Battlecat and Kibble Chops
May 6, 2008 by inspectorgadget
We had one of the busiest Bank Holiday weekends I can remember. I personally worked at least one 14 hour day. I can’t tell you what happened because a lot of it was in the newspapers.
Back home the LOLcats finally managed to successfully ambush Kibble Chops on the upstairs landing. Battle cat took a right pounding but Big cat managed to “scratch and run”. Ugly.
It was also my beautiful niece’s birthday. Happy Birthday to the best footballer in her class!
Imagine my deep joy at the prospect of Tuesday’s “Performance Meeting”, where the fresh and rested sit in judgement over the tired and dirty.
The meeting was hysterical in a nervous kind of way. The Hate Crime Unit were ritually humiliated for the increase in Hate Crime (from 2 to 3 by the way) and the “Community Cohesion Unit” were congratulated for their success in encouraging more victims of Hate Crime to come forward (from 2 to 3 strangely enough).
Someone has to loose; they take turns.
Note: Definition of Hate Crime? Any crime which anyone thinks is a Hate Crime. Anyone spookily includes the Community Cohesion Unit, in whose interests an increase in reporting sits!
Is any crime enjoyed? (Apart from by unrepentant perpetrators?)
Bank holidays are amazing. Working in an amazingly beautiful rural area with some amazingly gorgeous towns and villages, I see amazing numbers of people empty out of the cities on bank holidays, ordinary families in ordinary cars, and ordinary middle aged men on extraordinarily powerful motorbikes and extraordinarily fast kit cars, using rural roads to escape from various concrete jungles.
They all crash into each other.
6 simultaneous potential fatals at once on Monday afternoon, with 1 traffic sergeant to SIO them and four traffic PCs to sort them out. Add in the fact that the underclass have been boozing for three days now, the cells are heaving, the radios are red hot as the cops are sent from violent/tragic/pathetic job to v/t/p job.
We do this with approximately half the number of staff we would have to police any other Monday. How do we do it? Badly. Everybody loses.
Until last year I held a job where I had the luxury of deciding how we resourced “events” - nothing unexpected you understand, I’m talking Christmas, New Year, Spring and Summer bank holidays. These “events” were well staffed as a result. I am out of that job now, and the 9×5 bean counters once more hold the reins. We’re back to skeleton staff on bank holidays, which are always the busiest days of our year. We are once more surprised to see the cells full on New Years Morning. Once more the cops exhibit a kind of dazed breathlessness at the end of a bank holiday late turn. Once more the tyewriter pilots and biro jugglers get fretful on Tuesday that the domestic violence forms haven’t been submitted in a timely manner.
Only 14 years to go. (I do absolutely love the job itself - its the backroom decision making that I simply cannot understand).
Bank Holidays - the only time I’m guaranteed to get to at least minimum staffing levels………………money talks.
Hate crime ? I do.
I mean “Typewriter”!
We didn’t stop yesterday L/T. Manic! As stated above - the untermensch have been at it for 3 whole days and you can almost feel the tension in the air. As taught as a bowstring. (Actually, you couldn’t feel the tension. I may have got carried away a little there but you know what I mean).
Anyway - No, and I mean No, L/T dealing-with-the-prisoners unit. Ye gods! “They” actually do think that nothing happens on a BH don’t “they”?
Keep taking the pills everyone
Come on people. There’s a budget target to be met.
Bank holiday weekend. No PCSOs. No “neighbourhood officers”. No “incident managers”. Just core responce patrols (on minimum levels) to deal with 3 days of alcohol fuelled domestic violence and kids whose parents don’t give a flying f*** about them.
That was my radio area this weekend, quote of the shift being “any free patrol for an another Immediate call to…”
Thoroughly disgraceful. Citizen Focus my arse.
If a Victim declares that he has been the subject of a Hate Crime, is the Hate Crime unit bound to investigate it as a Hate Crime? Does the Hate Crime unit have discretion to not investigate, despite the assertion of the Victim?
I ask this as I have seen many reports in local papers of gangs of “Asians” attacking individual “Whites” reported as an “isolated incident” which is not being treated as a Hate Crime. Furthermore, I have almost never seen any reports in local papers of gangs of “Whites” attacking individual “Asians” reported as an “isolated incident” which is not being treated as a Hate Crime.
Of course it may be the case that these news collators highlight White Victims and ignore the latter cases, which is presumably also a Hate Crime. However as the National Media apparently largely ignore the former and highlight the latter, is this also a Hate Crime?
Also, I have almost never seen any reports in local papers of gangs of “Non-White Colour A” attacking an individual of “Non-White Colour B” reported as an “isolated incident” which is being treated as a Hate Crime. I therefore ask what percentage of Hate Crimes have White perpetrators, does anyone have a link?
Dispatcher - you are from Ruralshire Constabulary!
Yes, bank holidays.
It is a sure thing that there will be next to no cops on duty and those that are will be run ragged.
I hated working over the holiday.
Er my thoughts on this if I may. HCU’s were set up as a knee jerk reaction. Managers didn’t think through the skills and understanding of those required to be involved in this matter.
Why the knee jerk reaction? So that Chiefs could go to community meetings and say that they are dealing with hate crime effectively.
Most hate crimes are prevented by the strength of the operational PBO and intelligence; the purpose of HCO’s was to try and ensure that, the CPS for example, actually bgan to prosecute hate crimes effectively.
This has failed. Most HCO’s are not even touching the issue towards prosecutions.
Some HCO’s have tried their best; others are pretty clueless and don’t even understand the difference between what is racially aggravated for example, and what is a racially motivated.
I have even hard of one HCO say to his replacement he will never be as good as his predecessor. Utter rubbish, the predecessor hardly changed things, but the type of HCO’s that some Senior Officer’s want in post are the type that will keep their mouths shut and not rock any Titanic of a ship. Guess which type moves up the ladder?
HCO’s are also deemed “experts.” My foot I have just shown that actually they are not experts. As I say the clue to dealing with hate lies in PBO’s, and the CPS PROSECUTING. Most HCO’s are not experts at all, but it looks good to sell them in this way. This “sham” is created by those above us. Shhh.
Ranter where are you? I have to go off and interview Dazzler.
Bert Rustle
I was the victim of a Racist Incident, namely being accused of picking on an Indian Lad driving a car (Which had dark windows by the way). I stopped him because his driving was crap, especially in a pedestrian zone….a very busy and crowded zone.
Anyway, I reported the offence as I was bound by Home Office rules to do, because he percieved it was a racist incident (So did I incidentally). I then got investigated as being an offender.
Thankfully the Hate Crime Officer was a good chap (Asain) and wrote the chap a letter telling him he was foolish and silly!
Did he (Said stupid Asain Driver) get investigated because I perceived it to be racist? Don’t be so daft!
You couldn’t make it up.
Aw, you really are a big softie!
Thanks!
x
Bewildered at Dawn 12 Thank you.
Twining 11 wrote … So that Chiefs could go to community meetings and say that they are dealing with hate crime effectively. … I would hazard a guess that this is at least partly true. I would also hazard a guess that it serves the Ruling Class by terrorising the indigenous population into silence lest they be accused of being racist, the current equivalent of a medieval witch.
IG, any chance of a list of acronyms on this blog, for example MOP = member of public, HCU = hate crime unit etc.? This would extend your reach further into the community.
Insp Gadget - can I just put up a quick reply to Amy’s question on an earlier post re the price of your book (just in case she doesn’t see it there)?
cheers
Dan
Amy
It was a question of format really, rather than price.
We had three options - hardback, trade paperback (same size as a hardback, only with soft covers) and B format - mass market paperback, the same as Copperfield’s and Bloggsy’s books.
It’s not cast in stone, but it’s fairly true to say that the format you choose dictates the price on the back of the book. Thus, hardbacks tend to be between £15.99 and £18.99, trade ppbks are usually £9.99 to £12.99 and B Format books usually £7.99 (sometimes £6.99 if they are ppbk versions of older books).
Initially, we were thinking of trade ppbk - hence the original selling price of £9.99.
But we thought it over and decided the book might have quite wide appeal and that it was better done as a B format. Hence the price change.
Hope this helps.
Dan Collins
Monday Books
Bert Rustle, thank you…..
HCU - Hate Crime Unit
HCO - Hate Crime Officer
PBA - Police Bloggers Association
Good old bank holiday weekends, PCSOs missing which is good as they are not prattling on over the airs about how they have not had time to attend the dog mess issue they have been attatched to for the last three days as they dont leave the nick. Neighberhood teams missing, I am not sure any one noticed.
Burglary team off, robbery team off, auto crime off, drug team off, CID cover on but missing. SOCO on callout only ie murder.
Clubs open till 7am, the city is rammed, city center team have one officer on and he is looking worried! The biggest club is closing at 4 they are full with 1300 in. The city center PC just got a prisoner so core shift look at getting some bodies down from the estates. Enter stage left me and my crewmate, every one else is tucked up.
650 each and thats just from the big club, out they come. Me and my crewmie are a bit worried to say the least, one comment one idiot and the whole street will go up.
We step in on a couple of flash points and tell every one to foxtrot oscar. Some how we get away with it. The mood is pretty good and most people go home without killing each other. As L/T we should be off at three but we leave at 6.30, night turn have been run ragged with two stabiing and the usual shite. Thats SUNDAY done welcome to MONDAY.
Enter the sick the lame and the lazy who suddenly find a uniform and the exit from the office as some GOLD is up for grabs, but they dont want to attend any jobs and will not keep any they do go to which get bounced straight back to core shift. We have swung on to nights, the box is on fire. We have 4 stangers on shift and resign ourselves that they will only go to imm jobs and we will get them back next week on E/T.
DOMS like crazy, a fatal, fire arm job, various PO in the city plus the usual stuff. By some miracle we finish on time TUESDAY morning, E/T are not impressed with the box until they find out what has gone on and they just shake their heads. Back in on a quick change at 5, the world is awake again. I have lots of email. Why have you completed the online training, why have you not updated victim x, why have you not contacted property about the seized item, why have i not done this that and the other.
I have not seen my wife or son for three days. I have been assaulted twice and threatened with a bat in the same three days. I got 11 hours sleep in the last 48 of the shifts and cant remember the last time I had a sit down meal.
I see a final email, from the super, she states what a wonderful job was done over a busy wekend and special thanks should go to the C/Insp who organised resources and controled the incidents.
Stuff it, I have written my resignation letter…….
Weekends that happen to be linked to a bank holiday are notoriously understaffed and generally unpleasant. Stuff happens and we are underflowing with bods to deal.
As few dealing with handovers or getting themselves off the streets early with a collar leave the balance out there covering. Hard enough when the balance is one or nil.
Where’s your back up now then ?
As for the meetings…………..these meetings where those who have some form fictitious grip on their perspective of reality and how they are saving the planet are turning things into a game show.
there are winners and losers.
Winners………….those who make the rules.
Losers……………not just the public but also those unfortunate enough to have to make their decisions on the streets and not from inside an office, no matter how big it is.
Good stuff as always…..however…
As a Neighbourhood Insp in a large city force please note that we did have my staff working on the Monday AND an evening PSU working until 0600hrs on the Sunday night/Monday morning (re rostered RD) We try…we all try. It was manic…described as busier than “New Years Eve”. We picked up lots of crimes and we will keep them.
Sadly the mid week meetings really are full of the idiotic meanderings of those who have yet to sort the fundamental issue of poor resourcing. We need more officers on response to deal with the horrendous pending job queues. It becomed increasingly embarassing to sort the complaints out when my first words to the complainants are usually “Sorry we were too busy to attend your burglary for the last 2 days”…. Nobody seems to be taking this seriously. They say they are but I think they are pretending. Is still care deeply….but only just.
Still must stay positive I have 10 years of this to do.
For those of you who would like to see how New York sorted their policing issues out read William Brattons book “Turnaround”. A compelling read which does give the secret of turning the tide against crime. Can you guess? Despite the wave of senior British police officers taking their jollies to see him in New York and looking for a magic bullet to solve crimes issues he told them the truth. BE SERIOUS ABOUT RESOURCING. Its as simple as that. Until we get that right we will always be up against it.
Keep the faith.
Dan Collins - run that past me again?…………. not really!
“…in WHOSE interests…” Inspector! Apart from that, excellent post as usual.
More whislteblowing is needed such as the Norfolk example. There isnt a chance of it changing within the Police Farce, as there are too many people with self interest and pound signs in front of their eyes looking for their next bonus or promotion. It will be down to the voters to get this government out. Their days are surely numbered.
Every year for the past 10 bloody years that I can remeber I have had to provide risk assessment for bank Holiday working -what notice do you think our BCU leaders take of these paper excercises??
Sweet FA-they put as few as posible on the streets to cut the costs……meanwhile they go away to a top hotel for 2 days to discus their strategy………..
Spittin Feathers we will be there at the Spring Bank Holiday ensuring the bikers try and stay on the Moreruralshire roads……Ive only 7 yrs to go poor you………….
commuinty who now ?