To think the police aren't fit for purpose

[countingsheep5678]

I am not talking about individuals who put their lives on the line, I'm talking about how police constabularies are run up and down the country.

I have experienced three quite horrible anti social incidents in the 'safe' area of Hertfordshire where I live! One a group of boys threatened to throw my toddler in the river and another a man threatened to smash my 'ducking' car in because I asked him to move a bag out of the road!

I want to speak to a local police officer to explain my concerns and ask if there would be more officers on the street and what they are doing about the anti social behaviour in the area. I managed to speak to someone who took all my details and said they'd pass it onto a safer neighbourhood team.

I asked when I would hear back... he couldn't tell me. I asked if I could speak to someone more senior as I wanted some reassurance quite soon, he said I would have to make a complaint if I wanted to speak to someone more senior. I asked if I could have the number of the safer neighbourhood team... they don't have a number. So essentially, unless I call 999 there and then there are no local police officers you can talk and engage with. I was also astounded by the lack of empathy the police officer I spoke to had. When you've been on the receiving end of horrible situations you want to feel reassured. I have got off the phone feeling more concerned about the safety of our neighbourhood than ever.

Just by luck I have seen my local safer neighbourhood police team are holding a surgery tomorrow... but surely we deserve better from the police? We need more open, direct access to them? Am I alone in thinking this?

gatehouseoffleet
Because he was forensically aware and knew what he was doing and how to avoid capture. This was a judge who praised the investigating officers by the way, not the police patting themselves on the back.

gatehouseoffleet
So, if you have information to suggest that a juvenile has drugs on them and they may be dealing, what do you want the police to do - just search their pockets? Or should we just not search anyone under 18 at all? Baring in mind drug dealers use juveniles to deal and run/transport drugs all the time.

The sprinter was pulled over as they believed he was on his phone. I think even the sprinter said he was driving with his hand up to his face. He then he decides to overtake the police car which was flagging him down. You're supposed to drive with both hands on the wheel and pull over when indicated to do so - if not you're going against the rules you agreed to follow when you passed your driving test - so expect to get stopped by police and just comply when they do so. Otherwise don't drive - its a privilege not a right.

The stabbings are getting dealt with - that's why there are forensic tents everywhere - whats makes you think they are not being dealt with?

peskyginge
100% agree - do they think everyone at the vigil was there for a peaceful protest?
How do people justify the damage to police vehicle and the threats to officers?

So police vans got attacked was that before or after they removed apparently peaceful women on the bandstand? They didn't appear to be doing any van attacks? How many vandals were arrested compared to protesters?

Maybe if some people could share positive experiences of the police it might be reassuring. I've never heard any positive experiences from anyone I know in RL.

My friend's phone was stolen. In order for her provider to issue her with a new phone she had to provide them with a crime reference number. When she reported the phone stolen to the police the crime reference number was issued which she then duly gave to her provider and got a new phone. Similar sometimes with house insurance - the police haven't a hope in hell of catching the burglar but the default administration required helps to push the processes along.

The police are just useless and not interested in fighting crime anymore. They are employing the wrong kind of people. We need to go back to having a police FORCE who criminals feared, instead of the pathetic police "service" that serves no purpose.

And go back to having proper prisons instead of holiday camps, and long prison sentences of 20+ years.

Kids damaged ex dps car called the police after he caught them they were clearly underage and bricking it the police searched them threw away their cigarettes

Sign up and become a police officer yourself you will soon change your time. What an embarrassing comment

Isaidnoalready
Happened before - as another poster has commented, the initial gathering was peaceful, then another group of people started to arrive which resulted in the vehicles being damaged and rape threats being shouted towards female officers. I think one 'vandal' was arrested although the majority made off into the crowd.

The kids damaging the car - could he identify the specific kid that has caused the specific damage - or was it case that it was a crowd and it must have been one of them? When you say underage, under the age of criminal responsibility? Did you follow up with the police to see what had happened or complained?

Florenz
The criminals are 'fearful' that's why they are always on the run, hate being arrested and will do anything to prevent them being sent down. The salutes outside the court they give is just bravado, nothing more.

So what what would you prefer the police force to do? How do you want us to deal with the 7-8 missing from homes we get per shift or the 7-8 mental health crisis that come in? Do we stop safeguarding victims of violent crime and domestic crime? Stop taking reports of crimes involving social media and risk another murder like Molly McLaren - as many people would argue that murder was preventable and the current risk assessments would have picked it up and safeguarding could have been put in place for her.
Ambulances that phone us for cases that they can't get to - or is too much of a risk for them to attend? Crime scene management, case files - the list is endless.

What would you do if you were in charge? - Genuine question, if you can come up with a solution, I am all ears.

I work very long hours investigating crimes against elderly people. Everyone in my office takes their job role and responsibilities really seriously. Yes all crime should be investigated, but the police aren't miracle workers and there simply aren't enough of us. If you are the victim of crime, you will of course want the police to investigate... but that's the case for every victim. I work flat out, as do all those working with me, and it's so demoralising to have people constantly lump us all into one boat together. We are not all lazy, sexist, racist, bigots. The majority of us, certainly those officers I work with, joined to help people and to uphold the law.

I think sometimes it can be attitude . Someone I know had his tools stolen and was told by a copper on the phone he was at fault . Victim blaming . Tough . That would rile me up too . These thrived know crime pays in some instances. I do appreciate there are some good hardworking coppers out there too .

The police (of which I one ) are not fit for purpose anymore.

Because it's a service .
Because there aren't enough of us
Because we're doing the job of mental health teams and social services
Because we don't have the time
Because we don't have the resources
Because it's run by fucking imbeciles
That's the truth . The front line tries. We really do try .

Well this is what happens when there is a suing culture . Plus social media . No wonder the police have to tread carefully in some instances.

As for the sprinter - maybe he should have stopped, he probably does see a police car and sigh because he knows they'll pull him over for no reason. Why on earth does the Met have the resources to pull over "black people in flash cars" and victimise women who attended the Sarah Everard vigil, but not actually deal with all the stabbings going on in London?

On the first occasion that he was pulled over, wasn't he weaving all over the road?

What truly pisses me off is when I see burglaries sit on the active queue for days .
Csi go . But no cops are free . We just have no one free to go . Our active queue is regularly over 100 incidents . And there might be 10 cops to deal with that if you're lucky . Throw in a murder scene and a prisoner or 3 and there's no cops left . So those calls for someone kicking a dog , or a neighbour dispute , or a suspicious car or kids smoking weed in a park - forget it . There just aren't the resources to deal with it . We're too busy looking for kids that have walked out of a care home in front of the staff who can't stop them , or looking for a hospital patient who walked out in front of security but they didn't stop them , or sitting prisoners in custody because they've plugged their heroin stash up their arse , or sitting mental health patients in the 136 suite because the on call psychiatric doctor can't get there for 3 hours. Or sitting murder scenes because there's no one else to do it . Ir dealing with prisoners in the cells . Or sitting on cannabis factories for 12 hours with its food or drink or a loo break .
It's shit . The jobs fucked . Gone are the days you could actually a difference by patrolling and catching criminals . Now we just respond after the event . Because there simply aren't enough cops to police effectively.

This country is slowly breaking down

Plus social media . No wonder the police have to tread carefully in some instances.

Just on this point, I've said this before and I genuinely think smartphones are in the top 10 best inventions in the history of inventions. I'm not being even slightly facetious or hyperbolic. That we can now live record what has been happening for decades is frankly amazing. Imagine just how many lives the police ruined before we were able to whip out our smartphones? Just how many black men and boys' lives utterly destroyed? The phones certainly help keep them in check. Whenever I see a black boy being questioned I get my phone out before I've even gone over. When the police stopped me curiously wondering if the car was mine because it's expensive I made a point of switching on my in-car monitor

Bollocks .

You will get a snapshot of what's happening without any knowledge as to why .
This is exactly why the scandals happened in Rotherham and Oldham 🙈 because people were so scared of being called racists they allowed crimes to happen simy
Because the perpetrators were Asian or of colour . Crime doesn't just happen to one race . Crime isn't just committed by one race . The police are so
Up against this shit now because people do whip the phone out without any knowledge of why that person is being arrested or searched or detained . What are police (me !) meant to do ? Ignore crime being committed because of the colour of a persons skin ?

I was burgled for the second time in a week. The non emergency call handler (after a 40 minute wait to get through) said “that must be annoying” and declined to send anyone out to investigate.

My home felt alien and unsafe. Irreplaceable family mementoes were taken. I still sleep with the light on 3 years later. I no longer have any faith in the police.

The police is institutionally racist. That's not mere opinion. The police being afraid of being called racist is a bit like worrying you'll get wet in the shower.

I no longer have any faith in the police.

No longer does one of my nephews. He was running towards Victoria station (to catch imminent train departure), grabbed by two officers, and questioned by another what he was running away from. Him, breathless, pointing at the station says "my train", another officer arrives and tells him not to move and asks what he's carrying in his bag. Curiously in his bag was his laptop and tepid bottle of water. Oddly enough the result wasn't just a missed train; he was left with a nice hefty dose of anxiety to deal with. When the police ask him about himself, I've told him not to tell them he is/was studying law because no doubt a few grams of coke will turn up in his backpack once they take him to the station.

No they are not . I have friends of colour and mixed race and Asian .
The police are not institutionally racist . That's what people peddle because they don't like it when a criminal is Asian or mixed race or of colour . The colour of your skin is not a get out of jail free card . Your behaviour is what the police will deal with - not what colour you are .
To say otherwise is simply racism in reverse . So we should turn a blind eye when a criminal is of colour ? Or Asian ? Or missed race ? Criminality is not restricted to one race or colour . The police deal with criminality. Not a colour .

White people are also stopped if they match a description of someone who has committed a crime. It doesn't mean they are guilty. It means they COULD be a suspect - they'll be stopped , questioned and let on they're way . Same as anyone . That's the job - stop people who may have been involved in a criminal act and ask questions. It doesn't matter what colour they are if they fit the description of someone who has comm a crime . If they're not involved they'll be left to go on their way . If they are suspected they'll be arrested. Even that doesn't mean guilt - you can arrest on suspicion of an offence - to obtain evidence by questioning- or not . Arresting someone doesn't automatically mean guilt . But the police have to stop people and question them - we'd never bloody get to the bottom of anything otherwise . We have to talk to people to ascertain what's happened. That's not a cultural or race issue - I work in a predominantly white and Asian community- I can't avoid stopping Asian people just because they're Asian ! If they fit a description of someone who committed a crime I'm gonna question them! Same as if they were black , white , brown , or sky blue pink with yellow dots on .
That's how police catch criminals. That thing g you all think we're rubbish at !!!

If the met police was regularly armed like say in America, we'd be having to step over black bodies on our way to get lunch from Pret, it would be that bad.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/25/black-people-more-likely-to-be-tasered-for-longer-police-watchdog-finds

Right .
If you work as a police officer in a white
Community the criminals will be white .
If you work in a predominantly Asian community the criminals will be predominantly Asian .
If you work in a predominantly black community the criminals will be predominantly black.

That's not racist . That's demographics. Crime doesn't just happen to one particular race .

Last week one of sgts tasered a white murderer. It's not because he was white . It's cos he murdered a man in cold blood .

What ar people not getting? Criminals can be of any demographic and any colour . White black Asian Chinese , Slovak , Romanian , polish , - any demographic. What would you like police to do ?
Not taser black people? White people? Slovak people ? Autistic people? If someone is armed or offering violence they are gonna get tasered whatever colour they happen to be !

My husband died suddenly earlier in the year. As it was a sudden death the police attended, at one point there were 4 of them in my house. They couldn't have behaved better, they were kind, sympathetic and understanding. Just to give an example of good policing.