Monthly Archive for February, 2008

Traffic Cop Ballet

Published on February 27, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Charlie Lima from Charlie Lima

Just saw this clip on the BBC:

Police in Romania are taking ballet lessons from professional dancers, so they can direct traffic more gracefully.

The aim is to achieve elegance in their movements, which could also ease the stress of drivers who are waiting at a red light.

Where are thier tu-tu's and leotards?

Got any stories of crazy courses from the UK?

The original post can be found http://charlielima999.blogspot.com/2008/02/traffic-cop-ballet.html

Administration

Published on February 26, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Sam Tyler from Life on Mars

Today was quite "Q" which meant I had a chance to get on top of my crimes and related paperwork.

My colleague also had a few bits and bobs to do which was handy and I got a chance for the odd cup of tea which was nice.

I went to do a routine welfare check after a four day old incident got sent through to us. Immediately after knocking I was met by a hostile reception and of course the smell of alcohol on the breath. "We've sorted it we don't need you coppers here get off my f***ing doorstep copper" was the welcome. We were looking for the bloke who called us
Occupant - "He's not here"
My colleague - "Well where is he then?"
O - " I don't f***in' know you smarmy b*tch - don't get smart with me"
MC - ?????

After slamming the door to go and get said male (turns out he was upstairs the whole time) I heard through the door "Cocky b*tch, I'll have her sergeant on the phone - why doesn't she get a real job?"
What like being unemployed and pissed at 10am? Who makes these people?

A strange call which came in as a shoplifter detained and then turned into an assault and then a crime report (obviously!) unfortunately we couldn't get on scene soon enough to get any result other than that but it will still need investigating. There is some CCTV and a school uniform so it might lead to something.

Once we'd finished up there we went looking for someone who had recently been attempting to use a counterfeit driving license to open a bank account but someone else found them first.

Then the control room for 16 divisions had to be evacuated so we had a brief moment of respite while it switched over to another site. I'm sure there were cheers in the other vehicles too!

Tyler

The original post can be found http://samtyler.blogspot.com/2008/02/administration.html

Policy summary

Published on February 25, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Sam Tyler from Life on Mars

Now, I know I promised there wouldn't be much negativity on this blog but here's a post I drafted after a particularly rough patch at work and in the absence of fresh material (gotta love rest days!) I thought it was time for a new post....


It is the policy of the UKPS that: -

any accident with an injury no matter how small or how reported for the purposes of claiming compensation will incur a decent amount of writing

any crime report submitted will have fault found in it by a civilian who's never been a police officer before or tried to write a detailed report at 4am

morale will not be tolerated at any time and should this eventuality occur it must be recorded and thoroughly investigated

there will be two ways to do everything and doing something to the best of your ability and in line with common sense is not always the best way

it is no longer good enough to prevent crime and arrest offenders it is more important to make your superiors look good at all times than do your job

despite all of this there can be an insulting pay increase and you must like it or lump it and carry on working 24/7 over weekends/christmas etc



Despite all this, I am keen to go to work in the hope that one day I will turn up and something will have changed.

Besides, I was on double bubble today so can't complain too much!

The original post can be found http://samtyler.blogspot.com/2008/02/policy-summary.html

Another great day for British “justice” – 2

Published on February 24, 2008 in The Justice system. Closed

written by Stan Still from You're Nicked!

Thanks to the Wolverhampton Express & Star for bringing us yet another example of how the judicial system looks after the criminal, rather than the victim.

Nathan Hamilton, aged 24, and 28-year-old Jobari Blake stole jewellery including wedding and engagement rings from their victims before driving them to cashpoints for more money. The pair attacked random women in Wolverhampton and Birmingham, often targeting them as they got into their cars after shopping, between May and June last year.

The sentencing judge at Birmingham Crown Court said at the time the robbers showed callous disregard for the victims in taking the jewellery,

In one case a woman’s plea to be left alone because her husband had cancer was ignored.

One victim was snatched from a supermarket in Wolverhampton, while other was taken from a shopping centre in Perry Barr and several abductions took place in the Handsworth area of Birmingham.

Jail sentences of 10 years were imposed on each of the thugs after they pleaded guilty to five counts of kidnapping and five robberies last September, were yesterday cut to eight years by appeal judges.

Lord Justice Dyson, sitting with Mr Justice Collins and Mr Justice Maddison at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, cut the sentences by two years each, after saying the previous judge passed sentences that were too long.

Lord Dyson said: “These were carefully planned offences, targeting lone women, and subduing them using violence of necessary.

“Although the physical injuries were not of the most serious kind, the emotional and psychological harm caused was incalculable.

“But despite the gravity of these offences, we have been persuaded that the sentences imposed were too high, taking into account the roles of the two in the offending and the low intelligence and suggestibility of Hamilton.”

Hamilton is of Shakespear Street, Sparkhill, while Blake is of Collymore Avenue, Bromford.

Lord Justice Dyson made the ruling after saying the pair were not the ringleaders of the gang and had not physically harmed any of the victims themselves.


The original post can be found http://stanstill.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/another-great-day-for-british-justice-2/

Yikes!!!!!!

Published on February 23, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by bawpc from WPC In the making

I'm going home!!!!!! I know I said I had already booked my leave but I just booked my flights home, emailed my best friend and phoned granny and grumpy to let them know that I really am on my way!!!! :-D
Grumpy has not been well for a few months now and I have been having nightmares about not being able to see him again. It's over a year since I went home and saw them and I don't know if I'll get there in time but I bl**dy hope so.

The only sad thing is that I'm only able to go for 3 weeks and although for some people that is a really good long time to go away, for me it's not enough. I get to see my grandparents and friends once a year , if I'm lucky, and 3 weeks is just not long enough but I'll make the most of it!

I really cannot wait to get away for a while. I know I only went away a month or so ago but I need a familiar, homely like place to go to. I've had a couple of horrible weeks at work with sergeants laying into me and making my life hell and since then I have been reconsidering my options. I've had silly thoughts that maybe I'm not right for this job, despite loving it. My confidence level has dropped somewhat (and belive you me it wasn't much better before anyway) and it hasn't been the most pleasureable of times but I really am trying to keep my chin up!

Yikes!!!

Another good thing is that my mum is speaking to me again! It's been a couple of weeks since we had an argument over family business but she phoned me last night to tell me she was going skiing in France and that I wasn't to worry about her if her phone was off. She phoned me again this afternoon to tell me she had arrived safe and sound! Great!

Yikes again!!!!!!

I finish my training in University in four weeks time!!! Yey!! As you can probably tell I'm really looking forward to the end of this part of my 'controlled learning' training and am looking forward to a different environment. To be honest I don't think I'm the only one as everyone has been looking a bit fed up in the last few days. I don't think in any way, shape or form that I'm good enough to be allowed out on my own. I don't think I know eough and although the training is decent I don't think it's as good as it could be. It may be just me lacking in confidence once again but I am absolutely bricking it about the possibility of being allowed out on my own! We'll see what happens!!!

So all in all, apart from all the s***ty stuff everything is great!!!!


P**S: Thank you for the *hugs* you sent me...Still need a proper one though but I know I'll get one from granny when I get there...it ain't long now, just a couple of months away!

P**SS: Lyric of the day:

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you


Nat King Cole - Smile

The original post can be found http://bawpc.blogspot.com/2008/02/yikes.html

La differance!

Published on February 23, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Officer Dibble from Tales from the Metropolis

We may not see eye to eye with our French partners but when they want to they can have a firm approach to dealing with a problem.
This sort of action seems to me to be something a little lacking in our approach to those on our estates who occasionally give us major public disorder.
Can you imagine any politician in this country ordering that sort of response?

I recall the last spate of street disturbances being dealt with by much public handshaking with community leaders by politicians with an eye on their constituency majority....partnership..working together ..blah blah.

Early raids.. doors being put in?.. don't think so.

Critics say Sarkozy is just putting up a 'security show' with an eye on keeping the electorate happy. Good luck to him.

And coming up with a quote such as a 'war without mercy' on crime?
That sounds far too confrontational for the mealy-mouthed wasters who run this country.
If we want a response to a crime problem we get a media push of reheated never going to work initiatives.. actually physically doing something..nah!

And a special 'bulletproof and fireproof anti gang car'..! I bet there would be a few pushing and shoving in the parade room on that briefing to get the keys and a chance to drive that baby.

The original post can be found http://officerdibble01.blogspot.com/2008/02/la-differance.html

The winds of change…..

Published on February 23, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Joe90 from You want to be a hero?



'It takes a brave woman to do that, you're alot braver than me.'
'No i'm not, I wouldn't sign up.'
'What i'm doing isn't brave, it's stupid, and as a result of no other options.'
'Just answer me one last question before you leave, are you really the idot you seem to be?'
'So long, take care of yourself.'

As you sat in the exam, it dawned on you that you weren't interested in what you were writing on the paper, you didn't even care about arguing the point any more, or answering the question. All you knew was that you were sat amongst people who you didn't know, faces without names, but not just that, faces without voices, or stories.

You finished the exam without any emotion at all, then you got up out of your chair, put on your coat and walked out, without a word. You knew what you had to do, you had been putting it off for so long, so you just went through with it, you filled out the application forms and you decided that this was the right time.

It took six months to go through the process, and about a month ago, you enlisted in your new life, in an organisation that you are so very proud to be part of, it's reputation second to none, you have alot to prove, to yourself most of all.

One thing is certain, you will always be humbled by those who went before you:

'The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'

Winston Churchill

The original post can be found http://hero90.blogspot.com/2008/02/winds-of-change.html

Radio Ga-Ga

Published on February 22, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Charlie Lima from Charlie Lima

Some of you may be aware of this story. The story of the two PC's who were fighting over who was going to drive the van on the night shift because it had a new radio.

Well I can tell you that it wasn't over the van with the new 'police' radio as the press are reporting it was over the van with the FM radio.

Because this all happened on the evening of the UEFA cup final and PC Emerson-Thomas wanted to listen the the footy!

Today he has been found not quilty, despite all the witnesses being police officers!! The judge allegedly adding it was a trivial matter. I don't call 8 stitches trivial!!

I feel for Pc Bartlett who was forced to pursue the matter by the bosses.

The original post can be found http://charlielima999.blogspot.com/2008/02/radio-ga-ga.html

Collage

Published on February 22, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by Gazza from Gazzateer

There hasn’t been the opportunity, of late, to add anything to the blog as work has been intense, involved and, as always, demanding.

The intensity has been constant and trying to take stock of events has been difficult. I have a collage of images and incidents wrapped around the grey stuff in my head and it takes time to take stock and order them into some sort of coherent and understandable form so that I can really assess what has been going on. Distortion. Again.

The dead, mostly men, have played a significant part in the collage. Their faces are dotted here and there amongst the insane, the criminals, the junkies and the drunks.

Most of the time when we are called, the dead are usually, well, dead by the time we get there. Having passed on alone and face down on the bedroom carpet or in bed. Sometimes, especially with the junkies, they’ve OD’d. Needles still in arms, the detritus of a wasted life lying around. Spoons, citric juice, empty wrappers, silver foil. Some of this you will have seen before. Usually on a bust or by chance that you’ve came into their property prior to them taking their final (and absolutely last) hit. Do I feel sympathy here? Should I? It’s difficult. This was somebody’s son or daughter, brother, sister, boyfriend, lover. It can be difficult to reconcile that with the fact that you’d maybe dealt with them before for theft or deception or fraud or assault. The general rules and morals the addicted have to live by are as alien to me at times as the thought of shooting all that crap into my veins would be. Ergo the difficulty in sympathy.

One occasion, recently, a male died right in front of us. Battered and bruised, lying in the street at some ungodly hour. He was still conscious and breathing when we got there. Trying to put all your training into place. Remembering what to look for, how to react. Trying desperately to stem the panic rising in your guts, hands shaking through fear or adrenaline, or both. He tried to sit up at one point. I don’t know if he could see me but his eyes were black. There was a murmur. Maybe a last shout before the darkness engulfed him and took him off forever. Was I the last person he saw? I can’t, no matter how much I try, remember what I was saying to him. Was I sympathetic and understanding? It’s gone. The rest of it flashes by. The ambulance and paramedics, securing the scene, waiting for others to arrive and take over and give orders and generally do what they have to do to make sense of what had happened. The call came in a short while later. DOA. Enough said. I got home that day and slept for 15 hours straight. Waking only to place his face on the collage and file it with all the rest before getting up, dressing and going out to face it all again.

More later.

The original post can be found http://gazzateer.blogspot.com/2008/02/collage.html

A Small Shower

Published on February 21, 2008 in Uncategorized. Closed

written by CSI:UK from CSI:UK

It's 10 minutes from clocking off time on the Friday night late shift, I'm checking all the open logs to see if anything drastic is coming in that might require my services before I slip out the door. One of the worst things about being on call is getting the key into the door of your house only for the phone to ring beckoning you back to work. The list doesn't reveal any immediate cause for concern, there is a big job going off in one the High St Pubs known for Drug Dealing, but they won't need me there surely? otherwise they would have let me know in the planning stages (ahem!).

To be fair, initially there would have been no requirement for me, but in between 30 odd officers bursting through the doors and climbing walls of the local, somebody threw a firearm into the beautifully landscaped bush that is the focal point of the beer garden. So halfway home the phone rings (after pulling over safely and turning the engine off) I answer the call and soon I'm driving in the opposite direction back to work.

At the scene, most of the remaining clientèle are being searched for contraband and are leaving for another Pub, the bush in the Beer Garden is dramatically cordoned off with Police Tape. I am informed by the Sergeant heading the raid that Firearms Officers are tied up with other incidents across the force and may be a while. I can't do anything with the Gun until it is made safe by Firearms, so I start racking up some photos in the dark, this usually takes a while in the low lighting conditions but I had the comfort of not being rushed so I ambled along at my own pace. Once that's finished, still no sign of Firearms and I am informed again that it going to be a few hours. I look at the sky to see if the weather is going to be a problem, it's a beautiful summer's night, not a cloud in the sky and I'm walking around with a t-shirt on and I've still got a bit of a sweat on, not a chance of rain ruining my scene, but ever the professional I diligently place a large plastic bag over the gun, you know, just to be safe.

So I have done as much as I can, the pub is now closed and just a few officers remain so I take the opportunity to have a kip on one of the chairs in the 'snug', then a free game of pool courtesy of the worried landlord. A dog handler and his drugs dog arrives to do a walk through of the pub and garden to find any discarded un-dealt drugs. From my comfy seat I wave a half-hearted 'If you find anything give us a shout and I'll do some photos for you', I remain in my comfy seat in the snug awaiting Firearms so I can finish the job. Nothing more is found by dog and handler, unfortunately no one had informed him about the firearm in the bush, until after he let his dog relieve himself in the garden! I jump up from my comfy seat, the Dog Handler looks sheepish, it's not his fault really, someone should be preserving the scene properly instead of sleeping on the job!(although there was an officer guarding the beer garden). Luckily for me though my professional scene securing skills meant all we needed was a fresh plastic bag instead of a new gun. There was no rain only a small shower.

The original post can be found http://csiuk.blogspot.com/2008/02/small-shower.html