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?

Police will not improve whilst they are run by Sergeants or senior ranks with attitudes they learned as Sergeants.
They need purposely trained Officers. In a similar way to the separate training of military.
Which we and most countries have got almost right.

Seriously?!? I hat an idiotic post

Do you really not understand that all the time spent messing about with online 'crime' and the rest takes away resources that could go into investigating things that actually matter, like rape for example.

yes I agree

there are pockets of amazing work. Some wonderful individuals and teams really committed to solving serious and violent crime.
I remember for instance watching a documentary years ago about a team dedicated to child sexual abuse and child protection. It was harrowing. They were SO dedicated. They were clearly damaged by the work they did and my heart went out to them.

and you do hear stories of amazing support given in individual cases.

But on the whole, I have no trust or respect for the institution now.

You only have to listen to real stories (not anecdotal) but actual recounting of investigations to see the constant negligence, sexism, racism, homophobia

One of the problems is that people who crave power and the ability to control or bully others are often drawn to these types of roles. And those who don’t start like that, power corrupts and they gain power whilst they become dehumanised and lose empathy through overexposure to the worst in people.

Its a mess. I’d be scared if I got pulled over to be honest (although I have the privilege of being white)

You think the police officers are hiding behind desks? Is that what you think they are doing ?? This just goes to prove that the public have absolutely NO idea what an officer does. I'm flabbergasted

@Googlecanthelpme god, I totally agree! As I said in my original post there are amazing people who work in the police! I just find as an organisation it is run appallingly, especially when it is meant to support the community it serves!

Oh the other side I absolutely hate - the “means to an end” attitude.

it is well known and documented that the police use child sex offenders as informants. There is a big scandal in Essex around this, a prolific sex offender basically being left to offend for years and years in order to utilise some of his intel.

There are many accessible quality Podcasts that will tell you all you need to know about the police and legal systems in this country

We live in a democracy and have completely sleepwalked into this situation. Britain has the society it voted for. Next time a political party shows you what it believes in, listen. And make sure you vote.

My parents little car was vandalised to the point it was written off 😔. Police totally disinterested didn’t even investigate.

The BBC drama about the gay serial killer was terrifying. The killer literally kept leaving the bodies of young men outside his flat and they still didn’t join the dots…took the fourth victims sisters to get anything done

@BluebellsareBlue from my experience yes! I am talking about how the police are run as an organisation. It should not be hard to speak to a police officer or go into a police station. The police are meant to be serving the citizens of their constabulary and I have seen about two policemen/women walking around the two I live in the past two years! This is not a personal criticism of every police officer but how it is run... I am not the only person to thing this! If the police listened to people/victims of crime rather than get defensive then maybe we'd see more change!

@LadyRoughDiamond believe me I wish more people voted differently over the past 12 years!

Where have said I'd rather one be investigated over the other

I'd prefer an appropriately staffed police force so ALL crimes can be investigated

But unfortunately that's not what people like @whentheraincame vote for

'You think the police officers are hiding behind desks? Is that what you think they are doing ?? This just goes to prove that the public have absolutely NO idea what an officer does. I'm flabbergasted'

Well if you don't come out when we ask for you and then you try and change our thoughts for Twitter comments' what are we to think?

@MsTSwift your poor parents! I hate this... the fact they can't be bothered to investigate says it all!

We have old Tory votes who will always vote Tory and always have. Then we have Tory voters who are voting against big government and censorship and nannying. I'm going to be the latter. I know many who are.

Labour will never get in again and it's really thanks to people like you.

I voted Labour in the last election. I was willing to let the gender ideology stuff go for the greater good but not anymore, sorry.

No, I joined the Specials with a view to becoming a regular, but after a couple of years of it, I decided on a different career.

@countingsheep5678 OP I wonder how many people will go to the Neighbourhood Policing meeting. Do tell us.

I'd rather be nannied than thrown to the wolves

We live on a fairly exclusive estate in Solihull. Some if us are lucky enough to face a nature reserve, that's well used and lovely.

Whilst on holiday 2 teenagers took a knife and damaged the tyres on 3 cars. They were caught on CCTV and 3 neighbours saw them.

The police closed tge case with no action cos we did not give tgen the nanes of tge teenagers and cctv wasnt sufficuently clear - it was this was an excuse. No mention of tgecwitnesses abd no statements taken even though one of the kuds was known to a neighbpur.

I tweeted and asked for it to be reopened - my DDs classic car was damaged in this attack. I emailed them asking for tge same and I messaged them via their website.

Zero response. Nothing.

Why do we even need a police force other than to capture and prosecture motirists (the vilest criminals in the world). Surely we'd be better off funding security patrols. At least they'd work in the neighbourhood who pays them to capture cretins before (in this case) they use a knife to kill things and grow into murderers! It makes my pi$$ boil.

@cormorant5 5.30-6.30pm outside Matalan! I'm tempted to share on lots of community groups! I only found it as searched for their twitter handle!... I double many people will come as it's weekday.. people are on holiday/work and also it's on an industrial estate out of town!

@countingsheep5678 May 2024 - I’m pinning so much on this!

@LadyRoughDiamond after Brexit and an 80 seat Tory majority I have no hope left!

This 100%.

And as for police patrolling parliament as PP mentioned earlier, there aren't even enough of them. That's what DH does, and he has more than 50% of his days off cancelled to make up the short fall.

It really isn’t that we “can’t be bothered”. I am currently carrying a workload of 30 crimes. I work a 40 hour week. If I spent on hour on each crime a week (if only!) that would leave me about 10 hours a week to be “visible”. As it is, I could easily spend a whole shift taxiing your little darlings from one end of the country to the other, complete with relevant social services checks and safeguarding forms. Or I could spend an entire shift with someone who has threatened suicide for the 4th time this week because there isn’t a bed for them to be admitted and therefore the MH suite won’t take over duty of care. Or an entire shift on a constant watch in custody because someone tells the custody sergeant they’ve taken a load of pills (which they have not, usually!).

Believe me, I would love to be doing the sort of policing that you feel would make a difference to you, it’s why I joined. But the majority of the time I’m slogging away doing invisible work because all public services are underfunded and understaffed.

During my relatively short career I’ve been spat at, punched, been injured various times including broken bones on one occasion. I need to step away from MN threads about the police because the hatred on them often leaves me wondering why I put myself and my family through it.

Our neighbour's son has just left the police after 3 years. It was his childhood ambition to be a PC, and he jumped through all the hoops to get admitted (choosing the right degree from the right Uni, joining the specials, doing voluntary work etc). It took numerous applications before he was accepted as it's very hard to get into. He was disillusioned virtually from the first day, but he stuck out his probationary period, and then moved to a different force hoping it would be better. But the next force was just as bad, so he very reluctantly gave it up. He says it's all about "investigating" the simplest/easiest of "crimes" rather than based on seriousness, just to tick boxes to "clear" crimes, i.e. clearing 50% of easy to solve crimes is easier than clearing 50% of serious ones! It's just a numbers game for them.