of Mr Davies' first acts on taking office in 2009 was cutting his salary from £73,000 to £30,000 as well as dispensing with a chauffeur. He drives himself and does not claim for mileage.

Yesterday Mr Davies was caught speeding by children in a police road safety exercise.  He was clocked driving close to a primary school at 33mph in a 30mph zone and he insisted that the children should have been at their desks rather than policing the streets.

"While I fully support the police in managing speeds on our roads, I do not support children being out of school for this sort of activity," he said. "Road safety can be delivered in the classroom alongside English and maths and schools should be concentrating on this basics."

Although he was spoken to by officers, police said no further action would be taken.
It is understood that pupils sent him a letter about their concerns over the dangers of speeding drivers.

I do hope he replied.  Courteously of course.

source

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Are You a Flasher? Be Warned

It wasn't my intention to post about this, but having watched a video I'm incensed.

I've done it - too many times to count.  Most drivers do it on a regular basis.  I'm not speaking about washing our cars but flashing our headlights to warn oncoming drivers of a hazard ahead.  As well as warning them of speed cameras, I've flashed my lights because of an accident ahead, black ice, road flooding and obstacles in the road - to name but a few reasons. It's not illegal to do so, but I did read some time ago that 'flashing' wasn't a 'code' but a friendly warning of problems ahead.

 If someone flashes their lights to me I usually slow down and become more aware of my surroundings and also check out my own car at the earliest opportunity if nothing was visible on the road within a few miles.

Have you behaved in what I consider a courtesy to fellow drivers?  Very possibly.

The photograph is of Michael Thompson.  He flashed his lights to warn fellow motorists to obey the speed limit because there was a speed camera ahead.  The policewoman who stopped him said he was to be charged. He now has a criminal record and his case has occupied the courts for the best part of a day - when courts are bulging at the seams we're told and staff can't cope with the amount of cases.

Mr Thompson states on the video in the above link that the police didn't tell the truth in court and he firmly believes he didn't break the law.

Other than our police taking up court days with non-illegal actions which are then translated into illegal actions, the disturbing aspect of this case is Mr Thompson says the police didn't tell the truth in court.  

I would hope he will contest his guilty verdict with the help of some kind lawyer who  sees justice should be done in this case but if not, I do hope he applies to pay it off his fine and court fees at 50p or £1 a month which is the 'going rate' for those who contribute nothing towards the expenses of the UK.

Be warned.  If this happens to you because you're exercising your 'civil duty' then you could be well out of pocket plus a criminal to boot.

This isn't justice.  Spending nearly a day in court at public expense, prosecuting an action which isn't currently illegal but will now be regarded as such without any Act being passed, should concern all of us.  Michael Thompson was doing the job of the traffic police insofar as he was ensuring traffic would slow down for a hazard.

PS  If the video on the BBC website isn't there, it has been removed by them.  My link is a cache which I hope works, but when I returned to the site whilst writing this, the video was missing.

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Make The People Pay

Sir Paul Stephenson, Britain's most senior police officer, claims that money is being wasted fighting speculative law suits by civilians alleging brutality or wrongful arrest.

Along with other proposals he wants the public to be charged a fee for FOI requests which, he said, were burdening police forces with unmanageable levels of paperwork. The tick-box target system which the police authorities enjoy don't amass mounds of paperwork of course.

In a letter to Theresa May, the Home Secretary he wrote:

We believe there needs to be a radical shakeup of the system; currently for every pound paid out in compensation, up to £10 or sometimes more has to be paid out in legal costs to the claimants' lawyers.

"One of the key aspects is that the average settlements are well under £10,000 and most under £5,000, in other words these are not major areas of police misconduct with long-lasting consequences but often technical breaches."

The civil rights group Liberty condemned his comments: "The ability to challenge police misconduct in court is a vital constitutional safeguard against abuse of power. Under current rules, if you lose a case in the civil courts you can expect to be ordered to pay your successful opponent's legal costs.  A service bound to uphold the rule of law should not attempt to carve out an exception for itself."

The family of this man may be seeking some explanation if not compensation. The constable told the inquest: "I think because of the flat being in darkness and him lying on his back there was no outward sign of anything untoward."  It was later, when the undertakers sought to move Mr Denis, they found the knife in his back.

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Today's Non-Story

Quite a handsome looking building isn't it?  This former police station, in Leytonstone, east London, is a listed building which has been boarded up for three years.  It is now on the market for £800,000 and the estate agents expect it to sell for more than £1 million.  The deadline for sealed bids is tomorrow.

However, now the sale can't go ahead.  About 20 unemployed squatters and their dogs have moved into the derelict three-storey building last week and changed the locks.  They told local shopkeepers they plan to start up a community centre and provide shelter for the homeless.

A cafe owner is furious at the waste of police funds.  He said: "The police moved to a new station, which is rented, in the town centre.  Every day they are losing money on this.  It is ridiculous."

Will anyone be held responsible for allowing a building to sit empty for three years?  Surely the police, of all people, should have been alert to the possibility of squatters. Then again, it's not their own money they're losing, so what does it matter.

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Police or Thugs?

Robert Whatley, 70, was pulled over in his Range Rover for driving without a seat belt as he drove on a country road in Wales. It's alleged officers tried to issue him with a fixed penalty notice but Mr Whatley drove off.

Two of Gwent's 'finest' followed him along 8 miles of country lanes for 17 minutes before trying to stop the £60,000 Range Rover with a stinger device. At no time did he drive above 40mph. Mr Whatley stopped and you can see the actions of the police here. His lawyer has released this video. (Sorry somehow can't embed it).

Mr Whatley, who has heart problems, was charged with several motoring offences and was found guilty of not wearing a seatbelt, failing to stop for a police officer and having tinted windows which did not conform to legal requirements but cleared of failing to stop after an accident. He also admitted having a registration plate which did not adhere to regulations. The pensioner was fined a total of £235 and ordered to pay £300 towards prosecution costs.

£300 towards prosecution costs after this man's ordeal at the hands of these thugs? The police should be compensating Mr Whatley for the expensive damage done to his vehicle and the trauma he must have suffered with one policeman smashing his side window while another stood on his bonnet and kicked in his windscreen.

The police concerned should be dismissed from the service in disgrace. They have no right to call themselves police. They're thugs.

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The G20 Policing Tactics They Don't Want Us to See

 

G20 Policing Tactics

(the ones they don't want us to see)

Remember a man called Mr Tomlinson who died of a heart attack during the protests in London last week and the police said they were hit with bottles and other missiles when attending to him?  I read an eye witness account which reported no bottles had been thrown when the paramedics had attended to Mr Tomlinson but they were thrown at the police vans which arrived after the paramedics took their patient to hospital. 

The Guardian has a video which we should all see.  It shows Mr Tomlinson a few minutes before his heart attack.  Please view it here.

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