To hate the police?

[DrHolmes]

BF was pulled over by an unmarked police car today. He got out of his van and was told he was not wearing his seatbelt and they issued him with a £60 ticket. I came home from work and he told me the story and told me he was wearing it. He has a beeper that goes off every few seconds if he doesnt have it on and no one would drive about listening to that. I know he is telling the truth. If we appeal it then we put our case forward and then goes to court but if the fiscal find the police in favour we will have a higher fine. But i do not want him to pay the fine because that is letting them away with this. Corrupt filth. Not sure what to do :/

Seriously it's too much effort to write a ticket during a shift and I don't know anyone I work with who would go out of their way to write a ticket because they were bored. To be totally honest we generally have better things to do. Obviously though the officers are lying and corrupt and your do is the only honest person that was there.

As for someone's suggestion that we need a more reflective practice now, really with all the investigations into us all the time! There is constant reviewing of all processes that we use in my force and constant retraining.

OP, you sound like you've jumped out of a game of Grand Theft Auto.

Let's hope you never need the help of the police in anything.

I guess its quite possible they made a mistake and thought there was no belt on when there was. Its difficult as a court are likely to believe a copper over your bf.

It would have maybe been better policing if the copper had given your bf a warning. I had the same happen to me and was adament I'd worn the seatbelt (I had been), so the copper *let me off" with a warning.

I guess he maybe realised he wasn't 100% sure and saved face while still knowing if I had been lying to him then I'd been warned.

However, it doesn't mean the copper in your case is bent, could be a genuine mistake. But shit for your bf if he has to pay the fine.

Thanks for the lovely title especially with the ongoing trial after the mirder of two of my colleagues

We is all corrupt twats.

H2H

Hiding thread now

Oh and just to add, I do not want to offend anyone (particularly Vicar who is a poster I admire and respect- especially, with the advice I have seen her give for people who are in alot of pain and needing help such as in DV situations) but I am relating My experiences. Which have been negative.

Murder obvs

My experiences with the police have been mixed, but mainly positive. DF was a redcap and had a lot of friends in the police service.

and they are glesss colleagues too. i fear no matter what i do - no matter how well i do my job, there are people who think because of the uniform i wear i am fair game and must be a hateful person.

nothing could be further from the truth.

its heartening; that most on this thread do not think the way of the OP, but

i would love to take those who think we are just overpaid bullies out for one night on my response group....i d love to show you what we deal with. the violence offered every day, the knives, the blades, the fights, the dangers, the abuse, the injustice, the dead bodies, the suicides, the RTCs where people have been thrown from the car, (yes ive attended the results of not wearing a seat belt) the blood, having to tell relatives that their loved ones have died, the dealing with the mentally ill, the self harmers, the drunks, the homeless, those that just need a lift, the rapes, the child abuse, the animal abuse, the time wasters, those that phone us because they had their curly wurly taken....(i kid you not) and i would love to see how you would feel about the job after just seeing one shift on a response group. The reality is so different to what you imagine. I think many would be shocked. i know i was.

Experience 1: I was indecently assaulted by my boss in a student job. Police were caring, gentle and followed through to conviction.

Experience 2: irate (druggie) customer attempts to kill terrified 65 year old fil, runs before police get there. Is tracked down and has his door booted in for him and taken in.

Both of those men said they were innocent victims of the corrupt scum.

Don't wholesale slate the force that keeps you safe unless you are damn sure if you are raped, beaten or burgled 999 won't bethe number you call.

Just saying.

Whilst the death of those two officers in Manchester is awful, it shouldn't preclude discussion of the Police's competence and honesty.

Nobody would disagree that Policing is a difficult job and it is silly to suggest they are all corrupt twats, it is equally silly to suggest they are all angels.

A number of posters have been on the receiving end of poor Policing from rude/ignorant/lazy/bullying Police Officers. In the last few years we have had corrupt Police getting sent to jail for taking back handers from tabloid jornalists, reports of Police abusing steroids, the Ian Tomlinson manslaughter trial and the revelation that South Yorkshire Police systematically lied in the aftermath of Hilsborough, over zealous use of kettling etc. etc.

In some respects some officers are utterly failing in their duty and we should hold them and their superiors to account

i work with 2 people i dont like or respect. but i work with a hell of a lot more that i do.

that said ive never seen anything "corrupt"

Tiredtrout Thu 07-Feb-13 21:02:50
"As for someone's suggestion that we need a more reflective practice now, really with all the investigations into us all the time! There is constant reviewing of all processes that we use in my force and constant retraining."
Yes, really. Because reflective practice means reflecting on your own practice, and how you could have done things better. It's an individual obligation. And external investigations and reviews are not a substitute.
Health professionals, airline pilots etc are subject to investigations and extensive oversight, and they reflect on their practice despite this.

Softlysoftly, this: "Don't wholesale slate the force that keeps you safe unless you are damn sure if you are raped, beaten or burgled 999 won't bethe number you call." is quite a statement on MN. There are many many women who have posted on these boards about police incompetence or worse when they have reported rape.

I would like to be able to rely on the police if something awful happens to me or my loved ones; we all would. I am simply not confident that I can. My confidence has been shaken by the testimonies of individuals I have read and heard, the many reports that have been written about systemic failings (e.g. Sapphire), corruption (e.g., NoTW) and both (e.g. Hillsborough); the news reports of outrageous misbehaviour (e.g., what is looking increasingly likely to have happened in Plebgate); and clear and terrible quantitative evidence of failure in the case of crimes such as rape.

well, i am thinking of leaving, i do find the culture hard going, i find the shifts hard going, the lack of sleep hard going, the danger hard going, the general idiocy of what we deal with hard going and the lack of anyone giving a shit hard going.

i have never seen anything corrupt though. im just too gentle for the flak i get doing the job and i feel in constant danger - no back up at dangerous jobs as numbers are so stretched. it is putting us at risk - no doubt about it.

a very wise training school bobby told me the public get the police they deserve - so think about that when the gvt are slashing starting pay to 19k.....you can get more than that in retail or an office, and that is why i am looking at other jobs - i could work normal hours in a safe environment for the same money.

so in future yes - i would ask why anyone would do this job. I do it well i think - i do it honestly and to the best of my ability - and its landed me with some mental health problems and a hiatus hernia. worth it?

a very wise training school bobby told me the public get the police they deserve - so think about that when the gvt are slashing starting pay to 19k

You say wise, I say complacent and blame shifting training school bobby.

There are a lot of stories about 'the police' on this thread, both bad and good. I could add my own stories into the mix, but I don't see the point.

OP- saying that you, 'hate the police' is just bizarre, really bizarre to me. Do you think it's acceptable when people say they hate black people, Muslims, foreigners etc? I'll bet you don't, but they are all people you can group together because of one common factor as you have done with 'the police'.

'The police' covers a massive range of people- black people, Muslims, foreigners, women, men, bisexuals, straight people, gay people, university educated people, ex- soldiers, young people, tall people..... The list goes on and on and you can make most scenarios and most stereotypes fit because there are tens of thousands of police officers in this country. Police officers are all individuals they just happen to wear the same uniform.

Vicar, sometimes you just can't reason with people, but I admire your tenacity! I absolutely hate being tarred with the same brush as the few ignorant/bullies/lying officers that there are. Because we all know there are, and its not like any of us officers on the thread have denied it. It's not a perfect world and we're not a perfect police force.

However, some people just can't seem to accept we're not all like that. I know that lots of people have had a bad experience with the police - however, when delve into it it's not even officers. For example, the person who said they phoned in and were told there was no units available. Yes that's crap. But that's not a police officer, that's a civilian controller/dispatcher telling you that. And it's probably down to the fact that the very few officers on duty are already deployed to something else - maybe a rape, a domestic, a burglary? Or maybe a hoax call that they don't know is a hoax til they get there?

I said it before and will say it again - there is no benefit to an officer making up something like that. It's not like they get the fine money, and its a shed load of extra work. It would just be totally pointless.

vicar I do think the slashing of police starting pay is an utter idiocy. No arguments there. And I have followed some of your story and can completely understand why you wish to leave. And I think it must be demoralising in the extreme to have to work in that culture as it now is. I do not (mind you) agree with the concept that the public get the police they deserve. we get the police that are foisted upon us. The 'public' are mostly law abiding people who want to live peacefully and they want to know that the state will back them up in that. I have been on Mn for about 6 years now (under various incarnations) and I have followed your story and know that you are genuine and honest and know also that you have suffered greatly. So i do hope that the future brings you happiness and joy. :)

compo what kind of person do you think will do this job for 19k a year? those on a power trip?
or those who have a genuine desire to make a difference to people?

i reckon it will be those who want the power and arent bothered about the money.
i am coming to the conclusion that no matter what it pays its not worth it. it had made me very ill.

vicar I said I would't be screaming!

These police are such competent witnesses aren't they.

ILove I phoned in to say I was a woman walking my dog and was being shot at. And I was. To be honest, I really did expect a better response.

(I did not know it was an air rifle.... and even now am not sure. I called DH at work when I got home and he said it was 'probably an air rifle'). But if you call the emergency number, and ask for the police, are you going to understand the difference between the police and a civilian dispatcher? I certainly did not.

actually i agree - its not the public that get what they deserve - but the government do. they will get what they are willing to pay for and for me the cost mentally has been just a tad too high.

threads like this do sort of seal my feelings on it because no matter how well i do my job, people still hate us. i find that very hard to swallow. i am a gentle, quiet, calm non judgemental person who is happy to treat everyone with dignity and compassion no matter what, be that offenders or victims. many, many of my colleagues are exactly the same. it takes all sorts in this job. out of everyone i have ever met and worked with i have only ever come across 2 officers that i dont particularly respect. that would suggest the majority are decent people, doing a difficult job, under ever increasingly difficult circumstances.

yes cumfy of course because what i say on here is held up to scrutiny in court.....

you are an example of the mentality im up against.