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What type of police do we want?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4443386.stm
Whilst the idea of Dixon of Dock Green is rather appealing I'm not sure its possible, but
1) As many police as possible to remain unarmed, with only specialist units being armed.
2) Police to be based on the community model, more walking the beat and less in cars. OK it may be less effective at catching criminals, but its more effective in making people feel safe and police being seen as part of the community.
3) Get rid of these community wardens and make them into proper police - policing shouldn't be divided into professionals and a bunch of dodderers wandering around giving directions.
4) Unless they have to police should not be wearing body armour on a regular basis.
5) Make sure they keep the old helmets and traditonal designed uniform - there seems to be a trend to putting them in combat gear and dressing them like security guards.
6) The police aren't the army - they are a civilian force. Keep it like that.
Whilst the idea of Dixon of Dock Green is rather appealing I'm not sure its possible, but
1) As many police as possible to remain unarmed, with only specialist units being armed.
2) Police to be based on the community model, more walking the beat and less in cars. OK it may be less effective at catching criminals, but its more effective in making people feel safe and police being seen as part of the community.
3) Get rid of these community wardens and make them into proper police - policing shouldn't be divided into professionals and a bunch of dodderers wandering around giving directions.
4) Unless they have to police should not be wearing body armour on a regular basis.
5) Make sure they keep the old helmets and traditonal designed uniform - there seems to be a trend to putting them in combat gear and dressing them like security guards.
6) The police aren't the army - they are a civilian force. Keep it like that.
0
Comments
Also, closer links with social services so that those who come into contact with the police get a chance to escape from the cycle of criminality.
I would perhaps allow them all to wear stab vests- even though I understand the concern about making them look as demilitarised as possible.
More coppers on the beat is certainly a must.
TBH, the above is a damn good idea. If only.
if thats policing then why not do it on housing estates ...that way they cut the speed of drivers where it is important to do so and at the same time have a high visibility in YOUR area.
Fuck it, can we give them all wee shitty pushbikes too?
Housing Estates may have criminals they need to run to catch. Motorists in nowhere are far, far easier.
I also learnt, the main plan of action in the rmeote scottish Highlands in event of Nuclear war, is a man, on a bike, blowing a whistle will go through your town to tell you to find shelter.
How useful.
We better give them some knee and elbow pads too in that case, y'know, for those high speed chases with those pesky kids on skateboards.
As he alludes to in the speech, traditional minor authority figures and cohesive groups have gone.
They don't need more powers, they don't need more state help, they need to be cut back and "organic" solutions found. The core of the job - that of catching criminals should be stressed, and the revenue chasing/social engineering aspects of it abandoned.
Oh, and while I am on, they could start obeying the law themselves.
They have to find easy targets! Murders put up to much resistence...
A private polcie force... what a joke, lets not go there. The real problem is putting to much effort on getting higer arrest rates, and figures that look good, instead of efficient policing. Look, we got 2500 people! The majority were minor crimes, like speeding, or drug use, or loitering. Instead of Murder, Rape, Theft, Assualt, or such like.
put only violent and dangerous offenders in prison and the rest on community service or other forms of punishment thats actually productive
I'd agree with that.
The trouble is, most drug users that get chased after are actually anti-social fuckers who just piss the whole community off. There's nothing more annoying than some whingeing and moaning smack addict.
I'd put people who steal through fraud in prison for a long long time too.
They are anti-social fuckers mostly because they've got to feed their habit, take that need away through treatment and prescribing and you wouldnt get the hassle.
Difficult to do in a fraud based economy though.
I think the whole legal system needs a big overhaul. It's out of date, fucked up, and some of the judges are fuckers.
Much better and safer to bother some pilled-up happy clubbers or some City boys doing a line in a bar's toilets than to chase someone grubby, dirty and possibly armed.
I don't know what it is like elsewhere, but up here it tends to be those committing abusive and violent behaviour, theft, or dealing heroin. In my experience the police will go for the heroin or alcohol abusers causing problems.
Like it or not, using cocaine is a crime. The police are, quite rightly, chasing criminals, seeing as it is their job. If you use cocaine you are a criminal.
I think the police spend too much time going after speeders, and not enough time going after bad drivers who go to slowly or drive erratically, but the point again is that you won't get done by a speed camera if you don't speed.
I think the police, on balance, do quite a good job. Of course they harrass known criminals, because it's easy pickings, and of course there is a certain element of prejudice and discrimination in the force. But I think sometimes people get a bit too hung up on what the police don't do, rather than what they do do with success.
People will condemn the police- quite rightly- for Hillsborough and what is happening in London. But they won't give the praise when they catch people like Imiela, like Huntley, like Whiting.
But I would even be happy to see the police dedicate fewer resources to speeding drivers if they were to really go after proper serious crime. Fact is every community where there are drug problems can easily identify dozens of crack and heroine dealers- dealers who very often ply their trade at the very same spot night after night after night. Why is the police more interested in bothering kids who've taken a pill at a club or a bloke who's having a couple of lines at the weekend?
To be fair I suspect they don't have any say in the matter- they simply get told who to target and in which way. Commissioner Brian Paddick ensured his men and women focused in the real priorities and didn't waste any time with folk sitting on a bench having a smoke... and guess what? While he was in charge things went dramatically better in Brixton... until the fucking Daily HateMail hounded him out that is.