To think policing is pretty poor in this country?

[EasyPleasey]

I'm sure there are lots of excellent and well meaning individual police officers. However, my dealings with them in the past decade have been:

1. Reported a sexual assault. CCTV available, public area. Case closed not investigated.

2. Reported a burglary. Very likely suspect told to them, they didnt investigate, they didnt have time, case closed.

3. Spent ages writing to them about suspected fraud on a now deceased person. Never followed up by police.

4. Reported a fraudulent car sale/theft complete with names and addresses, nothing done.

5. Reported regular criminal damage to private property, some teenagers smashing outdoor lights and garden furniture in my road, £1000s of damage. Police said it's worse in other areas and did nothing.

But now I see police loitering round Tesco enforcing that one puts 'non essential' socks in their trolley, harassing people for using their front garden, I think where did they find all this time? Maybe a lot actually enjoy having the power to order people around, but solving crimes isnt a passion for many of them?

If you experienced policing in multiple other countries, I really don't think you'd be saying this.

I come from a country which scandalously had police rape gangs (and unfortunately rape reports continue) - with one of the members having gone on to become the deputy commissioner of police, tipped as next commisioner at the time - and more recently a youth rape gang, one of the ring leaders being a senior police officer's son. And, yes, of course the youth rape gang were let off. Apparently they wouldnt have been let off if only the girls had the "courage" to make a statement. Then it turned out at least one had. They still got off.

So, yes, I come from a country with some of the "really, really, really bad".

That doesn't mean I'm going to be happy with "really bad".

Women need to be taken seriously by the police and presently the approach to rape and DV is absolutely woeful.

What a shitty meme that is TomHardyCBBC.

There is a reason why a certain type of person becomes a police officer...

Come on, don't be cryptic: what sort of person is that?

cant think of a single country whose police i would rather have than england

Neither can I

Another I'm stuck inside due to CV so who can I trash, criticise, put in their plac?? - nurses (they usually get a poor response on here because of chatting at nurses station, ignoring call button etc etc), teachers, well millions of whingers about them, GPs, some are tactless and unempathic, now police whinge whiinge and on and on.

Funny thing is if there weren't any officers policing sunbathers and people breaking lockdown rules there would be a multitude of threads from people moaning about that. 'why aren't they police doing anything about those people sunning themselves in my local park?!' blah blah

The way the majority of the people on this thread think, I vote we just tell the police not to bother; to just stay at home, look after themselves and their family and not put themselves at risk, or in the line of fire for abuse on a daily basis, because most people don't give a fuck about them and have no faith in the work they do.

Don't worry Dddddddeborahh as soon as this Pandemic is over people will be back to moaning about them. It's only now people are concerned their lives might actually be on the line that it's all of a sudden akin to being an angel, being a nurse, clapping in the evenings and so forth. They'll be back to moaning about them along with the others in no time.

I vote we just tell the police not to bother

Agreed. Or perhaps the people who think they can do so much better should be made to give it a go?

Which should be easy enough right because what do they do all day?

It's a pity that our police aren't out playing guitars and giving us Zumba lessons... I've read it all now.

Did you actually read the rest of the post? a lot of what this thread boils down to is the way the police are perceived. So instead of sending drones to follow people who are walking their dogs, they could do what other police forces do and patrol areas and occasionally engage, in a fun way, with the people who live there. It's not rocket science that community policing is a great help at times like this.

I know several police officers in 3 different countries and they are all fine. But i have seen some bloody awful policing too, and the optics of letting them on Twitter to spout shit is an easy catch for them

I do get the impression from friends in the force in the UK that they are encouraged to go for the low-hanging fruit because it looks good on the crime survey. Can't really comment on that but it does make sense.

Well, they had their chance to step up when Blair/Brown spent 13 years splashing the cash,

Why is this still an excuse for anything? The Tories have been in power for 10 years - the present state of the country is their responsibility not Blair/Brown's.

I think the fact that the comparison between our police force and that of Spain and Colombia is that theirs are more fun is a bit worrying...

They may be, but I'd take our police force over their any day.

I imagine that all the police posts of them being extreme are the worst of the worst and the majority are doing a great job in difficult circumstances.
Some crime is down quite a bit hearing the recent figures but other crime (domestic violence) has risen (not surprisingly).

I do think some of the supermarket patrolling etc seems ridiculous and wonder if they have nothing else to do at all....

There are so many different things at play that any attempt at sweeping generalisations are impossible, either way.

1. Massive funding cuts undoubtedly leave the police hugely under resourced and impacts what they can spend their time doing.

1. CPS, funding cuts and decisions, can at times reflect badly on the police (decisions not to prosecute often get blamed on the police when not their fault)

1. Some police officers are inherent pricks - met a couple of them along the way, and unfortunately they reflect very badly on the wider police force.

1. Some police officers have been impacted by what they have seen along the way, the horrors, and have to put up a shield to it (eg joking about very serious things, or seeming flippant about serious issues) as it’s the only way to get through. Similarly they also end up forming views on certain groups or types of crimes because of their experiences. When you have been spat on, sworn at, attacked etc by members of the public I suspect it’s easy to become distrusting of the general public. Have seen it in a couple of police officers I know who are generally lovely people but have a view of the the general public that is very different than mine. On the other hand you have institutionalised racism and misogyny etc which is totally unacceptable and has to be dealt with.

1. Poor leadership at times - seen in many instances and different situations, which reflects badly on individuals coppers who aren’t actually in any way to blame, just doing as they are told.

Sometimes the police do an amazing job. Sometimes they do a terrible one. Like people in every profession. And then in all of the above. It’s not surprising people have such very variable experiences, and trying to make a sweeping generalisation either way (they are saints v they are the devil) is really unhelpful.

That's the point - the Police often 'don't bother' whether that's an individual being a twat or 'lack of resources'.

So when people have had serious crimes committed against them and they've been let down (and sometimes even abused) by the Police, its a bit galling to suddenly see Police force Twitter feeds full of smiling officers patrolling empty parks in the sunshine or sharing amusing anecdotes about who the Police horses met today.

Even worse to see videos of them harassing innocent members of the public who aren't breaking any laws at all.

And I didn't make that meme, it is circulating as obviously lots of people feel the same.

cant think of a single country whose police i would rather have than england

And the rest of the UK, too. I'm in Scotland.

Honestly I've only had one dealing with the police and it was when a drunk-ex turned up and started trying to kick my door in.

I called the police who swiftly removed them.

They came in once he was gone to reassure me and DD.

DD asked them if "X was going to come back" and the police man just looked at me, with a worried look on his face, and told her he wasn't sure but he was certainly going to take him away right now.

I think the look on that police officers face told me everything about what these men and women are dealing with on a daily basis. Removing violent men only to be called back again the next week.

And before anyone says - I'm not victim blaming. I'm merely saying how bloody horrible a job it must be. How long could you do that before you became jaded?

I doubt I would last a week!!!

I have never been treated with anything other than respect and consideration by the police officers I've encountered, and I didn't always deserve this, as in my distant past, I behaved anti-socially in public, was violent etc.
My father was a detective in the Met and, he was far from a saint, but years after years of some of the awful cases he worked on, in Vice etc, exposed him to the worst subsections of society.
The police are always vilified, always viewed askance with hostility, but they are just human beings, trying to do their jobs, some well, others not so.
Where's the gratitude for the police?

Dipi79, see how you feel if you report rape or DV.

And I didn't make that meme, it is circulating as obviously lots of people feel the same

And lots of people are uneducated as to the realities of policing.

I think what someone said above about having a lack of trust for the general public is true. I have a friend who's a detective and she is very very wary of numerous things because of situations she's witnessed. She doesn't like her child going on the bus to school for example because she's dealt with child abduction cases, abuse etc... It must be hard to deal with things like that and not have it affect the way you view the world.

for those who have asked why 'suddenly' there are so many more police available:

• most of their leave has been cancelled
• their training has been cancelled
• those who are capable have been pulled from behind the scenes (PSD, trainers etc) to the front line
• they've been specifically told to be visible both as a deterrent and reassurance
• far less other types of crime (e.g. RTA) to take them away from routine patrol

Think of the scariest or most annoying or rudest person you have ever had to deal with - a drug addict who hassled you, a noisy neighbour, an aggressive ex-partner, a racist or abusive customer. Think how much that person intimidated, scared, or irritated you. Police have to deal with those people every. single. day.

How many of us, realistically, fear being screamed at, spat at, or hit going to our job on a daily basis? How many have had colleagues seriously injured whilst on the job? I'm willing to bet very few. And for this they getting a starting salary of about £22k.

It's like me coming on here and exclaiming how easy teachers have it when I've no experience of being a teacher. Completely unfounded and a ridiculously uneducated assumption about a profession I've no experience of working in.

I know what the realities of Policing are.

I work WITH some Police officers in a job where I encounter just as much abuse and horror as they do without the benefits of handcuffs, baton, spray or powers of arrest.

Some are excellent. Some are great people. That doesn't mean that as a whole, Policing in this country can't be questioned or criticised or people can childishly say 'well they should just not bother then' when people question the often woeful response to DV and sexual violence in particular.

So if you work with some great, excellent people who you freely admit have witnessed abuse and horror I'd have hoped you'd understand why a meme saying we shouldn't be thanking police officers would be pretty shitty then

There are problems within the force, that's for sure. As there are in many many public sectors. But yeah suggesting we don't have to be thankful for any of them is pretty shitty imo.

The only police I've delt with refuse to see what's in front of their faces I had an ex his ex wife was upset i was pregnant she accused him of shouting abuse over the fence at her nan the sent someone out i literally just walked in the door after being out all day they said you have been shouting abuse we had been out all day I showed train tickets proving we left in the morning that wasnt enough evidence I showed them film footage of my camera to prove it (I'm clearly on their in my clothes that I was still wearing) not enough evidence they told me I had to sign a harassment warning I said no they said they could arrest me (bearing in mind HE was the one accused of shouting the abuse not me) I said go ahead why did I want to waste police time just sign the warning NO and im asking you to leave my house they left but said they would contact my landlord my landlord checked the train tickets and said the old lady was fucking batshit

Another time they called me my partner was "seen" on cctv abusing his ex except he was over 300 miles away on an army base so they called back a couple of days later it was me who was "seen" on cctv abusing his ex i actually look nothing like my ex who is 6ft with a shaved head I'm 5ft and long hair so where is the cctv confusion that said they were coming over to discuss it with me I said fine a, I'm not in your area so send the evidence to the local police officer to deal and b, I have swine flu currently taking Tamiflu for it so visit at your own risk ten years later they didnt actually show up

My point is in both cases there was zero evidence I was doing anything in fact there was proof I actually hadnt yet they refused to take that into account in fact they got more vindictive because I was pregnant because pregnant women are nasty and vile to deal with according to them I actually had to make a complaint and move house to stop the madness and they still tried to carry it on with the full support of the police