written by 200 from 200 Weeks
What is it with feet?
They’ve always played quite a big part in my life, literally, size 13s don’t go unnoticed & not to mention the troubles I’ve had in my life finding shoes & trainers. My daughter has followed in her father’s footsteps, unluckily for her she has size 10s & she’s not yet finished growing.
Feet seem to be playing a large part in some others’ lives recently, what with one washed up on the Lincolnshire coast a few weeks ago. Humberside Police are still trying to find the loser. As if one foot washed ashore isn’t enough, another one appeared this week, only 20 miles from the first but the really wierd thing is that Humberside Police are saying that the two feet don’t appear to be linked, presumably they’e not from the same loser which begs the question as to why are people in the Humberside area losing their feet?
I did a little digging and the loss of a foot or two doesn’t seem to be that uncommon. Only this week two legs, two arms & a torso were found inside shark caught by fishermen in the Bahamas.
This is nothing compared to Washington State in American where, on Friday, another foot was found washed up on the shore, making a total of nine feet in the last three years.
There seem to be some careless people about.
The original post can be found http://200weeks.police999.com/archives/3309
written by Hogday from Hog Day Afternoon
On the 70th Anniversary of the start of the Blitz on London, my thoughts turn to my late Father who was a bus driver for London Transport during those awful years. He regaled me with stories of incendiary bombs bursting around him and his double-decker bus as he weaved his way around the Capital. On one occasion he told me that London Bridge was on fire, or at least the wooden sleepers that lined the carriageway in those days. He was caught halfway across and so just `put his foot down` to hammer through the flames. He chanced a glance behind him to see all the passengers doing their best to hide under the seats. He told me that it sounded like a rushing express train as he hit the wall of flames, which opened up and then slapped shut as his bus passed through the inferno. There were many more stories of `dodging around bomb craters and partially collapsed buildings and one occasion where a Heinkel 111 bomber, crippled by the RAF or Anti Aircraft gunners, flew smoking and low along the river, it's crew machine gunning one of his mates who died in the ensuing inferno. When his body was recovered they found a solid lump of coins that had melted in his pockets as he died in the blazing cab. Many more of his colleagues were killed during the Blitz. But London and the rest of the Country kept on going or, `buggering on` as Winston would have said. Dad joined the Home Guard. I think all that must have affected him because post war, and post the arrival of Hogday jnr., he always seemed to drive me around in the family car like he was still dodging craters and German bombs! Or perhaps all bus drivers were trained to drive that way?
So why is it that today, one road traffic accident on the M6 motorway on a Friday afternoon, stops the entire country from moving at more than 3 mph?
The original post can be found http://hogday-afternoon.blogspot.com/2010/09/blitz-on-britain.html
written by 200 from 200 Weeks
An update on one of my previous stories from August where police officers from Greater Manchester were forced to watch offenders ride off into the sunset on 3 stolen motorcycles because of a policy not to pursue motorcyclists incase they fall off & hurt themselves; the thieves were not wearing helmets or safety equipment.
24-year-old Bobby Carl Hodgkins was later arrested on suspicion of being involved in the theft of the motorcycles. He was bailed to appear back at the police station on September 10th.
In a classic case of what goes around comes around Hodgkins was killed this week when a Kawasaki 450 he was riding collided with a van in Wythenshawe. The bike had been stolen during a similar raid on premises to the one he was on bail for on 26th August in Audenshaw. Hodgkins was not wearing a helmet, again, and died of head injuries, well there’s a thing.
The original post can be found http://200weeks.police999.com/archives/3305
written by Hogday from Hog Day Afternoon
I know little about professional footballers
and their antics on or off the pitch but I do know a lot about defence solicitors and how they can pull an acquittal seemingly out of thin air. So I have taken my brain down old memory lane and think I've come up with a likely scenario that a certain footballer's brief can put forward in his defence.
I definitely think it has legs
"Your Honour, my client was merely mistaken as it was his intention to use a prosthetic, whislt his wife was pregnant. His demise was due to nothing more than an unfortunate printing error and a mispronunciation, owing to a rather thick scouse accent". Over the years I've seen loads of magistrates fall for far less.
The original post can be found http://hogday-afternoon.blogspot.com/2010/09/good-case-for-defence.html
written by 200 from 200 Weeks
I love the old Gene Kelly movies. I think there is something in this old 6′3, eighteen stone monolith which wishes I could have had those dance moves somewhere in me, I know Mrs Weeks does.
So I’m impressed by NPYD cop Wilbert Castillo who has been directing traffic in New York for 10 years.
The 47 year old dances his way through an eight hour shift. Not as flamboyant as some of the dancing traffic cops I’ve seen over the years but one to brighten the day none-the-less.
Check out the video report over at the Daily Fail.
The original post can be found http://200weeks.police999.com/archives/3302
written by Joe90 from You want to be a hero?
CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
'On Tuesday night I gave the order for British forces to take part in military action in Iraq. Tonight, British servicemen and women are engaged from air, land and sea. Their mission: to remove Saddam Hussein from power, and disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction.'
One quality you admire in a person and respect, is the ability to make a decision, a difficult decision, and then once made, despite criticism, hindsight and public protest, to stand by that decision, to brave the storm. In 2003 Tony Blair was The Prime Minster of the United Kingdom, and therefore the responsibility, was laid squarely at his feet. What some people forget, is that the decision was not his alone, the decision was brought before the UK Parliament and the issue was voted on, it returned a vote count of: 412 - 149 in favour.
'I know this course of action has produced deep divisions of opinion in our country. But I know also the British people will now be united in sending our armed forces our thoughts and prayers. They are the finest in the world and their families and all of Britain can have great pride in them.'
Saddam Hussein was a dictator, a tyrant, a danger to those on the side of justice who would oppose him. By March 2003 he had ignored seventeen United Nation Resolutions, he was an outlaw in the international community, he had previously illegally invaded Kuwait in 1990 and had to be removed from that country by Operation Desert Storm, even after being defeated and being sanctioned by the United Nations, he still appeared on live television and claimed victory.
'My fear, deeply held, based in part on the intelligence that I see, is that these threats come together and deliver catastrophe to our country and world. These tyrannical states do not care for the sanctity of human life. The terrorists delight in destroying it.'
You know many people believe different things about whether nor not Military Intelligence was fabricated, whether or not Attorney General Goldsmith was pressurised to come to his conclusions, whether or not the situation in Kosovo should have been used as a precedent for the actions in 2003, or whether or not, and this is one of your favourite conspiracy theories, oil was the reason for the invasion of Iraq.
'So our choice is clear: back down and leave Saddam hugely strengthened; or proceed to disarm him by force. Retreat might give us a moment of respite but years of repentance at our weakness would I believe follow.'
What most 'Anti War Protesters' are to ignorant to see, to self righteous to take in, is that Tony Blair was willing to follow the principles, of morality and compassion. To look at what he believed, and to take action, to produce such a brilliant and passionate plea, that he brought about a 263 majority vote, the backing of the democratic parliament of the United Kingdom. Then when it all went sideways, when people turned against him, when he became the target of those who would use hindsight as a weapon, he stood by his decision, and that, for you, makes the man worthy of great respect.
'I hope the Iraqi people hear this message. We are with you. Our enemy is not you, but your barbarous rulers.'
You did not serve in Iraq, but you know a lot of people who did, be that in Basra, Baghdad, or other parts of the country. You are only too aware that Service Police Officers died in that country, but Tony Blair, for all his faults, had one of the hardest jobs in the world, he knew the consequences that could ensue and he knew what had to be done. The men and women of the British Armed Forces were ready to do the job they had trained for, and he bravely and morally made the decision to send them to do it, because he had faith in their abilities. Despite the odds against them, the equipment shortages and other obstacles, they did the job and they did it well. 'That is why I have asked our troops to go into action tonight. As so often before, on the courage and determination of British men and women, serving our country, the fate of many nations rests.'
The original post can be found http://hero90.blogspot.com/2010/09/principles-over-practicalities_06.html
written by Joe90 from You want to be a hero?
CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
'On Tuesday night I gave the order for British forces to take part in military action in Iraq. Tonight, British servicemen and women are engaged from air, land and sea. Their mission: to remove Saddam Hussein from power, and disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction.'
One quality you admire in a person and respect, is the ability to make a decision, a difficult decision, and then once made, despite criticism, hindsight and public protest, to stand by that decision, to brave the storm. In 2003 Tony Blair was The Prime Minster of the United Kingdom, and therefore the responsibility, was laid squarely at his feet. What some people forget, is that the decision was not his alone, the decision was brought before the UK Parliament and the issue was voted on, it returned a vote count of: 412 - 149 in favour.
'I know this course of action has produced deep divisions of opinion in our country. But I know also the British people will now be united in sending our armed forces our thoughts and prayers. They are the finest in the world and their families and all of Britain can have great pride in them.'
Saddam Hussein was a dictator, a tyrant, a danger to those on the side of justice who would oppose him. By March 2003 he had ignored seventeen United Nation Resolutions, he was an outlaw in the international community, he had previously illegally invaded Kuwait in 1990 and had to be removed from that country by Operation Desert Storm, even after being defeated and being sanctioned by the United Nations, he still appeared on live television and claimed victory.
'My fear, deeply held, based in part on the intelligence that I see, is that these threats come together and deliver catastrophe to our country and world. These tyrannical states do not care for the sanctity of human life. The terrorists delight in destroying it.'
You know many people believe different things about whether nor not Military Intelligence was fabricated, whether or not Attorney General Goldsmith was pressurised to come to his conclusions, whether or not the situation in Kosovo should have been used as a precedent for the actions in 2003, or whether or not, and this is one of your favourite conspiracy theories, oil was the reason for the invasion of Iraq.
'So our choice is clear: back down and leave Saddam hugely strengthened; or proceed to disarm him by force. Retreat might give us a moment of respite but years of repentance at our weakness would I believe follow.'
What most 'Anti War Protesters' are to ignorant to see, to self righteous to take in, is that Tony Blair was willing to follow the principles, of morality and compassion. To look at what he believed, and to take action, to produce such a brilliant and passionate plea, that he brought about a 263 majority vote, the backing of the democratic parliament of the United Kingdom. Then when it all went sideways, when people turned against him, when he became the target of those who would use hindsight as a weapon, he stood by his decision, and that, for you, makes the man worthy of great respect.
'I hope the Iraqi people hear this message. We are with you. Our enemy is not you, but your barbarous rulers.'
You did not serve in Iraq, but you know a lot of people who did, be that in Basra, Baghdad, or other parts of the country. You are only too aware that Service Police Officers died in that country, but Tony Blair, for all his faults, had one of the hardest jobs in the world, he knew the consequences that could ensue and he knew what had to be done. The men and women of the British Armed Forces were ready to do the job they had trained for, and he bravely and morally made the decision to send them to do it, because he had faith in their abilities. Despite the odds against them, the equipment shortages and other obstacles, they did the job and they did it well. 'That is why I have asked our troops to go into action tonight. As so often before, on the courage and determination of British men and women, serving our country, the fate of many nations rests.'
The original post can be found http://hero90.blogspot.com/2010/09/principles-over-practicalities.html
written by Sergeant Simon from Sergeant Simon
Sergeant Mark Andrews is in the news for the wrong reasons. I don't really need to provide a link judging by some of the newspaper headlines but just in case look
here.
Firstly I don't condone what he did. No matter how drunk or annoying someone is we still have those three words which take precedence over everything:
duty of care. He'll lose his job, and arguably deservedly so.
However, as a police sergeant who has spent a
lot of time as a custody sergeant, I think I'm perhaps a bit more entitled to have something to say about all this.
I work in a relatively small police station. We only have the 10 cells. However, despite that we have generated nearly 4000 custody records this year alone. This is not even the only custody suite in our force area. 4000 custody records is just a drop in the ocean of what must be hundreds of thousands of custody records across the uk, each referring to an individual arrested and booked in at a police station. The vast, overwhelming majority of these cases pass off without incident, even with the really drunk, aggressive and dangerous people that we literally drag off the streets to keep you lot safe. The borderline psychopaths who will literally rip their arms open with their teeth to get attention (yes, I have really seen this happen). The drug addicts who start attacking the doctors when they won't give them the drugs they want. They all get treated properly and fairly. Certainly in my experience they do. Custody suites are dripping with these cameras for precisely this reason and to my knowledge they have fended off far more malicious allegations than they have found genuine ones.
So when you see the blaring headline of "BRUTALITY" and bruised faces splashed over pages in full close up just remember it refers to one, single, individual officer and his misjudgement. Not all of us.
The original post can be found http://policelockerroom.blogspot.com/2010/09/custody-sergeants-response.html
written by 200 from 200 Weeks
The above photo wasn’t the result of the usual kind of driving often associated with vehicles of the ilk of the Mitsubishi Evo.
Rather embarrassingly, it was the result of a couple of Greater Manchester Police officers who had recently stopped the driver on suspicion of drink-driving. It seems that the driver was taken away by traffic officers & the hapless officers were left with the Evo.
Why what happened next happened is explained differently depending which report you read. Some say the officers called a garage to take the vehicle away but decided to take it for a quick joy-ride, while others say the officers drove the vehicle themselves back to the police station, either way, they ended up in someone’s garden.
The local senior officers & Professional Standards Units are not impressed.
The original post can be found http://200weeks.police999.com/archives/3298
We Must All Take Responsibility For Police Brutality
written by inspectorgadget from POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG
And now for something completely different……… some context.
There is so much I want to say about the incident in Wiltshire, and looking at the over 400 comments on the last post, there is a lot everyone wants to say. This is my view, and I know it will upset the ‘tin foil hat’ ‘all coppers are un-reconstructed brutes’ brigade.
The public, most journalists and a significant number of our own desk-bound colleagues have absolutely no idea of the endless shit we take in custody areas these days. Why should they? It’s not their fault.
Take the Inspector Gadget ‘Could I Survive In Custody’ Test
Get two adult friends to stand either side of you, and another to the front. Make sure they are no more than 3 inches from your ears and face. Get them to start shouting as loud as they can, simultaneously for ten minutes. To make it real, they can spit in your face, endlessly repeat the same thing over and over again and scream, rant and rave. They don’t stop, no matter what you say. That’s the test. They simply will not stop.
Take this test in your hallway, invite some neighbours around to repeatedly bang on your letter box, over and over and over and over, whilst shouting abuse and leaning on your front door bell. You’d have have to do the test somewhere between 8pm and 3am after you got up at 6am to come to work. Oh, and make sure at least two phones ring continuously throughout the whole test.
How long could you last? Dare you try it at home? I bet you don’t.
What that represents is the cumulative effect of working night after night in custody. How much does it take, in that context, to eventually snap and do something you shouldn’t? Probably not much.
The idea that all police officers can be trained in all circumstances not to react to the cumulative effects of abuse like this is simply not good enough. This kind of behaviour is learned by the underclass, and others, at an early age and is designed to get them the attention their damaged lives cannot provide by the usual means. And it works.
I have been a custody Sergeant and I know that a screaming, violent criminal who is about to cause serious damage to officers needs to be thrown unceremoniously into a cell, and I know that a silly, probably drunken non-compliant broken record of a pain in the arse woman needs to be taken in a transport wrist lock and placed in a cell. Even if it is ten times over.
Having said that, ‘there but for the grace of God’ and all that.
The person who eventually cops it may not be truly deserving of being thrown about; but the rest of society who continue to allow, by their silence on the matter, the criminal underclass to physically and mentally abuse just about everyone who comes into contact with them (teachers, police, NHS staff, housing officers, social workers etc) must take some responsibility for the cumulative effects that a failure to challenge this state of affairs has created.
Whether we like it or not, we now live in a society where people expect to be treated fairly. Police officers see day after day that members of the public who beat and abuse them walk out of Court with little or no punishment, yet (with the notable exception of PC Harwood where any ‘intent’ has yet to be proved) when a cop lashes out, he ‘goes down’ for the maximum sentence allowed, or near to it. Funny how all the excuses made by Magistrates and Judges for not imprisoning criminals suddenly go out of the window when it’s one of us in the dock.
Strange; I thought there were no prison places, I thought ‘prison doesn’t work’, I’m sure I heard something about ‘guidelines’. I thought prison was ‘no deterrent’. Blah, blah, blah. They can do it when they want to.
The endlessly patient and scrupulously fair PC Dixon of Dock Green simply did not have to put up with the terminal decline in behaviour and attitude we now see on a daily basis.
In the custody area at Ruraltown nick, I recently had a 17-year-old boy, nearly as big as I am, spit a piece of gum in my face, call me a ‘wanker’ and elbow me hard in the jaw. Why? Because I informed him that he couldn’t have his mobile phone in the cell. Dixon would probably have taken 9 inches of English oak to the boy’s head and thrown him out in the yard all night to think about his behaviour. Back in the real world here in Ruralshire, he was back in his centrally heated cell eating one of 12 different hot dishes (including vegetarian, kosher, halal and vegan options) from our menu and demanding his third cup of tea with milk (not allowed to offer ‘white or black’ tea) before I could stick the additional charges on the system!
Needless to say, in Court the next day he received no additional penalty to the original public order offence he was arrested for. Some kind of fancy community order (he already has a record for breaching three others) and a curfew he will never keep.
Now please think again about the context in which former British Army veteran Sergeant Mark Andrews ‘lost it’ and wonder; is it all his fault? and how much more is there to come, as liberal Britain slowly swirls, in a clockwise direction, down the white porcelain.
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The original post can be found http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/we-must-all-take-responsibility-for-police-brutality/