After PC Nigel Albuery was stabbed four times during a stop-check in Croydon last May, I asked the power elites to: “arm us, start giving decent sentences (which they have to serve) and don’t cut our pay and pensions”.
I then wrote that “None of those things will happen until ministers, judges/magistrates and rail-regulators themselves start getting stabbed”.
OK, so I didn’t really expect the establishment to do any of those things for us. But I didn’t expect them to reduce the attackers sentence less than a year later!
“Your Local Guardian” on 26th January 2012 tells us the following:
A “dangerous” teenager who stabbed a police officer four times has had his indefinite jail term overturned by top judges.
Alastair Gregson, 19, launched the vicious knife attack on Croydon PC Nigel Albuery as the officer attempted to search him in the street.
The court heard Gregson was on bail for attacking his ex-girlfriend when he stabbed PC Albuery in May last year in Bute Road, Waddon.
He was with a group of youths in the area when the officer and a colleague – who were both in plain clothes – approached and spoke to them.
When PC Albuery attempted to search Gregson, the teenager tried to run away before stabbing the officer four times, in his shoulder, back and arms.
Five days before the incident, Gregson hit his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Kerr, with a brick following a heated argument in the street.
That attack, for which he admitted assault causing actual bodily harm, came just two days after he pleaded guilty to a common assault on Miss Kerr.
Even the snake-oil-salesman trying to get Gregson a shorter sentence accepted he was “dangerous”. But school fees and winter breaks in Bermuda don’t pay for themselves you know!
Appeal beaks Sir John Thomas, Mrs Justice Dobbs and Mr Justice Underhill, we salute you. But probably not in the way you would like.
Gadget Note: Thanks Julia M (who I don’t always agree with!) for the tip.















first
Not unbeliveable sad to say.
And a top ten finish. Reminds me of the old days.
First to say the first game is silly. (But not mean it)
First to agree with the inspector, and therefore first to claim two valid firsts in one post?
Or is that just too silly?
Get in! That’s number 4. Mance Lanley, coming to getcha’!
…unbelievable.
second
bah, third then
Will the broken system ever change?
The system’s not “broken” enough, yet. Give it time!
what ajoke
First to read then post… ?
Maybe not then….
One thing is certain tho… The CJS is well and truly fucked!!
First?!
Oh dear failed , I remember the days when Inspectors got preferential treatment for the first game.
But then I also remember when they got brown gloves.
Those were dark, dark days, with the corruption of early warning texts. I am proud to be part of an accountable and open blog that has listened to its communities leaders and eradicated the disgraceful practice.
Welcome back VeryPC No Duff.
What occurred to make you see the error of your ways?
As you can see we managed to break the corruption of certain Inspectors on this blog involved in the “First game tip-off” malarkey.
Ah, but at least we don’t accept the real corruption of German engineering to sell our souls, we were happy with a text.
Indigo99 with banners if I remember right!
That’s the point tho isn’t it? The thin end of the wedge. Texts today. Brown envelopes (hence the need for the matching gloves) tomorrow. BMWs by the end of the week.
now we get brown trousers (what with the lack of numbers for back-up)
Don’t you get brown gloves anymore? I think we do but it’s been a while.
In my farce the gaffers still have brown gloves. Ive never known why, though… and where this tradition came from? If anyone knows, i would be delighted to know the history behind this?
I think it derives from the military? I might be wrong but did Inspectors once get canes as well?
When I joined it was still a standing order to salute Inspectors if we saw them out and about in public,although it was dying out as common practice
Most Inspectors didn’t actually like it so it was a childish wind up to stop in the High street (we still did foot patrol then) if we saw one, stand smartly to attention and salute, obliging them to return the salute in front of the public.
Little things….
Thankyou for the explanation.
I have never done the saluting thing… but back when i joined you stood up to attention if the gaffer came into the room. In briefing we had to stand up with out pocketnotebook in one hand and our hats on. That’s all stopped now.
Fifth! My best this year.
What an utter pissed take *”Salutes” the judges*
A disgusting display of idiocy by the Judiciary again. They simply inhabit a different world to the one I live in.
I can’t imagine why you are almost in shock. This should come as no surprise at all!
Words fail me…….
First?
Need a faster “refresh”
How dangerous does a criminal need to be to get the sentence they deserve?
Not how dangerous, but who they assault ie: one of the establishment.
I used to work with a bloke called Jalfrezi, I wonder if you are he!
Ever gotten very bored guarding stuff in Central London?
‘Ever gotten’? WTF?
WTF?
What the fck?
Piss off you breast
Sorry different Jalfrezi and I’m a humble MOP I’m afraid. Not even sure how I found this Blog but find I agree with pretty much everything that’s said.
I work for an organisation with just as much bullshit as you guys and girls have to take only mine’s not potentially life threatening to me or anyone else.
Stay safe all of you, I’ve managed to change some points of view regarding the police with colleagues and friends who I’ve pointed to this blog.
Cheers for the support matey
Top ten?
I literally blinked!
Bugger.
Splutter! Twelvety?
AZZ Did you re-read the Guv’s link to last years post? Brought back memories.
schön
Ich war gut.
Danke schön.
Can’t think of anything to say in relation to this, other than, I am not surprised!
Appeal beaks Sir John Thomas, Mrs Justice Dobbs and Mr Justice Underhill, we salute you. But probably not in the way you would like.
Ha ha two fingered salutes all round
14th!
Like you say, as long as these scumbags are sent cheering from the courtroom flicking the ‘v’s’ at the press and celebrating their victory, nothing will be done.
Someone who proved himself to be a legitimate target for S&S will probably claim it was the Officers’ fault that he stabbed them. I wonder if this has affected the policy for plain clothes stops (despite the ‘W’ in GOWISE) in the borough?
An absolute disgrace. this country really is going to the dogs.
Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.
12 years in custody. Out in 4 or 5.
Two years license. Will be one year and he will be able to breach and be locked up numerous times before anything happens.
The Guardian states the sentence is 14 years extended with 12 custodial plus two. Why can’t they write what this means in REAL terms so that the Public see the real facts of what this scumbag will serve?
For anyone who is interested check out the CPS website.
“Release from the custodial element of an extended sentence is automatic at the half way point of the custodial term: section 247 CJA 2003, as amended by section 25 CJIA 2008.
On release, the offender is on licence for an extended period where he will be supervised in the community, the length of which is set by the court when the sentence is imposed. As the offender is released at the halfway point of the custodial term, the period of custody that will not be served in prison is served on licence instead. The total sentence length remains unchanged. When released, the offender will be on licence until the conclusion of the whole term of the sentence i.e. the custodial term plus extension period: R v S; R v Burt [2006] 2 Cr. App. R. (S) 35 CA.”
It was good to re-read the Guv’s original post again when this incident occurred.
No comment on what had changed to reduce the initial sentence I noticed.
Pah!
So, whereas I thought 12 plus 2 extended really meant that, it actually means 6 plus 8?
You’re right, we should be told that; I had initially thought it was a bit of a result, comparatively speaking. But it isn’t. He’ll be out bricking/stabbing/kicking/punching etc somebody else in a few years.
I forgot glassing. And probably some other violent actions.
I’d buy into this release at the half-way point business if it means the remainder is left hanging like the sword of Damocles. By which I mean – any subsequent trouble* and matey is back inside for the other half. Before starting the next sentence, paying a fine or doing community payback.
I would cut a little slack for farting in the street, but nothing worse.
Jeffrey Archer got more time inside for lying to the court about sleeping with a prostitute.
Scrotes can pretty much do what they like to a Cop the Judiciary is corrupt to the core. It is Endemic here north of the Border. Fiscal’s, Crown Office, and the bench they’re all stinking. They’re known here as the Gay Masons. The Untouchables. Google “Hollie Greig” and you’ll see.
Utter a word against them though and yer knackered.
http://www.northern-scot.co.uk/News/Family-shocked-at-jail-terms-for-teenage-daughter-20102011.htm
And add it to this:
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/9488225.Stabbed_prison_officer_in_pledge__for_justice_/
What is the country really coming to…….!
Love this comment re offender
angelofthenorth1 says…
6:40pm Tue 24 Jan 12
So Thakrar’s been moved to yet another prison? Wouldn’t it be easier just to hang him?
And so say all of us!
“Mr Wylde, 29, from Seaham, also urged Mr Blunt to give prison officers stab-proof vests.
“He said it wouldn’t be cost effective, but you can’t put a price on a life,” Mr Wylde said.”
—–
All those years ago when we didn’t have stab vests, the Americans sent loads to us. Perhaps we should send some of our old vests to the prison officers.
PTSD what a joke of a defence.
Absolute disgrace!
Who is protecting the protectors? Not the Judiciary, ACPO or MP’s who could not do these front-line public sector jobs.
They would wet their pants and rely heavily on tax payers to pay for private security, healthcare etc so why care about the streets, violent home invasions, stabbings and the rest from repeat offenders.
Tax payers should be able to strike and refuse to pay up until proper service is resumed.
Personally cannot stand the troughing that is going on with no apparent shame and yes that includes the Polfed building with all mod cons.
*dark room beckoning.
Just wait until one of them or their relatives get stabbed….sentences will be increased then!
Just shows the contempt they hold us in! FFS.
Absolutely disgusting.
Of course, these beaks only see criminals in controlled environments, flanked by security.
That is unfortunately the very position that PC James Holden is in at Guildford Crown Court at the moment for an allegation of dangerous driving whilst in pursuit of a stolen van.
He gets screwed for doing his job whilst this waste of skin is never going to contribute anything to society.
The whole system is a disgrace and whilst the police are often blamed, more often than not it’s after they’ve done their job that that it goes wrong.
It’s about time the CPS and Judges at made as accountable as us.
Rant over until my blood pressure subsides
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-16709841
The court heard that all police car pursuits are reviewed by senior officers and in PC Holden’s case they judged he made a number of very serious errors, and that those errors put lives and properties at risk.
So the review was carried out by Senior Officers, right. So they weren’t there and probably doing nothing constructive to assist……….sounds about right.
Serious error yes………….that would be about bothering to bring someone to justice. Should have looked the other way. Oh hang on…….the senior officers still wouldn’t have been happy.
That’s what we MoPs call back-seat driving.
Nowhere in the report does it say that PC Holden’s driving was dangerous. Am I missing something, or are they alleging somehow that his continuing the pursuit caused the van to drive dangerously and thereby he was somehow guilty of dangerous driving?
I would like to know how the officers on foot managed to stop the vehicle, though???? There is something odd in this.
They were not on foot.
They were in an ARV coming the other way
Well the article i read said they were on foot?
Yes, they see them stood there in there trackie bottoms and £100 trainers chewing gum. Any judge worth his salt should send them back down the steps and lambast the brief for letting someone go up before him dressed like a damn tramp. Then when the brief no doubt points out that his client is “poor” and on benefits the judge should point out his trainers probably cost 10 time more than a shirt, tie, pair of pants and shoes from Primark would!
Rant over.
Unfortunately I don’t think any judge would know the difference between a £20 pair of trainers or £120 pair, but see where you’re coming from.
good rant
OVERTURNED ????…………….. On the basis of what ????
What has CHANGED since the date of conviction ????
How on earth can this be justified ????
And they wonder why we are leaving?? Bring forth Madame Guillotine for these scum.
First
Being out for a while now, how many resignations and retirements are there these days compared to say, 10 yrs ago?
The more demoralised and unprotected we are, the easier it will be to replace us with the private sector and cream yet another huge layer of profit from the oppressed taxpayers’ money.
Hard to otherwise explain the concerted assault on the force by the judiciary, politicians and the press.
Right-o, I’m off to put a tinfoil lining in my tall hat. Wibble.
I wonder why I bother – I need something better to do with my life.
TGF
I am sure you will agree that the scum of the South Wales Police who fitted up the Cardiff Three should face capital punishment. Honour Guard (n) the troops who form an Honour party at ceremonial duties. Now, “Maroon Lid” tell us about the “artistic” pics of little boys on your computer…
^ ignore
Haslam off his meds again.
Think Essex are out on this misper as he has wandered well out of his usual.
Reacher are you a constable? The amount of police terms you use in any given post is quickly becoming awkward.
Nope professional beach bum.
Keep up.
If you read more of Haslam’s postings you would think the same.
Whose beach do you bum?
chortle, titter, fnar
Mainly beaches with a large …..ahem swell …..with no dumping, surging but lots of spilling and rolling … erm ……lost track of what i was posting about….oh yeah waves.
No Buzz I ain’t telling and it’s Pro Bum not Pro Bummer.
Jebus!
I see two Iranian Bloggers are set to be executed for spreading “corruption”! In a clampdown on Freedon of Speech. Oh well the FBI are looking into the development of a software tool to filter through Twitter to find crime among all the so called private twittering. Certain UK departments have shown interest in the project!
*check post for police terms.
Clear
I understand your grievance, after all we cant all live in a country thats full of sun, beer and hot women.
” Honour Guard (n) the troops who form an Honour party at ceremonial duties. ”
NO – you fkin old woman’s nappy wedgie of a pisstarded troll.
An honour guard is ordered for a specific event, ie a wedding, a funeral, or a state event, not just standard public duties in London like you suggest.
Unless youre referring to a specific event?
Or are you a former ACF/CCF cadet who’s recently been nicked and now has an inferiority complex with the Alte Wilhelm?
Specific event.
Ah.
chief instructor’s birthday?
Celebration of your 4* badge?
Rusty Sheriff’s Badge me thinks.
You actually think?
I try not to. It’s very over rated.
Man you’re like a turd that just won’t flush …………
We’re all still waiting for you to tell us about these ‘honour guard’ duties you partook in mentioned in the last discussion board ….. or not as the case may be ….
You really are a used hookers jam rag aren’t you …. fucking Walt!
Name the 29 yr old “officer” arrested in central London as part of Elevedon. No, wait, let US do that;) How do you like it when the boot is on the other foot? Fnnr Fnnr, Free Tibet!
Whats that Operation got to do with the price of fish you used peice of toilet roll …??
Go on then Tosser, name them. Oh, wait a minute, that’s another thing you don’t know.
lol, you are not military mate, lost of people were here were….
And seriously, Broadwater? You weren’t there you fucking coward, come face the shields like the lads in Tottenham did-I may not have any sympathy for their cause, but they faced us down rather than cower behind a keyboard you total cunt.
Can you not see the beautiful irony you massive fister, our very existence justifies yours, without us you’d just be shouting at the pigeons and wanking over school buses…. In the grand scheme of things, you should thank us for giving your miserable little life a reason to actually exist. What makes me actually smile is knowing that if you didn’t exist, I really wouldn’t notice because you do not justify my existence and that me old chum is tragic for you. N’night sweetheart!
Let it out honey. It is a fact that Broxted/Rehill/St Giles was at Brixton 81 and 85. As for that spooge above on Twitter and plod eavesdropping it has been know for years. Koon Midi;)
Blimey Dibbs.
First proper rant from you and I see your ability to insult has been …..ahem …expanded on the job!
Must be some ex-forces type regulars with a bad influence.
Dammit.
I agree good effort Dibbs.
TWONK !
You’re a Bell End.
He ought to join the police then.
ACPO actually.
Why you just sent me an email attachment with some of your personal favourites on have you? ……….. Hadleys top ten under tens is it?
I feel for PC James holder. 2 years ago I was assaulted at work and seriously injured. The dealer was arrested the next day. The support I got from the job was being charged and put on Crown Court trial for a week. hoofing!!!!!!!
Keep the faith James I’ll be watching the news for updates.
(I was found not guilty obviously as I’m not tying this from HMP Slade)
Surely the job wouldn’t do that to a hard working Cop.
Terrifying. Just terrifying.
Civil war is a horrible thing but this country is heading that way. People are going to get fed up with this sort of thing, the weakening of society’s morals and take out the government and judiciary and then deal with the criminal classes in the best possible way. I hope.
soon the slag will be electing our boss too
see what I did there?
Oh God! What a thought. What a thought…Mind you, we are lucky that most of them can’t spell “X” so will mess up their ballot papers.
I can see what you did there
Typo. I meant TJF.
Ah…DI Weary I thought for a minute you meant TGF Thank God ( insert deity of choice blah blah blah!) it’s Friday as in 9 to 5 job malarkey!
But yep TJF.
Thought you meant The Government’s F* (us)!
Question: When it says he’ll serve 12 years in custody, does that automatically mean he’ll serve only three years like normally happens or is there some hope for a longer time? #totaldespairwiththejudiciary
Guv,
You heard the one about a Portsmouth Copper having a pursuit with a burglary suspect in a stolen car?
The copper is now in court for dangerous driving!
It’s not a joke, that wasn’t a punch line!
You could not make it up!
wow in so early in the thread I can get in my request to knock the first, second bullshit on the head.
Also why does our society vlaue the lives of these scum? we would realy be better off with them locked away for life or better off dead.
realy cant comprehend the mentality that thinks these peopel deserve anythign form us normal tax payers.
PS Im a MOP not a COP
Looking at the fellow, and considering his record, I find it hard to predict that in twelve years he will be much improved, The original sentence seems wise, and I feel for his next victim.
My dear Gadget, I rarely comment, but this case mounts one of your hobbyhorses. Here in Italy, where I now live, the search would have been conducted by one officer, with another standing by with his eyes open and his strong hand close to his pistol.
Now to give one of my hobbyhorses a canter. When I take formal residency, it is open to me to apply for a firearms licence, including handguns. If I shoot an intruder – this is general across most of the Continent – it will, after explanation and interrogation, be considered self defence.
If there are less Police then we should expect to get assaulted more. We need to let them out early so there is more opportunity for a scrote to find a patrolling officer, as we are becoming even rarer than snow leopards.
Perhaps we could be sponsored like a snow leopard and send out newsletters
My daughters thinks snow leopards are worth saving.
They watch the good guys and for some ridiculous reason are going to choose that lifestyle.
Pah!
Have pointed out repeatedly that bankers get million pound payouts with no close stabbing incidents. RBS
@Reacher I agree with your daughter.
It’s a different world between these Judges ears. Seems that us cops are pretty much worthless now. It just gets worse and worse as the years go by.
He’ll be out sooner than you think, draining society’s coffers and giving honest hard working mugs like us the two fingered salute.
When a sentence is handed down , the actual time to be served should be put in brackets at the side ; eg: sentence 4 years ( actual 1 year ) .
the Tories promised to do this before the last election
needless to say they haven’t delivered
They couldn’t because Home Detention Curfew eligibiity is decided by the prison and can’t be predicted by the sentencing judge. Unless of course they got rid of the idea that people should be released after a quarter of sentence on Home Detention Curfew (tag) if the prison thinks they’re safe.
Not shocked in anyway!
He’ll do it again next week … then he’ll kill someone and it’lls be the police’s fault some how! Not the string of magistrates or judges or slick solicitors or the justice system!
at least his girlfriend love him … until next time!
No wonder this country is falling apart!
If it doesn’t affect the elite … it won’t change!
I may become a burglar and attack judge properties! I know I won’t go to jail! And no cops to catch me!
Utterly ridiculous and innapropriate post. If you had bothered to read the article linked, you would notice that a) the offender is still in prison and b) the sentence was changed to 12 years, in which time he made become rehabilitated.
You may pursue a career in theft and burglary if you so desire, but the odds are that you will be caught and will go to prison.
This is a discussion for adults and if you cannot raise your level of commentary to a sufficient level to be taken seriously, I suggest you take you contributions to the Sun website, where the discourse is more unreasoned.
Admit it Vic – you’ve been taking lessons in pomposity from Dr Mel.
My comment is withheld on legal advice.
I wonder what he’d have got if he stabbed a judge 4 times or hit an MP’s daughter with a brick.
The judicuiary make these ridiculous decisions because they do not live in the real world. Can we not bring the real world to them by highlighting their home addresses and favourite haunts. How about we start by tweeting their whereabouts whenever we see them in their favourite clubs, pubs, restaurants etc. Maybe if they come across the shite of society outside of the comfort of their courtrooms they will start to get the reality check? Discuss.
Before they’re allowed to sit on the bench, make them spend a week living in a place like Gadget’s The Swamp, then spend a week with a response team, then a week helping out in an A&E. Give them at least a glimpse of what those penitent-looking fellows in the suits look like in the wild and the effect they have on other people when they’re let out.
First to recommend Kevin T’s comment as the only way forward!
Kevin T great idea but not a cat in hells chance of it happening the club wouldn’t allow it due to Health and Safety issue and of course don’t forget they Human Shites i mean Rights. We couldn’t expect these people to mix with the likes of us and the scum sorrry customers you deal with on a daily basis.
Keep safe and look out for each other becasue no one above the rank of Inspector will in most cases.
Inspector, that high, eh?
I’d like to say the reduced sentence was unbelievable – sadly it’s just par for the course.
TJF? More like The Country’s F***ed.
The UK is in total meltdown, without consequence we will continue to sink even further.
It’s the farcical court and justice system that needs to change to restore order in the UK. Prison is a holiday camp where you go to hit the gym, play the latest games console, watch TV and play pool with your mates while you take the piss out of your half served sentence and try to figure out new and inventive ways to survive on the outside because your benefit money won’t buy enough drugs to last the week.
The Police can catch and convict as many people as they like but without the support of the entire justice system there really is little point. Pissing in the wind springs to mind.
I’m the mug here wasting my time, turning up to work everyday trying to do what is right.
No venial your not a mug …..think of the mess we ..the country…would be in if we didn.t have people like you who go out to protect us? Without you guys putting yourselves forward as keepers of law and order this country would disintegrate into hell on earth.. The population of Britain is increasing daily and the amount of Police decreasing as rapidly! No sense or logic in that. Rest assured we need you guys. Not PCSOs or G4 but warranted properly trained Police officers..
We are reaching the point where the chickens hatched over the last 20 years are coming home to roost…..
Judiciary
Government
Senior Police Officers and ACPO
The liberal elite and the diversity agenda
The neutering of the Police as a Force and also our other world renowned institutions such as the Armed Forces
The solution needed is going to have to be strong and invoke a massive change and no mainstream political party will have the will or ability to see it through….also none of the extreme parties have the appeal either. It will require someone to speak for the majority of people who have had enough and have a charisma that will appeal to gain the votes required.
From a personal view as an officer on the front line things will get worse before they get better. What we all need to do is to look after each other on out teams/shifts. There may well be an event that will prove to be a catalyst for change. Personally I felt the Summer Retail Riots was going to be the event but maybe we will endure something similar or greater in the next 2 or 3 years that will do it.
I have never felt so demotivated and unsupported from above yet I still do my job
At least front line policing hasn’t been affected by the cuts so we will have enough of us on the streets when this scumbag, undoubtedly, commits further offences, “on licence”. I’m sure the item on the news today stating there are now fewer police officers than there were 10 years ago will show that the front line is not affected!! FFS…..Fisters!!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9041829/A-policemans-lot.html
More utter twaddle toeing the Tory line about how ‘more with less’ is achievable, and indeed, desirable. Feel free to let the Torygraph know how you feel in their usually anti-po-po comment section!
what’s brilliant about this is the unashamed bias of the article. its not even attempted to provide alternate points of view, just immediately assumed that police forces are too big and thus inefficient, like cutting down police spending is actually doing the country a favour.
don’t get me wrong – I get it – we have no money. there are going to be budget cuts. we have to try and be more efficient. I get that. but you’d think a “professional journalist” could manage to write a balance article!!
Yet we are finding money galore for fast running and chucking sticks.
No effect on frontline staff? I see SYP are to lose their helicopter and one or two Chief Constables are FINALLY admitting that the only thing you get with less money is, well, less.
Maybe the article would be better and longer if we stole 20% of the journo’s fee?
Oh not that frickin ‘more with less’ bollox. Another soundbite just like the ‘invest to save’ twaddle. I am a frontline orange and I contain 4oz Juice, however, I seem to produce 6oz when my fruits are squeezed by the unreasonable and unsustainable demands of front-line policing. This job is killing us at the front-line; it is certainly killing me
I explained it to a caller the other day:
“If I want to build a 10 metre high wall but buy less bricks to save money, assuming I build it correctly, it ain’t going to be 10 metres high! If I cut corners though I could probably make it that high, but then it might fall down on someone, maybe you sir, and it would hurt. You might even die. You see sir, you can’t do more with less, in fact it’s dangerous to try ”
“I’d never thought of it like that officer ”
Some people have obviously heard this s***e so many times they are starting to believe it!!
Can anyone remind me which political party currently claim to be the ‘Party of Law & Order’…?
They normally take it in turns, but none of them currently seem to want the title.
UKIP I think
Removal from the £45m per day EU
Life sentences meaning life
Scrap the Human Rights Act
Double prison places and end early release scheme
Halt EU moves to give prisoners the vote
3-strikes-and-out policy introduced
“Free the police force from the straitjacket of political correctness and targets” (believe that one when I see it, TBH)
Oh, and keep PCCs (can’t have everything)
http://www.ukip.org/content/ukip-policies/2340-criminal-justice-ukip-policy
It’s understandable that they have chosen to let him out earlier than originally planned. They are probably worried that if they didn’t then he’d just escape like the rest of them…
And since when was repeatedly stabbing someone ABH?
Stab someone four times, attempt murder arrest maybe. Knock it down to a wounding or straight s.20 but ABH?!?!
Someone seems to be taking “arrest high, charge low” a bit to literally.
The ABH was for hitting his girlfriend with a brick, not for the stabbing.
I wish I could say I was surprised……………………The UK is seriously fucked up. As for The Job…………………………There have been so many cases like this recently that one hopes that these judges, and other members of the elite, are one day face to face with the scum of our society or that members of their close family are – and not across the floor of a nice, secure court but in the middle of the night in their own homes, or walking home or getting some money out of an ATM and they suffer physically and mentally – not nice – but it needs to happen!
Who’d have thought we’d have gotten to this ridiculous stage.
First 90!
Well I grind my teeth and swear at lot thanks to some paper headlines (esp Daily Wail), but wife had Crime watch on the last night and it had some results on it…. Now that had me swearing and leaving the room….
The judiciary are part of the Establishment, you simply thought that you were!
When will you get it into your heads that you live in one of the most corrupt, dysfunctional and degenerate countries in the supposed First World?
Your role is to maintain the status quo, therefore shut up, back to work, keep the bandwagon rolling and pay your taxes promptly.
Great and thanks for that. Insp G, you can close the Blog now – Maya has sorted it!
one of the most corrupt, dysfunctional and degenerate countries in the supposed First World
agreed
Read this blog for a little longer Maya and you may see that Coppers on the whole refuse to engage in the corrupt, dysfunctional and degeneration that is happening in this country.
(Ask yourself why would an Inspector continue a blog for so many years just to inform the public of what is going on at great personal sacrifice! Include Nightjack and all the other fantastic police blogs here.)
Mainly because on the frontline the decent, law-abiding public are the one’s getting hurt here. Talk to any front-line public servant and ask them why they continue in their job. Money rarely comes into the equation.
The gold-plated degree holders need to be held to account as they fill positions of power but have the least contact with real life in the UK.
Interesting debate on The Today Prog between Nick Herbert and Yvette Cooper. Nah, I lied, not interesting at all. The pompous Tory boy did his thing and the batty left wing wife of the deranged Ed Balls is suddenly the police-person’s friend. What a pair of utter politicians. No good news there!
You’d think these people would have gotten their priorities right about something this important but i guess it isn’t like it was back in the day – have a nice day y’all!
£80 million on a failed smartphone initiative? £80 million????????
I know, Glocks’ would have been preferable.
blah blah blah … what day is it ? I off for a bacon roll.
I was gonna comment, but I don’t really have anything to say on the issue… I’m not surprised, but then I’ve not been surprised ever since I went to court for a section five ticket, and after finding the guy guilty, the magistrates gave him a 12 month conditional discharge, which to my mind was less of a punishment than the £80 fine I had tried to give him in the first instance, not to mention the court costs he had incurred by opting for the trial in the first place. *shrugs*
In others news, apparently police forces aren’t using blackberry’s effectively enough – presumably thats because we didn’t use BB messenger to effectively organise our response to the riots in the summer – everyone else was!
Here in the big smoke I don’t get given a blackberry. I also don’t get given a taser, and my fleece doesn’t say police on the back or have those nice blue and white checks across the back of it. I also don’t get issued with one of those fancy cs holders with the cord that secures the cs to the kit belt, and my baton holder is a piece of nylon with the bizarre property of making it harder to draw your baton the more you need it, like some kind of inverse officer safety equipment.
Oh, and in other news, my attempts to get off of team might be stymied by the fact I am a response driver. So now I am effectively getting penalised for sticking my head over the parapet and opting to do a driving course, a driving course that is entirely voluntary.
Brilliant.
Today is my last day off before six more wonderful shifts. I am revising “Evidence and Procedure” for my skippers exam.
*yawn*
Stay safe out there
What’s that you say Londonirvdriver. Didn’t you mention that your foot cramped and spasmed on the accelerator the other day. Was that you?
I think that if that was you you should email your supervisor as maybe you should be removed from driving. Imagine if it should happen again.
If you aren’t sure why post?
Or you are sure and you’re living up to the cute gif?
Go find the post you mean and respond to that.
S’easy peasy.
eh?
Asitis: Knock! Knock!
London Driver: Whose there:
Asitis: Emmy.
London Driver: Emmy who?
Asitis: Emmy the total pudding from planet ga ga
Do you mean WHO’S there?
Get in to detail pls.
Note especially the little detail that my question was to the poster aptly labelled as ‘owned’.
/
Hmmm. Emmy my dear fellow, it must surely pain you greatly when you sit down.
Don’t project about your own condition, a rubber ring to sit on might help xxx.
Do you know feral?
Is that a poster?
I know when poster after poster comments re the same mistake, it’s hard to know whether they’re actually mistaken or just supporting each other.
London driver made a post, Owned responded in what seemed an accusing way as well as being facetious with their first few words.
My first post was to Owned; are the mists clearing?
43 and a half.
But not if it’s raining on thursdays.
I can’t stand celery, but the cream flavoured cement feels nice on the wings.
Alfred
I am scared of ghosts and don’t like sprouts.
Good to see you and P’Ed posting something sensible for a change.
And you are both wrong as it is about 4oz.
Give or tale.
right….
Emmy, I think I see what you were saying. It’s not eminently clear whose comment you were replying to.
I think the point is that driving is a voluntary thing – if I chose not to drive I wouldn’t have to and every time I take a response call and put the blue lights on, I am not only putting my life and the lives of my passengers on the line, but also every other person on the roads. Ultimately I could easily end up in court.
I take that chance so that people get a decent emergency response. Remind me why I do that again when it gets held against me!
Because people get out of the way.
And you are good at what you do.
It’s the lack of backup that fcks it all up.
Imagine that.
It shouldn’t be held against you London Driver unless someone just thinks you’re exceeding the speed limit and using lights and siren because you’re on the way back to base and shaking sugar off the donuts xxx
This is an interesting listen on radio 4 now
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b9hjq
Treezer’s shown her ignorance again; no pay increments for years of service (a.k.a. experience and knowledge of area and its population).
“Appeals beak Sir John Thomas……..”
I had to re-read that bit, when I was a lad ‘John Thomas’ was a euphemism for prick/cock/knob/penis………..Oh, I see what I did there!!
OMG – there is ALWAYS someone from a squad to lower the tone!
Have to admit to stifling a major snigger when I saw the name. I blame the parents myself.
OK let’s get a little more in-depth on this, can we?
Yes he had his sentence reduced.
To 14 years.
Of which he is to serve 12, the remainder on licence.
Now, I’d happily shoot the little sod, but I’m a mean bastard. In todays sentencing arena 12 years isn’t too bad I think.
However, I’m quite sure we haven’t seen the last of the little shite…he stabs a copper and has already assaulted his ex-girlfriend, once with a brick, twice.
I think that with an attitude like that he will surely come to notice again one day….unless he jets a reality check from the other inmates over the next 11 years…….which I think he will.
Bill.
he won´t serve 12 years….. he´ll serve 6 at the very most, more likely to be 3 or 4. after that he´ll be realesed early and on licence and probation.
He should serve 2/3rds of his sentence according to the rules. Either way he sounds like every other little scroat who will no doubt be brought down to earth by some geezer named ‘Horse’ or ‘Donkey’ and not because they are vets.
Once some of the lags find out he has been beating up on women, no doubt they will give him a ‘welly top’!!!
You hope, doubt it’ll actually happen
Mrs. Doughnut there is no need to lecture me on prison sentences. I was once the equivalent of a Govenor Grade 2 and made sentence calculations for convicted persons on a near daily basis.
The Judges have ordered that he WILL serve 12.
Bill.
.
I wasnt lecturing anyone, I was despairing. If it turns ut the bloke is inside until 2024 ill be baking you a double layer chocolate and cherry ckae and write ; “billisright” in candied violet letters on top, served w beverege of your choice.
But I still kinda doubt it though.
On that description I very much hope Bill is right – yum!
I know personally of an offender who was released after 7 years when the original trial judge said in open court that he must serve a minimum of 15 years.
When I raised this with Probation they simply shrugged and told me it happens all the time.
Just saying……
Bill. You my friend, are talking bollocks.
Bill, regardless of your experience as a prison governor you are wrong.
He did receive an IPP where he had to serve 6 before being eligible for parole with the potential that he remains in custody indefinitely as per the IPP conditions.
He’s been given an extended sentence where he has to serve six but then has 8 years on licence. Google “extended sentences and dangerous offenders” if you want.
“I was once the equivalent of a Govenor Grade 2 ”
What’s that then
It’s one rank below Govenor grade 1 …. how ever theres probably not much between the two aprt from a slightly bigger office as i’m sure that both ranks clock off before 5!!
Exactamundo Mucker!
ML Get on to Lances’ FB Page. I’ve sent him a Pic you’ll appreciate!
Maroon Lid. I have the photo. My user name is Lance Manley on FB. Profile photo is a Caracal cat’s face.
Lance I found you but only through your ‘scarecrows book’ site …. there were only 4 pics on your profile … diving one and three others …. ?
I restricted the ability to find me. I’ll remove the block. Try again. Caracal cat looking up is the profile photo.
Story in the Metro a couple of days ago about a guy who raped a two-year-old and left her with “horrific gential injuries” requiring multiple surgergies to repair; got six years (automatic release after three, natch) and was told by the tough guy judge that it would have been eight/four (gasp!) if he hadn’t plead guilty.
If the criminal justice system in any way lined up with the people’s wishes he probably would have been executed; certainly he would at the least have spent his entire life in a cell.
Am I surprised that a mere cop-stabber has had his sentence reduced? Am I buggery.
Awful. That poor girl.
Agreed.
NB
I agree the bastard should be executed but as many in our country don’t have the stomach for that he should spend the rest of his life in a tiny cell with no light. However there are idiots in this country like Victor Stirling who think evil bastards like this can be rehabilitated and it is because of these idiots evil dangerous bastards are able to live freely in our society without any fear of the consequences of their crimes.
My thoughts go out to all the armed officers who will be patrolling the Olympics. If they see a probable terrorist suspect, they will be damned if they do shoot and damned if they don’t.
Pity help you all.
Which is why the cops that shot Menezes deserve gallantry medals. As Ian Blair said in his book and I said in mine. If he HAD been a suicide bomber and they HADN’T shot him they’d have been under investigation on manslaughter charges if he’d detonated bombs and killed people.
Every time there is a post from Gadget that is critical of sentencing, a counter article will inevitably appear within 16 hours, and this is today´s example:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2092578/Police-compensation-payouts-12million-including-120-000-bruise.html
sigh
Same as any large organisation, but i suppose they can make it seem anti police so why not give it a go.
I have had bruised knees for just about half my service on response. No one has ever given me any money for that, its hard enough getting trousers replaced when they have massive holes in.
I have had bruised knees for just about half my service on response.
What in God’s name have you been doing?
Better not answer that…..
Would joke about sucking at the job but thought better of it!
Banned ..go directly to spam filter and do not pass go.
Ever!
Just read that article Mrs D and what a load of pap it is. Looking at it in real terms, it is just an article about compensation claims through lawyers.
I very much doubt the SMT’s were involved and left the lawyers to thrash out the details and of course, make themselves lots and lots of £££’s. Nothing more than an article about insurance claims, that’s all.
a critical article about the police appears in the Mail every 16 hours even when I don’t post….
When are they going to build some big fuck off prisons and start locking this dross up, for full and decent sentences? TCJSF. I hope the legal team that assisted with this case can sleep at night, when this turd gets out and kills or maims someone else. Mind you it’ll still be blamed on police.
A close friend of mine is a barrister (not criminal but deals with much same client group we do). Last time I asked “how do you sleep at night?” Her reply was “on a much more comfortable & expensive bed than you.” Says it all really
I think that’s something that’s taught at Barrister school, because the woman that was employed by the Met to teach us about giving evidence trotted out the same line. She was ferociously intelligent and cut some of my colleagues to ribbons, very funny – until you think about her getting slag off on technicalities or because she made an honest-but-slow copper look like a fool or a liar.
Ive heard it from a female barrister at a training day, probably the same woman, nice buttons I recall, reminded me of a school teacher
I pity people who are driven by money. I feel sorry for them and i think its really sad. They need big cars and houses and flash holidays to make them feel better about themselves? Think about it… how sad and hollow you have to be inside to have money be your motivater.
Us cops joined because we care and because we want to make a difference. Not to be rich.
Money does not make you happy. But it buys a particularly comfortable form of misery.
I agree with you on the money thing. People who are materialistic are never happy, cos they always want more!
Yeah she work for/with this group…. according to one of my trainers she was earning a fortune to make us look like idiots…. (which she did very effectively), smart woman but totally arrogant and absolutely no problem with getting the guilty off using whatever tactics she could.
Sleeping on samde mattress I had when I was in the Job, must be doing something wrong!
Yet another example of dreadful sentencing. http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2012/january/25/baby_batterer.aspx
“James Horton was sentenced on the basis he was a loving father who had a momentary lapse of control.
He was not being punished, said a judge, for several older fractures baby Scarlet was found to have to her ribs.”
Wait, what?
“Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said he made it clear that while it was a disturbing feature she was found to have historic injuries, he was being sentenced on the basis it was a single offence and he did not intend to cause serious injury.”
/facepalm
And some chavilicious comments too!
So what do you want Julia? The Judge to sentence him for offences for which he has not been charged or convicted? Worked well in Northern Ireland did that.
Now the door is open to charge him with those further offences if evidence comes to light to prove them, such as evidence from his spouse.
Stop letting the Press dictate what you think and read between the lines.
Bill.
I understand what you say but as a MOP I would have thought a custodial sentence was in order. When a baby has her arm broken, most people don’t need the press to dictate how they think.
Oh, I’m pretty good at reading between the lines. For instance, just this afternoon I was reading the story of the young man found dead from shotgun wounds, decapitated and on fire.
I was particularly struck by the victim’s family and their description of him (made via WMP press office) as ‘a loveable and cheeky character’.
I can certainly read between those lines….
Julia… i dont know that story of the victim you describe as being decapitated and set on fire. However, he is still a HUMAN BEING. Read what you want between the lines, but i still have my morals.
Dreadful as it is, reading the carefully worded article ( avoid being sued for slander?), I think there is more to it than we see here.
The child is in foster care, the old injuries may have been caused by someone else (the mother isn´t mentioned, but it seems he was merely babysitting the child for a couple of hours).
The way the judge specifically pointed out that he wasn´t convicted for the older injuries but only this single one, speaks volumes. I see it the other way around from what Bill is saying above, I think the judge isn´t leaving doors open at all.
Either way, I can only hope the Social Services keep a very close eye on the little girl from now on, leaving her with what is hopefully loving foster or adopted parents.
horrific – he broke a three year old girls arm! i mean come on!!
Your course of action seems clear.
STart stabbing judges.
Actually, it may be that the other offences are what a jury failed to convict him of last year, in which case the Judge is closing the door on a possible appeal against sentence. Not as cut and dried as it seems if it took a majority verdict to convict him on only one of several ofences.
Bill.
<————— Just saw this. Agreed.
Guv,
Police cuts are one of main ‘stories’ in the papers today. This link provided by MPSnP above:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9041829/A-policemans-lot.html
Usual tripe about cutting ‘back office etc’
One of the responses to the article (copied below) deserves to be front page on your blog:
“Was this article written by the Tories? A total lack of facts coupled with zero practical suggestions for how police should proceed.
Despite much twaddle about cutting back office roles, the Tories and the Telegraph have yet to explain exactly what roles they consider expendable. The ‘back office’ CID? the ‘back office’ domestic violence units? The ‘back office’ missing persons units? The ‘back office’ child protection teams? The ‘back office’ IBO teams who provide live intelligence on incidents and people in real time?
You can bet your bottom dollar that no politician or chief constable will dare suggest that Orwellian types such as ‘diversity officers’ should get P45s.
Hundreds of civilian control room staff have been sacked or have not been replaced, meaning that warranted officers have been pulled off the streets and put in control centres.
Custody Sergeants are pensioned off and replaced by cheap Detention Officers, who then have to be replaced by police officers pulled from – you guessed it – the streets.
Civilian admin staff who build case files for court have been removed or re-tasked, meaning that patrol officers have to spend hours more in the nick generating the repetitive forms that the useless CPS demand – for jobs that will often get dropped anyway because the CPS will only run with a stone bonker.
Response teams – the officers who work 24/7 answering emergency calls are being cut to the bone, as are their overtime budgets and their car fleets. They aren’t given the tools to do the job, and have ludicrously unsafe policies such as Single Patrol forced upon them. Anyone here feel like tackling a madman with a knife on their own? Me neither, but I’ve had to, because you can’t predict which encounter out of the thousands we have each day in each force will go bent.
The most recent intake of recruits haven’t even had a proper training course – to save money, they have been given cursory training as a special constable and then dumped in at the deep end. They are almost without exception absolutely woeful at the job; endangering their colleagues and more importantly, failing to protect the public.
Meanwhile most of our bosses are deceiving you, the public – to keep their jobs and curry favour with the politicians. We can’t do ‘more with less’, we were barely treading water as it was.
If the Telegraph wants to be taken seriously, it should state which specific job roles it envisages cutting, so that we can have an informed debate – rather than just churning out fawning pro-Tory-cuts sycophancy.
Gloating over cutting our salaries and pensions for a job most people would refuse point blank to do is not very edifying, and certainly won’t prevent society from going to the dogs when the cuts really begin to bite.
I earn around the same after tax as the proposed cap on benefits – the Bishops seem to think that’s inhumane for people who sit at home watching Jeremy Kyle – I get it for working 45 hours a week dodging knives and trying to stop mentally ill people kill themselves.”
Says it all. Bravo that man.
That man must be Gadget diversifying!! If its not, get him a top job advising the PNB.
How about copying and pasting to all your MP’s and local newspapers??
Agreed…
agreed it will go on the front page
*blush*
Fine article. Articulate and to the point.
‘The most recent intake of recruits haven’t even had a proper training course – to save money, they have been given cursory training as a special constable and then dumped in at the deep end. They are almost without exception absolutely woeful at the job; endangering their colleagues and more importantly, failing to protect the public.’
As a Special, I totally agree, as you all know I have a bit of a downer on my own kind but I’m right. SCs cannot replace regular officers.
And another. Six months suspended for throwing a guy against a moving train?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-16755863
Why wasn’t he thrown inside? Another shocking failure to give appropriate sentences. This is thrown into stark contrast by the woman who is doing six months inside contempt after researching a defendant whilst on jury duty.
So, stab and maim who you like, but don’t dare piss off a judge. FFS.
I agree with the jury one, though… when members of the jury do stupid things like it jeopardises the case. If the case has to be re-tried because of some stupid bafoon from the jury who goes on facebook, or whatever… think of the expense and time that takes.
—
I agree the other guy should have got a jail time also… only thing i can think of is the jails are full and the system isnt coping.
I agree with the jury one too, but to compare the two cases – one could have killed someone and did injure them, the other pissed off a judge. Hmmm.
Its not just pissing off the judge, though is it? If you think of serious cases, like rape or murder. Think of the impact it has on the victim and their families and the witnesses if the whole thing has to be started over again because of one nit-wit on the jury.
Some good news. I wonder how the Smiley Culture protest movement (J mcintyre etc will react? http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/9498225.Pair_connected_to_Smiley_Culture_drugs_racket_f
Listen, can you hear it?
Its the deafening silence of those trying to ignore the truth…
Surely these people were only smuggling drugs because society is so racist that they cant get jobs.
Plus it’s obviously a police stitch up to help cover up the murder of Mr S.Culture.
I mean c’mon, that’s obvious isn’t it!
For a moment my heart sank…I thought you were on about Smiley Miley from the Radio One Roadshow!
Re British police officers being almost completely outgunned when it comes to being able to react when someone procuces a knife on them , and by way of example the stabbing of the 4 officers in the met recently ; apart from the criminal investigation does anyone know if the case was referred to the Health and safety executive to look into the serious injuries in the workplace that the officers suffered?. People came very close to dying there and if the H&E cannot drive change then I am not sure if Chiefs have the will to do it .
Whatever control measures the Met thought they had in place to protect workers was clearly inadequate and only a taser each for all patrol officers could be described as somewhat approaching reducing the risk.
its clear the judiciary can offer no protection to those who try to uphold the law with stiff sentencing ,so the least the Police chiefs can do is give officers something as a deterent and the ability to hit back. I feel the nation is on your side on this one (except those living in Hampstead).
No money eh?
———————————————————————————————-
West Kent Sexual Diversity Forum
If you’re a lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender resident of West Kent, then Kent Police are running a forum that might be of interest to you…
All Areas
Residents of Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling are invited to attend this group and discuss community safety issues affecting the LGBT community.
The forum will be taking place at 6pm on; 18th April, 11th July, and 10th October at Tonbridge Police Station.
……. sounds like a top night …. the anticipation and build up to this event must have the residents of Tonbridge in a frenzy ….. ffs
No money eh? No recruitment eh?
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24031613-met-recruits-700-new-officers-to-patrol-the-streets.do
Do you think there’s some spin going on? Sorry – barefaced lies!
’160 transferees and a further 400 current police community support officers’
is not
’700 new police officers to patrol the streets’
besides, none of us county mounties want to come down there because of the rumours about the parking ban, free rail travel ending and the loss of the London allowances
“rumours about the parking ban, free rail travel ending ”
Sadly these aren’t rumours.
My old nick was shut for response and we all moved to a patrol base (warehouse) with the best bits being there was no parking in the base unless you were Insp of above, or were IBO (mini fisher-price int cell) staff, and all the parking nearby is either residents only or fkin miles away (read 15 – 20 min walk through sh1tsville)
A chum of mine is a bitc….er……’Staff Officer’ for a senior rank and has told me no-duff that 2014 i.e. the end of the current contract, the subsidised travel IS going to go.
Which makes no sense as all Revenue Protection Officers Ive met seem to like having us nearby, especially now the whole Met is on a very similar shift pattern so we’re all getting the same trains in/out at the same time….
Plus, last time it cost £16m per year…
so…£16m spread across each officer in the Met (taking it to be 32,000ish)
= 500 a year each, or £41.67 a month.
Im pretty sure most of the officers in the Met would swallow that themselves.
The Job has been telegraphing for years that it intends to stop paying for the travel concession – helped by all the whining police staff on NSY forums complaining about it. Didn’t see too many civvie staff on there complaining that officers aren’t entitled to hour-long lunch breaks and generous paternity/maternity rights.
Many – if not most – people don’t use national rail much, so are unlikely to want to take a £40-50 hit to help out those that do.
The only chance of maintaining a reasonable concession is for the Fed to put pressure on ATOC to reduce the cost. As you say, rail staff – even Bob Crowe! – love having us there. We are surely a cost-neutral perk, most don’t live out beyond the tube, and even if we were all getting in on national rail it would be a tiny fraction of the total number of travellers every shift.
Tube/bus travel remains free regardless of the ATOC stuff – the tax we’re paying at the moment is only on the use of national rail.
Dude, I love you like a brother but..
“Many – if not most – people don’t use national rail much, so are unlikely to want to take a £40-50 hit to help out those that do.”
depends a lot where you work.
My lot mainly use the train. I reckon ony 30-40% use their cars 100% of the time.
but even so, adjust that for those who use it more, those that do would still pay a fair bit per moth to offset that.
However…..
if we lose it, we will be bummed senseless on parking charges. Most councils want to massively (im thinking a quote once presented to me of £15 per day) increase parking charges.
As a community officer I was told, face to face that “We don NOT want you lot driving to work, regardless of what time you start OR finish, it’s down to your management to organise timely handovers etc”
Ok I fully admit that Iphone keypads are utter Toilet when typing fast
I’ve no doubt there are teams with high national rail usage, but I doubt that’s representative – especially when you factor in SNT and office-dwellers who often have access to parking spaces.
I think about 60% of officers – was it 19,000? – signed up to the tax-paying part of the scheme. I reckon a lot less would sign up to something that cost them ten times as much – meaning the cost would go up even more.
Totally understand why people want and need it – I’d like to retain it and would consider paying a bit more – but I don’t think the majority will be prepared to stump up.
Ref. parking – you’re spot on, our local council has already diddled us with new zones near the nick. The closest free parking is now about a mile away – great for those 3am finishes, walking through bandit country!
I tried to find some figures but got bored too easily. I did find this:
http://www.met.police.uk/foi/pdfs/disclosure_2011/february/2011010000807.pdf
Which states that the MPS agreed with HMRC that only 5.9 million of the 16.9 million cost referred to private travel in 2009-2010. If that remains roughly the same (and it seems difficult for them to argue that it doesn’t) then perhaps we would only be sharing about 6 million between us. The tax liability is 3.4 million, so we’d still only be paying 200% more rather than 1,000% more. I’d carry on paying £15 a month on the off chance I want to pop to Brighton or Pompey for a day trip every so often.
Still, leave it to HR and NSY to screw us over regardless!
“We are surely a cost-neutral perk, most don’t live out beyond the tube”
Seriously? Maybe out west where you are, but where i am, only 4 on my team can afford to live in the MPD.
Seriously, not a dig, but its proper sad that we cant live where we work anymore.
Agreed. Although if you listen to Malthouse it’s because we favour Copland-esque ‘ghettoes’ outside London.
Just like all the politicians?
Well, when was the last time you saw one of those living amongst the vibrant inner city diversity they so love…?
Where does Kit live?
Already swallowed Jacqui the Chins betrayal…the pay freeze…the overtime cuts, free rail travel gone and maybe even the pension rape…but lop off another £6500 of our annual income in one fell swoop? A suicidal step too far. The Met will collapse.That’s our rent/mortgage payments. Can’t believe they’re even contemplating it. But they are. They’re insane. End of.
160 transferees are not new officers. They are officers poached from ‘patrolling the streets’ elsewhere.
Also the 400 current PCSOs are currently employed ‘patrolling the streets’ on foot which is the last thing they’ll be doing when they’re employed as regular police officers.
The spin never stops.
Lots of them will probably be used by Teams to replace the Designated Detention Officers who are now busy warming chairs pretending to be skippers – meaning that the constables they were supposed to be replacing are being pulled off the streets and plonked in custody suites again.
One PCSO I know who is starting a course soon has been told that most of her intake will be parcelled off to niche teams such as Safer Transport and SNT.
They are only doing an 11 week course at Hendon – which sounds crap (mine was 32) but is at least better than the recent batch of ex-specials we’ve had join us, who had little or no formal classes. They are – almost without exception – totally ineffectual and non-combat effective.
they really are getting a bum end of the deal – they are getting so little training they genuinely do not know what they are doing!
I think the article is correct Serf. My team has 6-7 PCSO’s half-way through the training course.They report back to how full the classes are.
The only down-side is all the experienced ones leaving.Met police notices is full of them every week.Rats leaving a sinking ship perhaps?
As Lord Gadget of Ruralshire says, there is money, it’s just where they choose to spend it.
Cameron is all about big business, Public Service means nothing to him.
Youre spot on re the rats leaving the sinking ship, I know quite a few officers of about 7-15 years service taking ‘career breaks’ they have no intention of returning from.
That’s what I meant, 700 only slightly new PCs now and a few thousand will be retiring as quickly as possible to save their pension rights post Olympics – plus the A19s for the rest…… net result?
Mrs Serf is banking on an early retirement offer – dream on!
Still you’ll all be getting a nice medal from Her Maj.
My thoughts exactly. I think they’re seriously underestimating how many officers within a few years of retirement will be looking to go a few years early on the current pension rather than stay for the new one. The only way they’ll get round it would be to announce the changes and introduce them overnight.
It wouldn’t take a huge amount to hand their notice in to seriously upset the apple cart because of the 2 year turnaround it takes to replace experienced officers with new recruits.
Unfortunately I’ve got just too much service left to go for it to be a slam dunk decision, but my career has boiled down to the following questions.
1. How much is left on my mortgage?
2. How much commutation have I accrued? (I’ve already accrued
the half pension)
3. What would I get if they introduced the voluntary redundancy scheme?
As soon as 2 or 3 (if in place) equal 1 then I’m probably gone. I have a registered business interest that will just become my new full time job.
Fully agree – the only light in that tunnel is that they still need an act of parliament to make the changes they want – so they can’t spring it on us!
This is inevitable – the met used ‘free’ travel to recruit in the Home counties – when you cut it then those officers with transferable skills can and will make a decision based on pure economics.
This is so obvious that the mps must know this will happen – one can only conclude they are happy for it to happen.
Thought you might all like to know. Wasting MORE Police Time is now listed at being available on 1st Feb 2012. On Amazon.
excellent! Roll on that date!
City of London cops are at this moment evicting the mob who ‘occupied’ a disused bank in Leadenhall st this morning. Getting a bit tasty by all accounts.
A good chum on my team with seven years service, and not as institutionalised as me, said today that when the free train travel goes (rumoured to be in 2014) he’s going to resign.He’s young enough to start a new career.
The sad thing is he feels like this even though he’s spent his whole career in a leafy outer suburb and not set foot in scumville central like Lambeth/Southwark/Hackney.
Can’t blame him really.
Read in the Federation newsletter about Camerons quote at the beginning of January.
It’s where he said Police were not locking enough criminals up.
But the jails are at bursting point!
Why hasn’t this been publicised more.
I have 8 years in. If I could go I would go tomorrow.
Reminds me of the factory I used to work in years ago. To save money they reduced pay and set loads of temp. staff on . Nobody ended up giving a s…e. It is now closed!
Jade are you male or female? We have a bet on…
Read this and weep (literally)
http://thecustodyrecord.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/wedding-presents/#comment-356
IG Really not fair, I was in quite a pleasant mood now I am sitting here with tears rolling my face and a snotty nose.
Brought back too many memories!
Beautifully written. It will bring tears to your eyes.
Now Im upset.
A row with the Mrs, plus this link – AND he looks like my black lab!
Damn tears do steam up a space helmet
ok so that was not good today. mum´s had a very bad night, and I need to go back home tomorrow and back to work.
not helping…..
I realised where this was probably going by paragraph 3 and stopped reading right there. For the same reason, I won’t watch Marley and Me.
Couldn’t we have more stories or movies where chav scum pop their clogs in the final minutes………We all like tales with a happy ending.
Giving an indefinite sentence at a trial is surely a waste of time (and money) as the defendant will almost certainly appeal using the legal aid system, thus keeping lawyers in the style to which they have become accustomed. Of course, they might well argue that they are saving the state money by being released earlier. The lunatics are indeed running the asylum.
Ian Dale just completely owned on LBC by the wife of an RBS employee who has been made redundant, a decent man with a family and mortgage.
Dale changed his views about the Stephen Hester bonus immediately, live on air.
Don’t these people have any imagination? Why did he have to wait until someone called in to see this?
This is the most embarrassing thing when working in London, the people think youre defending the bankers…….
Really? That’s the MOST embarrassing thing?
By ‘the people’ you must be referring to those self-absorbed, generally immature and naive, left wing tossers who ‘protest’ about anything simply to cause trouble and who think Jeremy Hardy, Mark Thomas and Marcus Brigstock are HILARIOUS every time they say Thatcher – whilst the rest of us fund their tedious lives and activities through the best benefits system on the globe. Amazing how many of these f*uckwits seem to be the dross of the rest of the EU.
Maybe you’d be surprised at how many people I know who have jobs and reckon there’s something wrong with the banking world, even if they aren’t sure exactly what to do about it. Then there’s the comments I’ve seen online from people who don’t understand why the top bankers keep getting away with poor performance, compared to themselves who’d get sacked for what they have done.
No I’m not surprised but it isn’t just about bankers is it? The great silent majority in the UK have far more important things to worry about, I would list them but I’m sure you know what they are – whilst regarding Richard Hester as a fat, greedy c*nt but realising there’s plenty of those around – as there always has been.
Those with more than one cell in their brains who have to work, pay tax and are worrying about the rent or the mortgage realise that the police, the once great British police service, has been rendered an impotent scapegoat for the entire criminal justice system, betrayed by it’s own highly politicised and self centred senior management and the political elite – all who display the same qualities as Richard Hester and his well padded chums.
The thing is they don’t have much sympathy because they realise that there’s nothing they can do about it. The ‘vote’ and the normal democratic process doesn’t allow them, for all the puffing and posturing of Cleggy and Cameron, to have any influence over how this country is run – the MP’s expenses disclosures opened everyone’s eyes about that and the fact that on about 6 or 7 gripped the rail over it.
They just want to keep their jobs and look after their families and try not to think about a future without a decent pension – if only they can afford to pay for one while their kids are young and while ‘Ed’ Milliband warns them they may have to take a pay cut to keep their jobs – something that tosser has never had in his life.
‘Ed’ earns a nice wedge PLUS expenses and has the ultimate in gold plated pensions already in place. He may also get one from the House of Lords at some point. As the UK will never leave the EU he could even get an EU post like that slimeball Mandelson and let’s not forget that man and woman of ‘the people’ those other Socialist firebrands Neil and Glenys Kinnock, millionaires WITH pensions x3 – all paid for us, the poor old drones.
The UK isn’t ruled by a male dominated fundamentalist religious theocracy with a medieval mindset or a corrupt bloated dictator using the billions in foreign aid from the UK to fund a lavish lifestyle as well as feathering a few Swiss and offshore bank accounts whilst ‘the people’ live in extreme poverty or where ‘the people’ are the playthings of rival warlords in a never ending tribal/civil war – but we have as much power and influence as these poor bastards.
A UK Spring at some point? No. not really what ‘we, the people ‘ do is it?
” The UK isn’t ruled by a male dominated fundamentalist religious theocracy with a medieval mindset or a corrupt bloated dictator using the billions in foreign aid from the UK to fund a lavish lifestyle as well as feathering a few Swiss and offshore bank accounts whilst ‘the people’ live in extreme poverty or where ‘the people’ are the playthings of rival warlords in a never ending tribal/civil war – but we have as much power and influence as these poor bastards.
A UK Spring at some point? No. not really what ‘we, the people ‘ do is it?”
Unfortunately you are correct. The British people are conditioned from birth to know their place. Class is “British disease” Everyone wants to find someone lower than themself. We see it on this board when reference is made to “Swamp” estates or “Feral children” The ability to categorise such people or places provides a little succour as the screw is tightened on us. It is encouraged by the elite as a tactic of divide and rule. One day, the majority of British people will wake up and see how they have been hoodwinked and demands for change will follow and will occur. Unfortunately, the majority will have to live in servitude for several generations before enough people realise the truth of this.
We see it on this board when reference is made to “Swamp” estates or “Feral children”
Bollocks.
What you see there is me relating what I see with my own eyes each day.
There is no complexity to it. They are bad and allowed to exist by the welfare state.
Glad you’ve seen it. At least you know where your children’s children are headed.
In the past week i have spoken to 3 Officers i work with, albeit on a different shift. They have disclosed that they are being treated for stress and were quite open about it. One officer has about 18 years in, she doesn’t envisage she will be able to do her full 30 as she is depressed enough now.
Another has 20 years in and the other has only 8 years in. The human cost appears to be irrelevant, it is not all about the money either. Assault police has become almost acceptable, the system geared, as stated by previous posts, to be around smart greedy people making honest hard-working folk look like fools.
The business world is suited to inscrupulous, greedy and selfish people as they seem to rise to the top. We are not even on their radar, do you think those judges care about the reality of the situation on the streets?
We are not serfs or peasants, we have a right to health and protection. As the govt., ACPO etc don’t seem to be bothered, can we all make the effort to look after our colleagues and ourselves.
TDE,
Your story reminds me of a song that I think fits in very nicely with your moniker and story.
http://tinyurl.com/3sorsj
Meanwhile back in the real world, Senior officer praised by Judge for doing what we do everyday…..
http://www.u.tv/News/Senior-PSNI-officer-chases-armed-robbers/320d5991-1219-4464-a207-7d005bae8373
Only we would have been investigated for the car chase!!!!
18 months for armed robbery FFS
Everyday CC, every feckin day! In a country where people do 2 years for blowing 9 innocent people to pieces in a shop, 18mths is quite high, especially for your 5th conviction for armed robbery!!!!
How long did the vermin of the B Specials/RUC/PSNI do for “forwarding” details of Rosemary Nelson, Pat Finucane or laughing as Hammill was kicked to death? Found Heffron’s leg yet?
“It’s nice to see our senior officers can get out from behind a desk and get on with policing in its more basic forms.”
Quite a good comment actually. Praising but a barb aimed at ACPO seat warmers at the same time!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/9046235/Operation-Elveden-four-held-over-police-payments.html
Torygraph again…. just one arrested officer- what about all the ACPOOO….
It seems someone else shares our opinion of Judges:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/9026923/Urine-found-in-judges-lunches.html
Bill
Hold on it’s from The Sun a aweek ago…
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4073430/Cops-hunting-court-kitchen-culprit-as-judges-food-is-spiked-with-urine.html
” This has left a nasty taste in the mouth”, Yeah, somebody really said that, of course they did!
They talk of a ‘host of celebrity’ defendants and then go on to name two….ha ha.
Since Snaresbrook has the highest aquittal rate in the country it’s more likely to be coppers ‘diluting the salad dressing’
Bill.
I’ve quite gone off the idea of a tossed salad now!
Not interested in the special sauce then madam?
I remember in 1984 whilst giving evidence at Snaresbrook I was told that that the aquittal rate was 92 percent………….some things never change eh ?
Oh yeah the two burglars we had arrested, caught red handed screwing a warehouse, cough on interview…………………just walked…..not guilty.
I remember something from Private Eye in the 70`s, along the lines that due to the catchment area for Snaresbrook CC jury service, most of the jury are just getting over the shock of not being in the dock. I laughed until I had a job there,.
I recall that article too, the acquittal rate was staggering. It also said the only way you would only be found guilty was if you shouted ‘GUILTY” several times, very loudly in an Australian accent. Why Australian? I don’t know, I guess Aussies were the ‘foreigners’ back then. Today, the instruction to shout ‘GUILTY’ very loudly would be printed in 20 different languages/dialects INCLUDING Welsh.
This is a disgrace, another shameful act by our judiciary.
I see that ‘judith’ in the comments section makes a defence of the judiciary, claiming they are bound by the law of the land.
If that is the case, they still have the opportunity to make reference in judgements. They can also lobby for lengthier sentences…..or does that affect their carreer path… similarly ACPO.
Paid a fortune, not for doing a good job….paid a fortune for toeing the masters line. We are constrained by limited freedom of speech, save for blogs like this.
Meanwhile in Rural England decent people despair
‘We are in a desperate situation, yet no politician will confront the issue for fear of being branded a racist.
‘Yet, the mass of Latvians, Lithuanians, Polish and Russians into this small town has been astonishing to say the least.
‘Local 18 to 25-year-olds are losing out in the jobs market. There’s widespread drunken and anti-social behaviour. Shop-lifting and motoring offences are commonplace.
‘There have been five murders among the Eastern European community living here in the past two years. These new arrivals drink alcohol in public, urinate against parked cars or walls, and they are very intimidating and congregate in gangs.
‘They originally came to work on farms here five years ago, but now own shops and cafes, clubs and restaurants. Drug-dealing and drug-taking is commonplace.
Best give Wisbech a miss then
And the Central Division of Cambridgeshire Constabulary are doing precisely what? Perhaps their SMT should let us know.
They are worrying about Op Redesign, The same as everyone else.
Locals call it “wizbekistan”
Have only just found this blog and am glad that everyone else around the country seems to feel the same way about the judiciary. Tougher sentencing needs to become the norm with people like this. I wonder if he had stabbed a member of the public would his sentence have been reduced?
I went back to work this week after taking 4 weeks off with what the doctor says is Anxiety & depression. Big mistake. Had 6′s served on me within a day following complaints from shit who I locked up last year, alleging assault. Talk about compassion and looking after the welfare of officers.
Best of it was, the gentleman was locked up for assault police & obstruct, but CPS wouldn’t run it. Yet PSD went out of their way to stick me on for assaulting him!
Makes me sick. Talking of which, I feel another 4 weeks off coming up…
I understand what you are saying. But you know what annoys me? The rest of us who stay are left to pull the weight of the one who is off with stress.
Some people do play the system and that annoys me. There is a guy on my team who was always a lazy so-and-so. Now he works part-time day hours on restriction because of stress. He is still a “number” on our team.. but we are one less in the real world. Means more work and stress for the ones who actually work.
Just saying…
Aye. Time was there were more coppers at Heathrow ( hardly a stressfull nick) working a sickie than in the whole of the rest of the Met put together.
Thanks to them the rules about early retirement on full pay were tightened up no end and people with REAL issues were prevented from early retirement on health grounds, a system fought for for many years by the Fed, ripped apart by a few work-shy selfish gits who had no right to call themselves coppers in the first place.
Just saying, too
Bill.
Well, if it makes any difference, I’ve never had a day off sick in my whole career up until now and I consider myself to have a fair bit of service in. There are times when I’ve gone to work when I really should have stayed at home. No-one thinks any more of you for doing it as I’ve discovered.
So I know what it’s like to cover for those who are off sick.
Fair do’s Noddy, not having a pop at you, but at some scrotes long gone on a full pension while others have to make themselves ill to stay in and earn that full pension.
I know one copper who should have been allowed to go long, long ago as a sufferer of MS, because this officer has taken A/L rather than go sick for the last 20 years they have a near perfect sick-record and the Job won’t let them go out on an ill-health because of that sick record.
Unofficial advice to the copper….go sick a lot, then we’ll reconsider your situation.
Nice.
Bill.
My favourite hobby horse-PC’s taking the piss with sick. I got compulsory transferred a few years ago because my sick record was so good.Waster colleagues with poor records were rejected by their potential boroughs.They are still there being lazy in their cushy outer areas whilst I went back to scumville inner London.
You do not get any gratitude or recognition for putting yourself out anymore!
I was told that the day I joined the job. I didn’t listen. Look where it got me!
Don`t try and justify to others your plight unless they have experienced it themselves, they are unlikely to understand.You and your family come first The job is way down the list. If you blow a fuse at work it could lead to you ending up in deep poo and your so called colleagues will drop you in an instant.Some of the laziest uniform carriers I have met go on to do their full thirty because they never have put themselves under any kind of pressure they simply turned up for 8 hours of skiving.Funnily enough the one and only Narpo event I attended were full of those types. I didn`t see any workers there. Look after yourself. Try not to let the Ba***ards grind you down.
Marriage/family breakdown,Prison sentences for momentarily losing control,Alcohol and Drug abuse,Suicide. Stress/Anxiety/Depression/PTSD It doesn`t happen to Police officers does it!.
Just Saying
Noddy Nodster I have included this link to a Jeremy vine interview with Tim Cantopher who`s Book Depression the curse of the strong is something I recomend you read. Good Luck!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00fzr8p
Noddy
Shafted is right – Put yourself first and seek help … Remember thoughts are just thoughts and You have control over them if you can get your head around them.
You are not the first to be there .. You just need to understand what brought you to this place and believe you will get through it and come back stronger …. and try to
.. It helps
I have just had an email from Amazon saying that ‘Wasting More Police Time.’ is no longer availible.
What is the situation with this long awaited follow up?
I just looked at Amazon.co.uk and it’s still listed as out 1st Feb. According to the Monday Books blog, there were complications due to having to seek legal advice on content.
Where I work there’s a fair few females who have been medically retired with 20 years in!
Apparently it gets made up to 30 years pension,
Not injured in the job, just playing the system in my eyes.
Why work another10 years when you can go with a full pension!
It’s predominantly females as well.
Just saying like!
well yes, why indeed work another 10 years if the system allows you to retire in full pension early?
I´m privately employed and the way things are going I´ll be working until I drop dead,
My neighbour used to be a prison guard.
He played the system a couple of years ago, “faking” a mental breakdown, ( he was very sick and tired of the job, prisoners getting more and more dangerous and prisons more and more crowded, and wanted out before something awful would happen)
was off sick for basically 2 years, then retired happily on full pension despite having years and years left.
Now helps a pal with his cleaning firm when he feels like it, takes the dog for walkies, relaxes in the pub…..
He misses his job and the colleagues someting terrible though.
I´m not even irritated at him for doing this, but his wife ( who works for the council) IS; she won´t be able to retire early despite some very real health issues.
Weird world.
I think Your second paragraph is the motivator for your post. How do you know he was faking it?. (Maybe he was I don`t know, neither do you!)some men are too proud to admit to the curtain twitchers and busy bodies about their problems. Maybe he should walk around with a noose in his hand, maybe then it would make you feel happier, Drinking in the afternoon is the slippery slope. I have no doubt many people are screwing the system and lowering the recruitment standards will result in people being recruited into a job that they can`t handle. But for the sake of those genuinely ill Don`t throw the baby out with the bath water.
He told me he was faking it. Hes got problems with the wife because he had promised to work full time, but does not. Hes at the pub cause hes bored out of his skull at being a househusband, but has been home for rhree years and wont get going… Cant say much more abt the situation wout giving away too much, but there are always two sides too medal, sorry on mobil re typos
Whinger if you retire on ill health with more than 20yrs service, you get two years pensionable for every one year worked ie do 22yrs get a 24 yrs service pension. The magic number is 26yrs service if retired on ill health your pensionwill equate to 30 yrs service.
I was ill health retired after 24 yrs service even through I wanted to stay in because I was high tone deaf and had another injury from being set on fire. The job refused to let me come back to wor, so thats how the pension is worked out for all staff.
Just saying? what’s that all about? Just asking!
FIRST to have a pop at someone moaning about just saying – just saying.
I thought medical retirements got made up to the 30 if you were so retired with 26.5 years or more service?
@ Broken Bill and anyone else posting about piss taking uniform carriers – let’s not forget the so called police officers and support staff who belong to the ‘easily offended and permanently aggrieved community’ and have their own various staff associations.
I don’t know the exact amount of millions of pounds paid out to these people for any number of ‘-ist’ claims. Plus the druggies that have been sent to The Priory instead of being nicked. Sure there’s some genuine matters but these get swallowed up in the sheer amount of sh*ite generated by ‘colleagues’.
All of this has contributed to where the police service is today. Once upon a time is was a disciplined, mainly male uniformed service, lots of ex-servicemen, well there was National Service remember, with a quasi military rank structure and a discipline code. No ‘childcare issues’ then – not saying that was good but the changes and privileges have been clearly abused by many.
many of you have stories about newbies who refuse to accept they must be at work on a weekend or at night or that they can’t have a day off when they want.
The rules were written in the IB or Force Orders or other relevant tomes = Tablets of Stone and what you needed to know and do was in there – no deviation.
Before t’intranet in the MPS the IB’s 2 volumes was replaced by 67 separate manuals at one point in the early ’90′s PLUS the Manual of Guidance relating to the first national MG Files
Even with all that information many people seem to make it up as they go long – especially senior types, Acpo and Acpo wannabees.
Today, well you’ve got what you’ve got. And don’t any of you tell me that you haven’t got a lot of fairly ill-disciplined, lazy, mobile phone playing, semi-literate twats working with or close by you?
No wonder hard workers burn out so quickly and it will only get worse as proper training is virtually abandoned for cost reasons.
Why are the MPS still doing tenure at this time?
Can’t argue with any of that TBH. Would love to be on interview panels for new recruits to weed out the useless ones right away. How some of them get past that I’ll never know!
Spot on.
Serf I agree with you.
Where I work there is loads of them on their mobiles.
The females wear boatloads of makeup as if they are on a night out.
In the summer most of Traffic have their sunglasses on.
And I agree with you. It is mostly an indisciplined service. But then again, thats what probably happens when ‘chosen’ ones and Officers with 2 and a half to 3 years are getting promoted to Sgt. from PC.
Oh, and I nearly forgot about the female Sgt. who came back from maternity leave. Went on sick with stress straight away, played the system and got medically retired after 14 years in. It was made up to 20 years. So there you go, husband is in the job and she has herself a nice little pension and lumper!
Meanwhile, the rest of us slog on with reduced staffing etc. etc. etc.
I agree with you on everything except:-
“In the summer most of Traffic have their sunglasses on”
Arnt sunglasses a good idea when driving police cars in sunny weather?Irrespective of what you feel about the black rat wearing them.
Just saying.
Just not those nasty tritaniumite ballistic ones with the orange, wrap-around lenses, please?
Yes I’ll give you that one. A traffic rat i used to know even turned the back of his gloves down when out on the motorbike during the summer. Might have got away with it on CHiPs but not in Blighty. He looked a right tosser!
Protect your eyes, no matter how stupid you look doing so, is all I m saying
I don´t know if there are any the Bill fans on here, but I always really liked Colin Tarrant, RIP
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2012/jan/29/the-bill-colin-tarrant-dies
Seems as though playing the old bill is stressful!
Thinking of John Shaw who died at 60.
Sorry, I m confused wasnt that insp morse???
Yep
He was great.
Stll playing the old bill as an actor gives you a limited age methinks.
X Reacher
OT, but:
http://news.sky.com/home/politics/article/16158818
“A Labour MP has called for a change in the law so working-class parents can smack their children without fear of being prosecuted.”
Why only “working-class” parents? What a twat Lammy is for spouting such claptrap. He is right, but it should apply to all parents, not just “working class” parents!
Just 59. Didn’t even get a chance to ‘rake in’ his ‘gold plated’ police pension…
DOH! reply meant for Mrs D’s 1.39pm post about Colin Tarrant. RIP
lol. At least I m.not the only one who s internetically challenged
We also have a female wpc who doesn’t work nights, even though she is not part-time, all because she has ‘child-care issues. Apparently no one else does !!!!
Sympathise with those who have depression/stress, but there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t think it is unreasonable to give them 12 months support and if they are unable to return to frontline duties then they would have to go. Similarly a record kept of all those in office jobs to ensure they go back out in the streets after 5 years max. in an office.
The load nears to be shared more equally.
I also know of an officer who was Lazy to the core who amongst numerous other things refused to go to Assistance calls if too near to the end of a shift. and was the owner of one of the fattest arses I have ever seen. It was to my amazement that this person was some years later the recipient of an MBE for services to the Police I recently spoke to someone who was connected to putting the said officer forward for such an award, he claimed it was done for a laugh to see if somebody so incompetent could get such an award.Either that was true or else he must have been in to Fat Arses.
Where i am, it appears to be the male of the species playing the games. One on part time restricted duties because of stress… but he never really did a days work in the first place anyway.
Another male who only works early shifts and no weekends… on full pay!! He has a wife who works and he says its childcare issues so he gets away with it.
Then that would be the system allowing it and he sees an advantage to himself and an easier working life for the same money as those on 24/7 shifts. The system has to change or there will always be those who will milk it. Under the current climate who can blame anyone. Having seen a burglar released from 6 years prison get to claim every benefit under the sun and I after leaving the army after 6 years get no support and minimum benefit until I got a job, my mind was made up about ‘serving queen, country and community’. It is now me, me my family and me. You will get no recognition or reward for hard work in the police, but god help the decent hard working officer who says or does the wrong thing. And you know what’s coming!
All I can say Oompah is that in this day of equality guys have the same rights to concern themselves with childcare. The more that do and bring to the attention of senior management the more the present shift “system” will have to change.
If one has no family commitments the shift work,as it is now set up, is manageable.
In the past it always fell to the male partner to bear the brunt of working long, anti-social hours and being forced to forgo family life to keep a job. This has to change to allow fathers the same right to family life and not be threatened with losing their job if they dont work stupid hours.
Fathers are not so willing to miss out on their children growing up as was done in the past.
Didn’t explain that well at all.
Ho-hum.
Knew of a guy who refused to go on response as the vest “made his asthma worse”. Surely some form of medical discharge was in order? but nope he kept his warrant and was given a desk to drive, promoted within a year if I recall correctly.
Well you know what they say, if you can’t beat them, join them! Its a bitter pill to swallow but I can’t bring myself to condemn people who manage to get the job to agree to piss easy flexible work patterns. At the end of the day what is the most important thing to you? Your health and your family, or the job?
Whatever anyone else is doing you work 40 odd hours a week. Does it really affect you that much or are you just jealous?
You never know when you might need a bit of time off when things get too much so don’t be too quick to criticize…
I went off with Depression/stress whatever you want to call it in 1987, back then it was like career suicide, fortunately I had a chief super who was sympathetic as his wife was going through something similar, he said to me “I know when people ring in on Friday reporting sick with Flu when that they are due on Night turn that they are struggling to cope they just can`t admit it”.
I managed to return to work without any support that is offered now. I became an Area car driver then Dog Handler..Many years later I crashed out again I begged them not to get rid of me because I had a young family but I was pensioned out regardless. I can assure you that the last few years have been no Holiday. I wish I could have done my thirty years, at the very least I would have got a Rose Bowl from the Federation effectively getting a refund on my subs as they did very little for me when I needed them.
I am so glad I am now out, even through at the time of my retirement on ill health I didn’t want to go. I’m ex met and I could not have afforded to stay in the job if I had lost all my allowances, free rail etc.. I moved out to Northamptonshire inorder to get a better quality of life for kids and family, grammar school education etc.. and travelled daily by train.
Its the best thing that happened to me getting booted out, I’ve my own business buying and selling at Auctions and Antique Fairs. No stress, out and about with nice people who speak to you and earning enough to be happy.
I feel for current officers and anyone between 15 and 20 yrs service and over 45 must be wondering what the future holds. I would suggest anyone under 40 considers the future options and make decisions quickly before a mass exodus of officers seeking jobs. All officers with over 20yrs service want to be looking at ill health options and playing the system becasue NO one in the SMT give a monkeys about you or your family or your future. It really is everyone for themselves now.
I never thought I would ever say or even feel like that but times they are a changing and not for the better.
Take care and look out for each other at the coalface becasue no one else will.
Good to hear it worked out for you Rivers.
The job requires physical and mental marathons normally back to back under the current climate.
Take time out for obvious physical ” illness” such as a broken bone or bad chest infection requiring drains etc and a pro-longed visit to a hospital no one bats an eye on recovery time.
However stress, depression and anxiety are still not understood as an “illness” caused by the nature of the job, overwork, excessive accountability and lack of backup in general. The book about Depression being an affliction of the Strong is bang on the money.
Taking care of one’s own mental state has never been more important and there is plenty of support out there. My advice FWIW is to take up an extreme sport as a hobby.
Take the time off you need and use a career break as time out.
When the experienced officers leave who is left to mentor the new intake?
Dear Admin, this is urgent. Please get in touch with me as soon as you can.
riiiiiiiiiiiight!
Ooooo, Gadgets won some Nigerian dollars…..
I just need your sort code and account number before I can transfer the monies…
Hi Nicholas, I’ce you’ve got something juicy to share just post it – you’re among friends here. If it’s somethig for the guv you’ll have to ask Dan @ Monday Books to pass it on.
Oh, yes, how nice of you to pop by. We ll comile a full list of regular users and posters with real names, home adys, job title and description plus ip as well as phone numbers….
Well…..i can’t say i’m jealous of those that swing it….else i would share their morals and do the exact same thing.
It does effect me, because i am made to stay on and cover for when they choose to slope off early. Most reasonable people accept a bit of give and take, and looking after those that need help.
If we all had a case of the ‘fork its’ then we would be all dismissed and group4 brought in. It’s a few who are taking the pee and it is not right. I do not agree with the thought of saying good on them for playing the system. If we say it is ok for them then we have no moral highground to speak out against thieves, politicians, bankers and scroungers.
Thought we were supposed to be all in this together…..
Don`t fool yourself G4s is round the corner.
Well said. Without integrity we might as well chuck it in now. I can see light at the end of my particular tunnel so will stick it out to the bitter end and collect the piece of shite plate that the FED give away. If we all threw a sickie then who would stem the tidal wave of shit being thrown at us?
Perhaps Insp Gadget could sort out a poll in relation to morale and stress. Then again, who is likely to say their morale has gone up and they are stress free……unless they have just left the job.
Meanwhile Peter Neyroud is sounding alarm bells against the wider deployment if taser….
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16780217
Nothing mentioned about concern for safety of front line officers though!
The article also misquotes BHH as saying he wants Tasers in all police cars – when he said nothing of the sort. Typical sloppy BBC journalism – they even link to the article where he DIDN’T say that!
Trust ACPO ranks to try and frustrate officers’ attempts to defend themselves.
I’m bored so I’m going to pull the article apart.
“Peter Neyroud told BBC Inside Out London there was a heightened risk of people suffering burns as the force used CS spray which was flammable. ”
Wrong! CS is not flammable. MIBK in which it is dissolved is. However the reason it is flammable is because of how volatile it is. By the same token it evaporates very quickly. Its the same stuff they use in deodorant. That is how quick it is gone, give it 30 second and there should be no worry using a TASER as well as CS. If you issue each police officer with a TASER they can use the TASER before CS and then there are no worries what so ever.
“More than half of the UK forces have shifted to pepper spray which is safe to use with the 50,000 volt Tasers.”
Wrong! Not a single UK police force uses pepper spray. The American’s use it though. Pepper spray is derived from capsicum which is what makes chilli’s hot. Hence the name. What I think they mean is PAVA. PAVA 1 is dissolved in ethanol (alcohol) which is of course flammable. PAVA 2 is a bit different and will not catch fire. The thing is if you electrocute a chilli it won’t combust. The problem is not with the active ingredient, what actually makes it hurt but it is with the solvent. MIBK and ethanol are both flammable. Another thing why do they keep bringing up the voltage which is irrelevant to safety? A TASER won’t kill you, a 750V train line will kill you, very dead, and then cook you, in a split second.
“The force’s commissioner has said he wants Tasers in all police cars. ”
Wrong. As above that is not what he said. He said that was one option. Personally I don’t think it goes far enough.
“Research carried out by BBC Inside Out London found there were seven incidents last year when Tasers were used at the same time as CS spray which have been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
In two of those cases, the suspects suffered burns.”
Simply having a policy of delay, akin to not firing a CS cannister at someone at a distance less than 3 feet would sort that problem out. 2 out of 7 ain’t so bad either. There is also a very simple solution which the person themselves can opt to undertake. 1) not be a criminal and 2) if caught being a criminal, don’t be violent towards the police. Simple!
“Mr Neyroud, who was the head of the National Police Improvement Agency, said: “It’s a real risk and it’s not an acceptable risk.
“It’s just not right that somebody gets burnt as a result of police use of force.”
He added: “As they introduce Tasers more generally, they should be going back and really reconsidering all the risk and this is an obvious one. CS plus Taser equals spark plus flammable material.”
What a plum. Mr Neyroud is it acceptable that police should face the risk of being stabbed, burned, hit with bats or just generally assaulted through a very simple lack of equipment? Further since you’re so worried about the risk to the public lets think about this should we. Currently if CS does not work we will normally ahve to go an ASP, you know a metal rod. If someone gets hit with that, Large bruises are invevitiable, broken bones a real possiblity and a fractured skull could be on the cards too, is that an acceptable risk? Is that acceptable when the solution and the ability to reduce the force used is on the table?
“The stun gun is the most powerful weapon a non firearm officer has available.” – Again I’m pretty sure that one goes to the ASP, so wrong again!
“Law student Justice Livingstone has filed a complaint against the Met after he was burnt when four police officers – who mistakenly thought he had a gun – used a Taser on him. ”
Why do I think there is more too it than that?
“A Met spokesman said statistics showed that in 90% of cases, the threat of a Taser was enough to make people think twice about what they were doing.” So 9 times out of 10 The mere threat is enough and no force need be imparted. That’s pretty good and another very good argument for TASER.
“BBC Inside Out London’s report on Tasers will be broadcast on Monday 30 January on BBC One London at 19:30 GMT and for seven days thereafter on iPlayer.” – I think I have some paint which I need to watch dry On 30/01/2012 at 19:30.
“Law student Justice Livingstone has filed a complaint against the Met after he was burnt when four police officers – who mistakenly thought he had a gun – used a Taser on him.
“The pain on the stun gun is something indescribable,” he said.
“I was feeling it in my body, in my chest and my heart, you know. Shaking.”
Scotland Yard said Tasers were deployed as a last resort after attempts to restrain him failed.”
Justice Livingstone ……and a law student…what a joke! Can’t believe the reporter fell for that.
Shoddy article and it is obvious that the person writing this article has no clue, has not done any proper research and really should just be allowed to crayon on bus-stop windows and clean up after himself.
Reacher
Don’t suppose he’s the same as Justice Livingstone who describes himself thus:
Lord and King of the Divine Grail Castle at The Divine Father – Universal Resources and Laws Unlimited’
Sound a perfectly reasonable chap either way
One hears this stuff but is yet a false fantasy.
Tosh.
Yup always reasonable.
Good job I can ignore and still snowboard in Geneva.
Man…. these guys you have to pay attention to when working.
Excellent rant VSC I agree with all of your points. Looking closely at Justice Livingstone suggests that he has an agenda and was waiting for just such a situation as he needed to be arrested to set the ball in motion. It reminds me of “death by cop” situations in the USA where folks with an agenda provolk a very similar police reaction albeit this time with taser and not a lethal firearm.
http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/justice-livingstone/28/753/bb6
http://www.labourblogs.com/public-blog/jml/
I throw the last one in for a laugh as it is Ciaran Rehill making a fool of himself again on this subject. Appologise for those that have seen it before.
http://www.lordtobyharris.org.uk/tasers-a-frontline-view/
Anybody think it will support the issuing of Tasers?
“BBC Inside Out London’s report on Tasers will be broadcast on Monday 30 January on BBC One London at 19:30 GMT and for seven days thereafter on iPlayer.”
This whole thing about Taser being a potential fire risk when deployed against someone who had previously been sprayed with CS was well known in the US and over here in the late 1990′s when the first discussions about Taser being used were taking place. I wonder why this story has surfaced now?
Nothing to see here. Please move along.
PS I wonder what alternative the Amnesty spokesperson will come up with to enable police to deal with a violent person after ‘Do be a good chap and quieten down’ has failed.
What would happen to you if you refused to go to any call where knives were mentioned in the cad?
ie. “I will drive to an RVP and await the arrival of TASER or firearms equipped units to attend first then i will happily attend and assist where necessary, over”
If more people took responsibility for their own safety and had this attitude then we would all have tasers within a month.
I swore to protect life and property, but my life is the most important as far as I’m concerned.
True, anyone could pull a knife on you but they’d have to be a pretty fast runner to shank me with it…
When I was seventeen I was trained to handle lethal weapons from 9mm pistols up to .50 cal machine guns and rocket launchers/grenades. The fuss the job makes about firearms is frankly pathetic.
@Notfar – I would have thought the amount of sh*t-in-fan resulting from incidents such as the “Highmoor Cross BBQ murders” in 2004 would have made some difference – other than SMT telling people to put themselves at risk?http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/3719206.stm
PS- your true name is Nfosftfagos – and you are one of the ‘demons’ in Pratchett’s Discworld. I claim my five Ankh-Morpork Dollars
That is a grim story. Criticism does hurt, but not as much as being stabbed or shot….
How would a police officer from Canada or Portugal or Switzerland deal with that?
Oh yes they would go straight to the scene as they are all armed…
Just saying.
(I’m not a discworld fan but i will look him up)
Heads up kids….
Inside info that almost certainly an announcement on Windsor from The Home Sect tomorrow.
Will be interesting…
@Mrs d – Could be a V short statement
“Irrespective of the existence of Contracts, Agreements and Discussions – I believe the editor and readership of the Daily Tabloid think you are overpaid and failing, so I’m (reluctantly) going to order the negotiating bodies to change their minds, and to voluntarily apply ALL of the restrictions I wanted in the first place.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9048155/Police-must-take-action-if-neighbours-complain.html
“Residents are to be given the power to force police to tackle anti-social behaviour and end the “horror stories” of communities blighted by nuisance neighbours, the Home Secretary will say today.
Theresa May will say that if five households complain about a repeated nuisance, the police and local authorities will be under a duty to investigate and devise a plan of action within a fortnight. ”
Oh look, one of those TARGETS the Home Secretary is getting rid of. I wonder who will get lumbered with this one?
Looks like our PCOS’s are going to be very busy. PCs on safer Neighbourhood Teams have been told that they will only be dealing with crimes, and ASB will be carried out by PCSOs. PCs are not carrying out any community work any longer but they will still be on the teams to give an impression nothing has changed.
Yeah right, this is fine right up until the courts let them go with a slap on the wrist and they start up again.
Most of these people HAVE been nicked, they just don’t care about the consequences.
Dear IG
It really is a big problem and I don’t think that it is fair to expect the Police to sort these things out alone. I imagine that is what the Crime & Disorder Act was meant for namely that agencies should work together whereas it seems now that the buck stops with you guys.
I think that Local Authority’s ought where feasible to be moving people if they can’t live with their neighbours. The next question though, is where to as the ‘naughty step’ housing estate is likely to generate just as much trouble although maybe at least it would be concentrated in one area.
On consequences, you are right. The initial custodial sentence is a shock to the system but once they settle in, some folk actually seem to prefer it.
Probably a good idea to see what is done in other countries.
BE
What this seems to suggest is that she has no faith in the police service and she has devised a scheme to bury the problem under. What happened to the Big Society? Perhaps the local authority ought to have the duty placed on them in the first instance as planning and amenities probably contributed to the problem in the first place.
BBC as anti-police as usual.
“Mrs May will also announce long-awaited reforms to the pay and allowances of 130,000 police officers.
BBC home editor Mark Easton says she is likely to accept a compromise deal broadly agreed between police and the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal.
But he says it comes with an additional cost of more than £13m a year, and with the service already facing 20% cuts, the question is how the missing millions will be found.
A review of police conditions of service by lawyer Tom Winsor was expected to have been implemented last October, but negotiations stalled.
These reforms would have saved an estimated £70m by now.”
They aren’t ‘reforms.’ They are cuts. The cuts haven’t been ‘broadly agreed,’ they have been inflicted. The service isn’t having to find an ‘additional cost’ of £13 million – police officers are having £13 million less taken from their pay than the £178 million the government wanted to take – so instead of an average pay cut of £1300 a year police are instead facing an average pay cut of £1200 per year, on top of a salary freeze, pension increases and losses in overtime payments.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16783270
Probably the cost of one day bombing Libya.
Cameron wanted his war… why not look at the cash as 12 hours worth of foreign aid instead?
Mrs May will point out that the government is already working with a number of local authorities to test the “community trigger” in practice, ahead of the launch of the summer pilot schemes.
Wow this sounds great, can I pull the “community trigger” against the scumbags foreheads and splatter there tiny brains all over the show or am I getting the wrong end of the stick here…..
Regarding the neighbour complaints – if they complain about each other – as they always do – we can nick everybody and stick them all infront of the magistrates?
IG. Great web site, I like “serf” and “Lighytear” and others and there is some extremely intelligent blogs but as an ex copper I think the words such as c**t and f”"k spelt in their entirety lowers the tone of the website, and gives our critics what they are looking for. I have been out 25 yrs and rarely hear a word by the General Public AGAINST the Police service. I live in outer London busy but not a swamp estate. Pse ignore the DAily Mail the then editor DAvidf English knocked off 30 yrs ago never got over it been Anti Police ever since. The PUBLIC ARE BEHIND YOU. SMT, ARE AMBITIOUS/ therefore they are unreliable
Targets are ridiculous, but SMT did not know how to cope with lazy police officers!! Do not let the Press looking to sell newspapers with scurrilous headlines get u down. Thousands of retired officers support you in pubs clubs etc. without those listening knowing we are ex Police officers at 75 yrs of age Can they be sure??