Do you know a decent police officer?

[Whatistheanswer2023]

AIBU to ask?

My personal experience someone who I went to Uni with who joined the Met. Thank god he got found out.

He bullied me at Uni, picked on me. Attacked me once. I was horrified when he joined the Met. He got kicked out for throwing someone down some stairs and then kicking them.

He moved abroad and now works in the US. Still in enforcement. Honestly a totally evil person. He made one year of my Uni life a misery.

he was racist and a misogynist. Total God Complex too.

Why are people like this allowed into the force then tolerated?

I personally know 2 women police officers, both lovely , and one male DS who's sexist.

I've needed police assistance a few times over the years and of all the officers that have ever attended, the nastiest was a woman .

One of the best people I've ever known (university friend) joined the police. It was several decades ago and he certainly didn't need his (very good) degree to get in, he said he wanted to "help people" at the time it was talked about. From what I know he has, and is still the kind, decent man he was back then. Some of us thought he was just too nice to hack it, but he did, for a full career.

They need people like him, they need more diversity and the Met needs another Robert Mark to clean house properly.

I know a very decent, in fact pretty amazing, police officer. He has spent his entire career going above and beyond to improve his practice and his community. Can members of the public nominate police officers for good service? It would be great if we could

I'm sure that's true.

Of course I know decent police. My dad and my brother as a starter.

I’ve met one or two bullheaded pricks who use their uniforms to act like arseholes but few and far between.

My mother worked closely with police officers in her job and said many of them were heavy drinkers and she didn’t like one of them. My only personal experience is the one I know has a hero complex and is a pain in the arse. But I think he’s probably one of the better ones.

No, its not possible, anyone who thinks they are best placed to Police other people has something the matter with them, bit like politicians i suppose.

But we need em, so the best we can do is employ people who are as decent as possible and monitor them, closely.

My own experience after being attacked, is they couldn't give a fuck and it was just a paper work exercise, they advised me to not to press charges, which i didn't but based on a pack of lies they told me, had i known the truth i would have.

Definitely true the police attracts the power hungry. Professionally their unions and reps want more powers or privilege over ordinary people.

Not all, but rather a lot. Good officers restrain themselves. It's easy to throw your weight around in the job

BIL is a policeman. He’s had multiple affairs, is emotionally, financially and sometimes physically abusive to my sister. He thinks he’s better than her in every way and is just down right nasty. He never even bothers to tell her when he’s going out. I really wish she’d leave him!

My own experience after being attacked, is they couldn't give a fuck and it was just a paper work exercise, they advised me to not to press charges, which i didn't but based on a pack of lies they told me, had i known the truth i would have

You cannot “press charges” in the UK.

whether to charge or not is for the CPS to decide. Obviously if the police do a shit job with the case, or the victim is uncooperative, The case will be weakened and less likely that the CPS will go forward with charges.

but it is not the victims decision whether to “press charges” or not.

Exh is a police officer, was a nice guy, joined the police turned into an utter dick, had an affair with another officer. I went on one night out with them when he was new in the force, I was looked down on as a lesser species because I wasn't in the police, they were rude, boring and only wanted to talk about work. I flatly refused to go out with them again. I did say I hope to god you don't get like them..he did though and the job became everything and only thing that mattered to him. I left and filed for divorce.

I know one police officer. He is a decent man

I was in a long term relationship with one, which ultimately ended because he told me that alot of his colleagues were openly racist and he never challenged them about it - (I'm mixed race so naturally it upset me). He did tell me that officers were openly racist, sexist etc and affairs are rife. Police force seems to have one of the highest divorce rates.
I noticed during our relationship he became more narcissistic and the power went to his head.
I do think there should be better vetting in place for this wanting to join, seems like anyone can join these days and you don't have to be bright.
Second experience was when an elderly relative had her life savings stolen by her carer. Police not remotely interested in investigating, they could not give less of a s**t despite all the evidence presented to them. So no, I don't have anything positive to say about them.

A good friend of mine is a female officer in the Met. She’s lovely, sensible and caring. She’s the only police officer I know personally.

To met, the Met seems rotten to the core. They should re-vet every single officer and check their service records for complaints, as well as look in to their personal lives. I expect Carrick and Cousins are the tip of the iceberg.

There is a lot of talk about violence/abuse/homophobia/racism. For all of those posters that have mentioned this, I'm you have reported this to the force in question - if you haven't then you are as complicit in their abuse as their corrupt colleagues are for keeping quiet too . Do the officers at the coal face a favour and help to get these types of people out.

Honestly, the sweeping generalisations here are as amusing as concerning. Police are human beings and believe it or not are not all cut from the same cloth as Carrick and Cozens - just like all nurses aren't a Lucy Letby.

There are many decent police officers. It's a minority of ghastly ones we hear about.

I think it’s unfair to say there are all types in all professions. Because of course murderers and rapists come from all walks of life BUT there needs to be some reform of the recruitment process and on-going reviews of staff in the Police force. Except it seems reading these posts that the norm in the police force is different to societal norms. This post and of course my OP I totally forgot about my friend’s sister’s husband. He is a Senior officer in CID. I’ve been told his wife wants to leave him (in confidence) as he beats her and he is a current officer.

You could ask the same of all professions , church , teaching ,other emergency services , the government !!! etc etc.
Recruiting someone with known criminal behavior , convictions ,is beyond me -if you are referring to the latest scum officer.
I have met some decent police officers , one of my clients is a particularly kind man ,another one ,a retired policeman late 60's is a complete pompous arrogant shit, disliked by all my colleagues ,not sure his wife is too keen either.
The recruitment system clearly needs an overhaul with no exceptions to anything other than what is expected ,also no messing about if any deviant behavior just chuck them out .

Well, i am not a lawyer like you, i know what i was told and that they advised me not to take it further but thanks for letting me know that you were there too, so sorry, looks like you re Police too.

800 being investigated by the Met out of 35k, how many more have slipped through the net and how many more helped them?

Its astounding that people still defend the Police with its a few bad apples malarkey.

Went on a night out with my police officer friend and her colleagues once a few years ago. They had Lego police officer figures they took out with them and they posed the figures to take the piss out of vulnerable people they had gone to assist. For example, a homeless man who had pooed in the street, they posed the Lego figure as if he was pooing in the street and they all found this hilarious. They spent a lot of the night taking the piss out of people they go to visit actually, you wouldn’t believe how judgemental they were (or perhaps you would).

My friend said in police training they are taught to look for the three T’s- tracksuits, trainers and taxis (taxis are used as getaway vehicles apparently). She would always have an air of suspicion whenever we drove or walked past someone in a tracksuit… The police mode never really switched off tbh, it was a major ego thing for her I think. She liked the power.

I’m not her friend anymore, she started shagging her married sergeant and I couldn’t get on board with it.

There is a good case to look at all the officers who supported Carrick's career. He seems to have been so very very lucky, at all points his problematic behaviour was just glossed over. He got clearances late and when there was evidence of problems. He was promoted.

Unless you make an example of these officers, and they must now be rather senior, the issue will not change. Who were these people? They could be near the top of the Met.

I go out of my way to make sure I don't associate with anyone in the police or armed forces

I have good friends in the police and know many extremely decent officers (all male).

Yes, I'm married to one. Thoroughly decent, kind and trustworthy, as are lots of his colleagues. There's clearly a huge problem with vetting, reporting and recruitment though. Absolutely sickened by Carrick.