Monthly Archive for February, 2007

written by Squadron Leader from The Chicken Run

The original post can be found http://the-chicken-run.blogspot.com/2007/02/answering-phone-and-night-shift.html

written by unlikely cop from Unlikely Cop

I have just seen a thing about Chief Superintendent Dizaei on Totally Un-PC's blog... better late than never. (And because I can't seem to get any links working you'll have to have a look for yourselves from my sidebar.)

I am gobsmacked. I am always a little loath to accept the newspapers' versions of events given the usual ingenuous approach taken by reporters towards the truth. However, given that the tirade of Dizaei is quoted and he is reported as having regretted it would appear to be the truth... and on that basis.

What on Earth is Dizaei still doing in the job? If it were anyone else we would have been moved, asked to resign etc etc. Here is the quote from the report about an abusive phonecall by Dizaei to a woman who split up with him.

"I will take such revenge from you that, like a dog, you will be sorry that you will never treat me like this again.

"Mandy, I am going to declare war on you and I have declared it as of now. See what I will do to you. From now on, you are dead. I will start with your mum first, if in the next hour you don't leave a message.

"I am so emotionally disturbed now that anything is possible from me.

"You are not safe. I am going to come and catch you, on my mother's life.

"You want war, bitch, you're going to get some war. You will see now what I can do, so you will cry for years.

"First, I will start with your family, then I come to you and your reputation. I will spread all over London that you are a prostitute."

Surely this is domestic violence by any of the current definitions. It may be threats to kill, intent not withstanding and I am sure that given the content of the rest of the message I am not the only one who may have been concerned enough, especially given that we have a policy of positive action regarding domestic incidents, to arrest for this. Even the lap-dancer wearing a police hat and shirt is grounds for disciplinary procedure, never mind going to a police training college to have sex.

Regarding those of us who blog, there is much made of bringing the police into disrepute. It is the Big Stick and has been used to close some of them down. Surely any of the above does far more harm to our reputation than anything we bloggers might do. This from a senior officer....

The image this gives is also unfortunate. The inevitable conclusion that many will come to is that if you are a member of a minority you are not held to the same standards as the rest. Play the racism (or sexism or homophobia etc, etc) card and you will get away with it. Whatever "It" you want to have a go at.

Alternatively, if you are of senior enough rank, you may act like the Great Unwashed and it will be "character traits" not "law-breaking" or even "too stupid to do the job." (Intellectual achievement does not mean you are capable of keeping a lid on the stupidity)

This should worry all of us. It gives the lie to the great ideal that we are all to be accountable, that we should treat everyone equally and that we should be seen to be un-impeachable in our conduct.

As ever, this is only the case if you have no voice. If your opinion doesn't matter. If the powers that be aren't worried about making you a scapegoat. That'll be me then...

The original post can be found http://unlikelycop.blogspot.com/2007/02/minority-reporting.html