Page 13 | Do you still trust the police?

Soubriquet · 2023-08-12T17:38:38+00:00

When I got with my dh 11 years ago, he would laugh when I said I trusted the police. That they were someone in a position of power, who I felt I could trust. He never tried to sway me, just said, ok..you’ll see. Now…I don’t. After everything they has happened over the last few years..Rotherham, Wayne Couzens, the girl with autism and other shit like that, I do not trust them at all.

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 11:14

DojaPhat · 13/08/2023 13:35

I think what a lot of people are struggling with is reconciling the cognitive dissonance they're experiencing as a result of having always implicitly trusted the police to "protect" them, 'policing by consent and so forth', and the daily reports they see and read about where the police have abused their powers in quite a gross manner.

A lot of people who hitherto were among the groups the police did indeed 'protect', now see they no longer hold that position of privilege where policing is concerned and it's very much worried them. They very much see themselves and those around them are now equally in the firing line, so to speak.

It's a tough realisation to contend with, I grant you that.

Eh?

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 11:33

ShowOfHands · 12/08/2023 21:14

I'm married to a copper and know many as a result. As individuals, they're wonderful: selfless; caring; hardworking. They've been let down by the higher powers consistently so that their working conditions are appalling, morale is low and they can't do the job they signed up for.

But those individual officers would also honestly admit that there is institution wide challenge, including racism, misogyny and so on.

If policing were funded properly, people were offered training, flexibility and ongoing support for health and wellbeing, if top down change happened and people were valued consistently and appointed appropriately, it'd all be very different. But it's a shambles and the very core of what can make a society malignant will always thrive in such an environment.

These two comments jumped out at me from your post...(1) ...if top down change happened and people were valued consistently and appointed appropriately, it'd all be very different. and* (2) ...and the very core of what can make a society malignant will always thrive in such an environment*.

Kudos to you for being very frank about the above and some other things mentioned in your post. I think that many who serve in the police or (like you) have a partner/other relative in the police are in denial about its' failings.

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 11:51

@DriftingDora

have you had much call to have engaged and interactions with the police?

Bexx87 · 14/08/2023 12:02

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 11:09

...So you were so shocked you..... exchanged a few messages with him and blocked him in the end. Yes, I can quite see how someone would do that if they were so offended by the officer's behaviour (not). Meanwhile, back in the real world...(is it school hols. now?)

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Excuse me. School hols? Why are you disregarding my experience or do you often blame females for makes bad behaviour? I wasn't offended at the time no. I found him attractive and I was a bit blindsided. I was a young woman in my 20s. Now I'm older and wiser I can see that it was an abuse of power and he should not have done that.

Zipps · 14/08/2023 12:11

Not one bit. They are corrupt, misogynist, racist, violent and seem to get away with all but the worst offences. They are dinosaurs.
We have a friend in the police who is a lovely person and they have been treated like shit. They don't really have any power anymore and are stretched to the limit so only follow up very serious crimes which is why drugs, assaults etc generally go unpunished. They go through the motions, take statements etc and then nothing.... in the hope that people give up.

Nottwins78 · 14/08/2023 12:17

Genuine question. For people who don't trust the police who would you call if you needed help . If you got mugged, burgled. Violently attacked. Etc.

ShinyYellowTeapot · 14/08/2023 12:21

Nottwins78 · 14/08/2023 12:17

Genuine question. For people who don't trust the police who would you call if you needed help . If you got mugged, burgled. Violently attacked. Etc.

A lot of people have already answered this and it seems to be "call them and hope for the best."

Nottwins78 · 14/08/2023 12:42

ShinyYellowTeapot · 14/08/2023 12:21

A lot of people have already answered this and it seems to be "call them and hope for the best."

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Ah ok. Thank you

SerendipityJane · 14/08/2023 12:47

Nottwins78 · 14/08/2023 12:17

Genuine question. For people who don't trust the police who would you call if you needed help . If you got mugged, burgled. Violently attacked. Etc.

The answer to that question is the reason we should hold the police to a high standard and not let them get away with anything less.

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 12:50

Bexx87 · 14/08/2023 12:02

Excuse me. School hols? Why are you disregarding my experience or do you often blame females for makes bad behaviour? I wasn't offended at the time no. I found him attractive and I was a bit blindsided. I was a young woman in my 20s. Now I'm older and wiser I can see that it was an abuse of power and he should not have done that.

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If only a few years ago

really not too late at all to report especially as you have hard evidence

please do

SgtPercyTwentyman · 14/08/2023 12:56

It depends on the force and whether you mean uniform or CID. I can't give one overall answer.

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 12:56

SgtPercyTwentyman · 14/08/2023 12:56

It depends on the force and whether you mean uniform or CID. I can't give one overall answer.

Depends on the individual

SgtPercyTwentyman · 14/08/2023 12:57

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 12:56

Depends on the individual

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Agreed.

Nottwins78 · 14/08/2023 12:58

SerendipityJane · 14/08/2023 12:47

The answer to that question is the reason we should hold the police to a high standard and not let them get away with anything less.

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Sorry that's wooshed over my head .I don't understand what you mean

SerendipityJane · 14/08/2023 13:02

SgtPercyTwentyman · 14/08/2023 12:57

Agreed.

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Not agreed.

Quite within the remit of this thread are the 2 amusing data breaches (so yet another reason not to trust the Keystone cops) recently reported. With the consequences of the PSNI one that thousands of people need to be looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives.

If the police can't be trusted to keep the police safe, then where do you think you fit on their list of "things they give a shit about" ?

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 13:04

SerendipityJane · 14/08/2023 13:02

Not agreed.

Quite within the remit of this thread are the 2 amusing data breaches (so yet another reason not to trust the Keystone cops) recently reported. With the consequences of the PSNI one that thousands of people need to be looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives.

If the police can't be trusted to keep the police safe, then where do you think you fit on their list of "things they give a shit about" ?

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This makes little sense. To me at least 🤷‍♀️

SerendipityJane · 14/08/2023 13:05

Nottwins78 · 14/08/2023 12:58

Sorry that's wooshed over my head .I don't understand what you mean

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Generally, when you call the police, it isn't because you couldn't get through to LBC.

You call them because you have no choice. They have a de facto monopoly on enforcing the law - certainly the criminal law.

Maybe we need a free-market approach. After all, if it's good enough for water, telecoms and energy, why not policing ? You could chose which company you want to deal with your problem.

After all, that's how fire brigades started ....

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 14/08/2023 13:05

I'd be cautious. Personal experiences have been good, for example the two policemen who came out when a passerby called the police when DS was having a meltdown and screaming the house down that we were hurting him (trying to stop him hurting himself and us) were really kind and understanding, as were the police who turned up to help a vulnerable woman who'd knocked on our door looking for her friend's house.

But then things like the way the autistic teenager was treated etc.... makes me worry for DS.

SgtPercyTwentyman · 14/08/2023 13:07

SerendipityJane · 14/08/2023 13:02

Not agreed.

Quite within the remit of this thread are the 2 amusing data breaches (so yet another reason not to trust the Keystone cops) recently reported. With the consequences of the PSNI one that thousands of people need to be looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives.

If the police can't be trusted to keep the police safe, then where do you think you fit on their list of "things they give a shit about" ?

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Both of which seem to be attributable to civilian employees of the forces concerned not actual serving police officers.

So, I don't agree with your point of view.

{BTW In the interests of full disclosure I should perhaps say that my ex-partner is a senior police officer (& was serving when we were together). Hence my username.}

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 13:18

Bexx87 · 14/08/2023 12:02

Excuse me. School hols? Why are you disregarding my experience or do you often blame females for makes bad behaviour? I wasn't offended at the time no. I found him attractive and I was a bit blindsided. I was a young woman in my 20s. Now I'm older and wiser I can see that it was an abuse of power and he should not have done that.

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So... you could still report him now. And your original post mentioned nothing about finding him attractive and not being offended at the time - pretty important omissions.

SerendipityJane · 14/08/2023 13:23

SgtPercyTwentyman · 14/08/2023 13:07

Both of which seem to be attributable to civilian employees of the forces concerned not actual serving police officers.

So, I don't agree with your point of view.

{BTW In the interests of full disclosure I should perhaps say that my ex-partner is a senior police officer (& was serving when we were together). Hence my username.}

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That's an interesting side road to travel.

Who are "the police" ? Do we take it to mean serving and warranted officers only ? Which while it reduces the number of bad people in total might drive up the ratio of bad/good.

Or do we mean "anyone whose role represents a particular police force*". For example the comedy desk "officer" I encountered a while ago who didn't know that a V5 doesn't prove ownership.

OK, for the sake of this thread, I will contain my comments to serving officers only. They can have those data breaches on me.

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 13:26

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 10:36

And generally when someone is a prick, Uk police don’t get out guns or bats and start doing US / SA style policing.

We have a lot to be thankful for. But if you haven’t experienced other countries policing, then you probably don’t grasp that

And your personal experience of other countries policing is.....?

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 13:26

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 13:26

And your personal experience of other countries policing is.....?

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Lived in 4 countries

trust me when I say the policing in US, SA and Asia is much more brutal than the UK

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 13:38

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 11:51

@DriftingDora

have you had much call to have engaged and interactions with the police?

What does 'have engaged and interactions' mean? What is the point of this question? Are you implying that there is a criteria (and very narrow channel) for being allowed to comment on police behaviour? And how much experience of other countries policing do you have (as per your other post)?

DriftingDora · 14/08/2023 14:19

Poorlilthing · 14/08/2023 13:26

Lived in 4 countries

trust me when I say the policing in US, SA and Asia is much more brutal than the UK

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The whole point is that the subject under discussion is the UK police - you know, the ones we pay for through our taxes? It isn't a race to the bottom, so why is it relevant to even compare other countries police forces (even supposing they are as bad as you imply)?