Monthly Archive for January, 2008

Statistics

Published on January 31, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Trainee Exile from Plan B - Fleeing the Country

I watched Sky News talking about stop and search.
The reporter going on about how unfair it would be as already 70% of stops were on non white subjects.
If you base anything on statistics be very wary.
A colleague of mine was on a on a Robbery Squad which was very successful reducing the number of Robberys in his area over a 6 month period by 50% and successfully prosecuting large number of Robbers.
The Majority in that area mirroring the population and Afro-Caribean.
He earnt a lot of money out of it, so did his colleagues.
His newly promoted Inspector however was taken to task about the low number of stop slips being completed by the team, even though they were successfully bringing down robberies.
She asked team members to put in a stop slip for every arrest, after all they were all searched.
A skipper (sergeant) pointed out that these were section 32 PACE 1984 searches
not Section 1 searches and therefore didn't require a stop slip.
The Inspector made her displeasure known.
The problem though is that this distorts the statistics.
Then later on a Chief Inspector was assigned to deal with Robbery.
He cut the Incidents of Robbery overnight, without any extra expenditure.
How did he do it?
He reviewed all crimes before they were classified and classed them on as thefts with an assault.
He drastically improved the figures but what did it do to the statistics!!!

What he probably has done is caused a reduction on the budget for next year, because they no longer have a Robbery problem.
Now multiply this by the 32 London Boroughs and of course London is the safest its been in years, just don't leave your house.

Don't base any arguement on statisitcs unless you compiled them and verified them yourself, if you care
that is unless you want the next Rank, election to parliament or edit a paper, then publish and be damned.

The original post can be found http://pcwannabee.blogspot.com/2008/01/statistics.html

A free advert for Charlie Owen

Published on January 30, 2008 in Charlie Owen, Foxtrot Oscar, Horse's Arse and You're Nicked!. Closed

written by Stan Still from You're Nicked!

I don’t know Mr Owen and I have not been asked, persuaded, bribed or cajoled into writing this post*.

However, credit where it is due – this man has written two bloody good books and if you are going on holiday soon, I recommend that you put them in your hand luggage.

*If you do read this Charlie and want to send a free copy of your next book, then don’t hesitate to get in touch!

The original post can be found http://stanstill.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/a-free-advert-for-charlie-owen/

And towards the end of the day…

Published on January 30, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by bawpc from WPC In the making

- Stop right there!
The yonger bloke runs away as the older bloke walks towards me. I look at my three colleagues running after the younger bloke and suddenly I have a strongly built bloke walking calmly towards me. I'm alone. He scares me. The calm on his stride and face scares me.
- Keep your hands away from your pockets! I say as calmly as I can, bringing out the first thing I can reach, my spray.
He puts his hands up looking right into my eyes. For a second we stare at each other and I am awfully aware of the fact that I'm in plain clothes, no stab vest or uniform and only my spray for consolation. I won't back down, I won't look away.Suddenly my radio blares, my call sign is shouted followed by the information that the younger male had been detained. I approach the older bloke, pull my cuffs out of the harness and cuff him. I feel a lot more comfortable now and carry on to search him. This normally wouldn't happen, female searching male but in this situation we have no choice. He told me he had a penknife and I find nothing else of importance. He tells me he was walking past when the younger bloke called him over and offered him some 'green'. I don't believe him but he's not known to the police. He's free to go. The younger bloke is taken back to the station for a more thorough search and I search the area where for any evidence that may have been disposed of. I jump a few fences and discover nothing but a broken bench that I hear was done when he was chased. I note down the complete address of where the bench was broken and return to the station to find that it is exactly the same address that he has given my colleagues. They found nothing on him but it's clear he was selling on his door step.

This sums up the last couple of hours of my day and the last couple of weeks have been almost as exciting. I'm loving this job more and more (and I'm not looking forward to going back to university at all) and as sad as it sounds I don't really wanna go home at the end of the day!! People say it will pass and I will eventually get tired of it but until that day comes I will carry on enjoying the moment!

The original post can be found http://bawpc.blogspot.com/2008/01/and-towards-end-of-day.html

Service, and gratitude

Published on January 29, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Bitseach from Another bloody grumpy copper

The Government might not know what it means to serve, except that is, to self-serve, but apparently some of the good people of Great Britain do.

This picture is from the BBC web-site and shows a homecoming parade for soldiers just returned from sharp-end operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We know that the treatment of our military here in the UK is an utter disgrace - but then it was always so. Not without good reason do I reference Kipling in my strap-line at the top of this page and it's worth reading what he had to say from the perspective of the soldier, "Tommy Atkins".

It's not so different for police in terms of the total absence of any gratitude from Parliament, and not only soldiers and police who are treated contemptuously by our so-called leaders (the average expenses and bonuses of each one of our politicians would fund 4 extra police officers per year, 6 paramedics or 10 private or equivalent ranked soldiers, not even including the MPs' fat-cat salaries, subsidised dining [don't see many skinny politicians, do you?] company directorships, TV appearances and feathered-nest retirement deals). So it's clear who they think are most important, and it certainly isn't the little guys and gals putting their lives on the line for their country! At least nobody's tried to shoot me recently, not for a good while anyway, and I have the greatest respect for what our military in all of the arms, do for us, because I really don't know how they do it.

The tree-hugging, woolly-jumpered, bed-wetting, hippy soap-dodgers might not like the war; some clean, principled people with actual jobs don't like it either. But we all live in a country whose freedoms were won by people like those marching through Winchester to the cheering crowds. I'm pretty uncomfortable with the war, as it's been subverted by business interests of the Bush tribe and their cronies, but the people out there are fighting on behalf of our country, doing what I lack the courage to do, by and large honourably.

I see youths out pissing around on the housing estates I patrol every day, in suspended childhood, jobless (unless you count running for the local dealers) and expecting everyone to owe them a living, giving nothing, hands outstretched for welfare and what everyone else can do for them, always expecting extrinsic solutions to their pathetic problems. Then I see youths of the same age, but who are men, and women, growing up probably quicker than they ought to, but with pride, courage and honour.

I love the film, A Few Good Men and watching the fall of the tragic (in the classical sense) hero of Colonel Jessep. However flawed a character he is, and however much he deserves his comeuppance at the end, this character says some things that unnerve me, and here is one:

"...we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. [...] And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.

You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honour, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it.

I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post"

So when you're thinking about slagging off our soldiers, air force and naval personnel and whining about how Saddam just needed a big hug, how the war was all about oil (then drive somewhere using that oil), do remember that talk is cheap, but putting yourself on the line for others actually takes something intrinsic and strong.

And then just say thank-you, and go on your way.

Cheers boys and girls, men and women - I'll buy you a beer any day.

The original post can be found http://anotherbloodygrumpycopper.blogspot.com/2008/01/service-and-gratitude.html

Flatpacks,flashbacks and getting a job done

Published on January 28, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Officer Dibble from Tales from the Metropolis

I spent a good slice of the Saturday of my weekend off putting together a piece of IKEA furniture.I have delved into the magic that is IKEA flat pack furniture on several occasions and had come prepared.
I had, to hand, a good ratchet screwdriver with assorted bits,a small tub of wood glue, a mixture of odd spare screws and essentially the Collins book of Anglo Saxon swearwords when I was occasionally looking for a bit of variety at my lowest moments.

It did take me longer than anticipated but eventually it all came together.

I think it might have been the mixture of stewed tea and wood glue fumes but it all started to remind me of a recent Aid I had been on.

The OP order was pretty much like the instructions and diagram you get with the flat pack. It obviously meant something to the person who wrote it but didn't make much sense to anyone else.It had detail in abundance, times, venues..down to the call signs of and radio channels used by units I had never heard of. But like a lot of the bits that came with the flat pack there always seems to be a bit missing.
Unfortunately the bit missing was what we were actually supposed to do to make our end of it work.

A uniformed inspector did turn up at some point to peruse our array of confused faces.

I realised as I looked at him that I was getting very much past it in the age stakes. He looked so young and fresh faced with a uniform that didn't quite seem to fit that I thought he may be part of some Youth 'be an Inspector for the day'Scheme.
However I realised he was likely to go far when he parried our questions with phrases like 'you need to work together to define the details' and he was there to provide 'overall administrative support'

Like any other time in the job we all shrugged,sat down amongst ourselves, came up with a working plan and got on with it.

Which made me think again about this job and flat pack furniture.. you can carefully package and write about something all you like but you only get it to function if you get hands on and work at it for an end result..

Which is what the rank and file do in this organisation everyday....

The original post can be found http://officerdibble01.blogspot.com/2008/01/flatpacksflashbacks-and-getting-job.html

Expecting the unexpected…..

Published on January 28, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Joe90 from You want to be a hero?

'Shields? Why do we need those?'
'Do you want to get stabbed?'
'Not really, no.'
'Well she's got a knife, so we shall need these.'
'Hold on, I didn't join the Police to get stabbed.'
'No one does.'
'This isn't Korea, you're pulling my leg right?'
'No.'
'But I mean, come on, Shields?'

You walked into the house with your colleague, hearing the shouting and screaming from the outside, you knew it wasn't going to be a pretty sight, it wasn't. The man was shouting, loosing control, he had already lashed out once before, you could see that by the injuries the woman had already suffered.

Suddenly he started to swing his arms around, you looked at your colleague and he started to try and calm the man down, but you knew it wasn't going to have any affect. You knew that you would have no chance if this turned violent, and it looked like it could turn that way in a flash. You took hold of your radio and put a message through to control, asking for some help, you were trying to hide the uncertainty in your voice, it was difficult, but you managed to.

As you talked to the two parties, trying to by time till assistance arrived, you give advice on a subject you still to this day, know nothing about, it felt like hours but you know now it was just minutes.

Suddenly the man went for a chair, and picked it up, you shouted at his wife:

'Get out now, take your children and go now!'

Your colleague drew his ASP, but there was no room to extend it. You didn't know what to do, so you just shouted at the man:

'Stay back, stay back, don't move, stay back!'

Both you and your colleague stood between the man and his wife, and made sure she made it through the door, she had to go first, you or your colleague had to be last. As you looked at the man, you made sure it was eye to eye, you thought the next thing that would happen would be that he would go to hit you or your colleague across the face with it.

You had no idea what was about to happen, and to this day you still don't understand it, he looked at your colleague, put the chair back on the floor, sat on it and started to sob, he wept, asking, pleading for help, you put your ASP back in your holder and watched as your colleague arrested the man.

That night you arrived home at about midnight, your dad was still up watching television, he asked you:

'Did you have a good time?'

You looked at him and you said:

'It was good, can't complain.'

'You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.'

Paulo Coelho

The original post can be found http://hero90.blogspot.com/2008/01/expecting-unexpected.html

Paul Routledge and the truth – never the twain shall meet

Published on January 27, 2008 in The world in general and Work. Closed

written by Stan Still from You're Nicked!

Either Mr Routledge is extremely ill-informed, or he is being deliberately provocative? Either way, it’s a classic example of a journalist who won’t let the facts get in the way of a good story.

I’ve had enough of police whining

Paul Routledge 25/01/2008

Wednesday was Burglars’ Holiday, courtesy of the massed ranks of police officers who took the day off to invade Westminster.

More than 20,000 coppers wearing silly white baseball caps deserted the thick blue line to protest about being given a pay rise.

I wonder who was protecting us while they exercised their unlawful right to hold a one-day strike in the capital. Their law-abiding mates, I suppose.

This work stoppage must have been illegal because it can’t be true that every one of the 25,000 protesters took a legitimate day off.

And they are forbidden by statute to strike. The Manchester force alone sent 950 officers to London. Yet police chiefs are always moaning they are undermanned.

The opposite is plainly true. I suppose the protesters will make up any lost dosh in overtime. The average copper makes £2,900 a year that way, at an annual cost to the nation of £440million.

That’s on top of their salaries, which go up by around a thousand quid every year, on top of the 2.5 per cent rise that upset them so much. There comes a point when we have to say “enough is enough”, and they should calm down and accept they cannot have everything they want.

That point has now been reached. Most workers would envy the policeman’s salary, his fat, index-linked pension, his early retirement and his generous sick pay and his immunity from prosecution when he shoots dead a mildly inebriated Scotsman for the crime of carrying a chair leg in a public place.

The same police who demand the right to lock up people for 42 days without charge, and possibly without even saying what they are supposed to have done. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, the politician who says cops can’t have their cash, is still willing to believe police chiefs need SIX WEEKS to interview suspects.

This business of unelected police bosses telling the elected government what its policies should be has to stop. And the place to stop it is the House of Commons, where MPs are being asked – no, told – to back new detention laws.

Aside from the merits of the case, it’s good for governments to be defeated occasionally. Taking ministers down a peg or two does wonders for their egos. But this time it would be sound policy too.

Tony Blair tried to keep suspects detained for 90 days, and had to settle for 28. MPs should keep it at that – if only to put the impertinent police in their place.

The original post can be found http://stanstill.wordpress.com/2008/01/27/paul-routledge-and-the-truth-never-the-twain-shall-meet/

Late Start.

Published on January 27, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by CSI:UK from CSI:UK

Ooops it's been over a month since I posted last. I could say it was because I'm very busy being a dynamic go-getting CSI who puts his job before his home life and drinks straight whiskey until he passes out, just to block the horrendous crap he has to deal with daily which is sending him spiraling out of control and threatening his marriage . But the truth is more a combination of apathy and new Xbox games for christmas (yes I am a big kid and should know better).

Anyway, work wise it's been a steady year so far, but nothing to get excited about, although I still keep leaving expensive torches at peoples houses and luckily they have all been honest enough to ring me to tell me. I think the next time I lose one it coming out of my own pocket and I'll have to use the glow from my mobile phone to search for fingerprints.

So a belated Happy New Year to all and standby for more forensic whimsy in 2008!

The original post can be found http://csiuk.blogspot.com/2008/01/late-start.html

WHAT A COMPLETE TOOL

Published on January 25, 2008 in police blogs. Closed

written by pcsouthwest from Political Police

WHAT A MUPPET

Paul Routledge of the Daily Mirror has quite obviously had a bad experience or found himself on the wrong side of the law, because this article he wrote for today’s issue of the Mirror has absolutely nothing intelligent about it what so ever. Almost as if it was written by a juvenile delinquent who is trying to throw some mud and make it stick.

He bleats on about how the protest in London was an illegal strike by the Police!! Please Mr Routledge take your head out of your ass and grow up!! Unlike tabloid journalists we have standards, integrity and a degree of professionalism!!

Don’t try to say how 950 officers attending from Manchester constabulary can throw doubt on the fact that the Police are understaffed, people are entitled to have time off work!! remember we have to work 7 days a week and will have rest days on a week day.

And for your labelling the Police as impertinent, surely that is the pot calling the kettle black!!!

Incase the Mirror delete the post. Here it is.

I’ve had enough of police whining
Paul Routledge 25/01/2008

Wednesday was Burglars’ Holiday, courtesy of the massed ranks of police officers who took the day off to invade Westminster.

More than 20,000 coppers wearing silly white baseball caps deserted the thick blue line to protest about being given a pay rise.

I wonder who was protecting us while they exercised their unlawful right to hold a one-day strike in the capital. Their law-abiding mates, I suppose.

This work stoppage must have been illegal because it can’t be true that every one of the 25,000 protesters took a legitimate day off.

And they are forbidden by statute to strike. The Manchester force alone sent 950 officers to London. Yet police chiefs are always moaning they are undermanned.

The opposite is plainly true. I suppose the protesters will make up any lost dosh in overtime. The average copper makes £2,900 a year that way, at an annual cost to the nation of £440million.

That’s on top of their salaries, which go up by around a thousand quid every year, on top of the 2.5 per cent rise that upset them so much. There comes a point when we have to say “enough is enough”, and they should calm down and accept they cannot have everything they want.

That point has now been reached. Most workers would envy the policeman’s salary, his fat, index-linked pension, his early retirement and his generous sick pay and his immunity from prosecution when he shoots dead a mildly inebriated Scotsman for the crime of carrying a chair leg in a public place.

The same police who demand the right to lock up people for 42 days without charge, and possibly without even saying what they are supposed to have done. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, the politician who says cops can’t have their cash, is still willing to believe police chiefs need SIX WEEKS to interview suspects.

This business of unelected police bosses telling the elected government what its policies should be has to stop. And the place to stop it is the House of Commons, where MPs are being asked – no, told – to back new detention laws.

Aside from the merits of the case, it’s good for governments to be defeated occasionally. Taking ministers down a peg or two does wonders for their egos. But this time it would be sound policy too.

Tony Blair tried to keep suspects detained for 90 days, and had to settle for 28. MPs should keep it at that – if only to put the impertinent police in their place.

The original post can be found http://pcsouthwest.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/what-a-complete-tool/

So rude.

Published on January 24, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Trainee Exile from Plan B - Fleeing the Country

Driving back to base. With Big Mike(names changed to protect the innocent).
Black Caribean officer, two years to go. Mid 40s, built like a brick shithouse. Makes Hi-Tower in police accademy look puny, but soft as anything.
Sitting in the traffic when a dispatch rider cylces up the pavement.
I mentioned it so he pulled up, wound down the window and extremely politely pointed out that the cyclist had broken the law.
The Git replied "What ever"
I don't do politeness, so I leapt from the car with fixed penalty in hand.
I get accused of "Abusing your Authority"
"Abuse of authority, I'll show you abuse of authority when I arrest you. What ID have you got?"
More abuse from the twat with the clever mouth.
Just then a traffic unit pulled up to enquire if we needed any help.
"Just the code for cycling on the pavement" which they promptly provided.
Apparently Mike explained to the gobby twat that yes I could arrest him for cycling on the pavement if he couldn't prove who he was. And that I definately would.
He rumaged through his rucksack and volunteered a bank statement with his name and address on it.
Happy I completed his ticket. £30 for being rude to a police officer!
Mike said as we drove off. "I'm glad I've got two years to go, in my day i'd have punched him".

The original post can be found http://pcwannabee.blogspot.com/2008/01/so-rude.html