Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Do you still trust the police?

380 replies

Soubriquet · 12/08/2023 18:38

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
MrsTerryPratchett · 13/08/2023 00:10

quietnightmare · 12/08/2023 20:57

The police deal with over 6 million reported crimes a year in England and wales, there are thousands of assaults on police and over 200 police deaths a year and there's been some shocking and terrible incidents committed by the police but it really is a minute percentage of the whole force who have done anything questionable. Get some perspective

Where's your source for that? 200 police deaths a year? On the job?

DojaPhat · 13/08/2023 00:16

The use of the word "still" in the title is rather problematic.

@BrindleAbyssinianGuinea If you don't mind answering did that experience colour your view till this day? I can understand why if so, some of the hardest reconciliations and traumas we face as children have such lasting impacts its often hard to really pin down how they've affected us.

rickandmorts · 13/08/2023 00:18

Nope. I needed them last week and they desperately let me down. Currently in the process of formally complaining but I know absolutely fuck all will come of the complaint.

Clymene · 13/08/2023 00:19

@Alargeoneplease89

I was a lone female in my early 30s and of course read about Wayne couzens and had no hesitation

I saw a MN thread shortly after this event with the OP in the same circumstances and couldn't believe she wouldn't get out of her car.

Why are you surprised that a woman would refuse to get into a car with a policeman after Sarah Everard was murdered?

I would never ever get into a police car on my own with a police officer No chance.

I got stopped by two policemen once who followed me driving home from a nightclub as they thought I might have been drinking. They breathalysed me and had a chat and that was it. I didn't even have to get out of the car.

There was no need for you to get into the police car

Clymene · 13/08/2023 00:22

Six policemen were killed in the line of duty in 2022. Six. Not 200

DreamItDoIt · 13/08/2023 00:22

No I don't and I've told my DC to not trust them either. I've told them to not answer questions until I or a solicitor are present.

bluedomino · 13/08/2023 00:24

Nope. I would never trust them. I've seen what it does to people, they start off as normal humans and turn into arrogant, power mad, misogynist, racist homophobes. All the people I've met who say their partner is a decent copper has no idea. The most nice guy family man is usually shagging a colleague, PCSO or a Special. They have no morals. I think they should only serve a few years then leave before it ruins them. They seem to be left with no respect or empathy. They all seem damaged to me.

Cotswoldbee · 13/08/2023 00:24

Of course.
Most of them are just decent people trying to do an incredibly difficult job with one had tied behind their back.
If you don't support or trust them, what is your solution?

GEK1983 · 13/08/2023 00:25

No. Every one I've met has been on power trip. Was threatened and humiliated by a female officer at 18 for dropping litter when drunk.

My child was sexually assaulted at school a couple years ago and the police officer just said boys will be boys and never followed up.

I think they're lazy, corrupt and don't want to deal with real crime.

Starseeking · 13/08/2023 00:27

Never have, never will.

totallyaddictedtocheese · 13/08/2023 00:30

You haven't heard about Greater Manchester Police covering up the grooming gangs? It's been all over the news. It's gone on for years.

MrsTerryPratchett · 13/08/2023 00:36

Clymene · 13/08/2023 00:22

Six policemen were killed in the line of duty in 2022. Six. Not 200

Exactly. PP seems to have googled 'police deaths' which include all police related deaths (including deaths in custody etc.) and decided those were officers. No, they were arrestees etc. People the police had a dirty of care towards.

MrsTerryPratchett · 13/08/2023 00:37

Duty of care FFS.

totallyaddictedtocheese · 13/08/2023 00:38

Tilllly · 12/08/2023 23:47

What? That's awful, was it in the news?
Why on earth would anyone cover up that?

Show quote history

Greater Manchester police. It was all over the news. Its been going on for years.

BananaSlug · 13/08/2023 00:53

No but I never have, I mixed race with mixed race brothers and saw the way they were treated by them growing up and the racism they experienced I would never trust them and have warned my own sons not to.

Tilllly · 13/08/2023 01:24

The Rochdale scandal, about 15 years ago

Yes. Shocking.

Council were complicit too - in fact didn't some of the men work for the council?

totallyaddictedtocheese · 13/08/2023 02:20

Tilllly · 13/08/2023 01:24

The Rochdale scandal, about 15 years ago

Yes. Shocking.

Council were complicit too - in fact didn't some of the men work for the council?

@Tilllly Unfortunately it's still going on now in Rochdale, Oldham, Rotherham and many other poor towns.

The council are definitely guilty too. I'm shocked at just how many people were happy to cover it up. How could they sleep at night?!

Felix125 · 13/08/2023 02:40

One of the major issues with the police at the moment is the amount of safeguarding they have to do. An emergency response shift of about 25 cops is easily decimated by safeguarding, handovers, missing people, CPS decision making.

It leaves the shift with about 5-6 available cops and job queue of about 100+ jobs to sort out and they will all have their own crime enquries. And then emergencies start coming in........

How far does your trust go though.
Do you still trust doctors after Harold Shipman
Do you still trust nurses with your children after Beverly Allitt
Do you still trust teachers with all the incidents against children
Do you still trust the councils after the Rochdale cover up
Do you still trust Social Services etc etc

There needs to be major changes in the police - but what gets pushed back is the million dollar question. And what ever does get pushed back will cause that section of the community to not trust the police.

VashtaNerada · 13/08/2023 05:16

All the people I've met who say their partner is a decent copper has no idea. Blimey. I’d better trust a stranger off the internet then rather than the person I know best in the entire world. Grin
The problems with the police are vast though. DH is probably a bigger critic of what’s going on than I am, but we think on balance it’s better he’s changing things from the inside rather than just leaving. Many good police officers have just quit though. It needs an overhaul but for that you need money and the government doesn’t currently have any interest in that.

Luizaa · 13/08/2023 06:39

No, absolutely not they have become the close protection squad for TRA's

orangeblosssom · 13/08/2023 06:53

No

Tilllly · 13/08/2023 07:04

DreamItDoIt · 13/08/2023 00:22

No I don't and I've told my DC to not trust them either. I've told them to not answer questions until I or a solicitor are present.

Quite right too - for anyone

iloveeverykindofcat · 13/08/2023 07:07

@BananaSlug said what I was going to say.

Tilllly · 13/08/2023 07:09

Clymene · 13/08/2023 00:22

Six policemen were killed in the line of duty in 2022. Six. Not 200

Most people don't go to work knowing that's a risk
This reads like 6 is negligible
Every 2 months, an Officer died in the line of duty. Every 2 months
Officers like Andrew Harper

drpet49 · 13/08/2023 07:10

“How far does your trust go though.
Do you still trust doctors after Harold Shipman
Do you still trust nurses with your children after Beverly Allitt
Do you still trust teachers with all the incidents against children
Do you still trust the councils after the Rochdale cover up
Do you still trust Social Services etc etc”

^This.

and I trust the police 100%. They have never let me or anyone I know down.

Swipe left for the next trending thread