To be sick of the police!!

[Noangelbuthavingfun]

Yet another one .... rapist ..before He even joined the force. WTAF is going on ?
You can't trust the very people that you are supposed to ! Add to that the failings of the police "force" dealing with Grace and Barnaby case recently and the awful disrespectful texts that we heard about .... and you just think what de hell is going on !! Unforgivable!

@damnedwhatever
People are genuinely, eternally grateful for the good officers like yourself.
It shouldn't be a gamble though should it. The behaviour of the officers constantly in the news must sadden and infuriate you as much as it does the rest of us though surely?

@damnedwhatever That post actually nearly made me cry. Those situations are ones that I could not even comprehend dealing with. You are right, it would take every ounce of strength to treat a suspected rapist of a 5 year old with kindness and respect.

I apologise if I came across as argumentative. I think I was projecting my own experiences and frustrations onto all police in general and I shouldn't do that. I have had bad experiences but that doesn't mean all officers are the same. You sound like you put your heart and soul into it and I could only hope that all officers are the same way.

I watched that episode. The female officer did say about social services but let's not forget the woman on the bus USED her child as a shield. Regardless as to whether she should or shouldn't have been restrained, she uses her kid as a shield. It's not exactly A star parenting is it? I can't think of any explanation why that can be justified.

Id like to think most parents regardless of how oppressed they feel, intimidated etc would try to de-escalate a situation to avoid their child being exposed to it. And as well I'm pretty sure before it got physical, that woman very loudly said she would bang out a police officer or words to that effect.

Of course it infuriates and saddens me . But I'm glad they're being whistle blown on and getting rooted out !
I don't want to work with corrupt people or criminals . I want them gone !
There are so many dedicated, amazing, passionate, good , competent police officers out there and you NEVER hear about them .

I've had cards from my dv victims thanking me . I ferried on dv victim to court on my days off ! In my car ! I paid the parking and the petrol because she wanted to be there .

I have an award for victim care . I was stunned to get it , but it's nice that someone nominated me knowing how I do my job and how much I do care .

There are thousands like me . I don't make the news though .

@damnedwhatever It's such an important and life consuming job. There really should be a public way to highlight and honour the services of officers that excel and put trust and respect back into the police force.
As you say, root out and fire the incompetent, aggressive and dangerous ones - promote and support the people doing their utmost to serve and protect.

The problem is the media focus is on the bad . Course it gets clicks and likes and sells .

There are so many amazing people in the police that I trust my life with . And have . And do .

Those snippets you see in the news are the minority.

I haven't always been able to deliver what a victim wants - I had one complaint from someone who
Found a drone in his garden and wanted it dealt with as harassment because his son (in another part of the country) worked for the home office ! It didn't meet any legal definition of harassment- and he didn't like being told that and made a formal complaint about me . It wasn't upheld obviously but the public expectation often exceeds what powers we have .

I could write a book I honestly could .

What really gets me on this thread is no one that clearly has an issue with police has any constructive suggestions how they think the service should be improved. It's just police bashing topped off with a large dose of generalisation and a sprinkling of ignorance.

There's good and bad in every organisation/ industry. The media portrays a very small % of officers who are problematic and shouldn't be in job. They sensationalise it because there is a taste for it now and it attracts public attention.

There is no way on earth you can recruit 100% perfect humans as cops. A small minority are bad and police forces seem to me to be making the efforts to weed them out and build bridges with communities.

It isn't perfect but it is improving. What's the alternative. A lawless society? We all live in the Purge. No thanks.

I just want people to try and understand I'm a human being. I love people. I do the job because I get such amazing satisfaction from helping people. I'm a mum . I want to go home after my shift - I don't want to get shot at or attacked with a zombie knife or machete - but I have been . I've stood in the way of angry crowds of people alone to stop them hurting someone . I've learned the absolute best tool I have in my kit is my communication skills. I've talked suicidal people of bridges . I got people to stop what they're doing and think . I've saved lives .
What I do is valid . I don't ask for thanks - I've never done - but to see these threads over and over kills me . It genuinely does hurt .

I'm sorry for those of you that feel let down or not helped or listened to . We can't fix everything. We work on evidence . The number of times I hear someone say "I know it
Was them !" And I say yep . You are probably absolutely right . But without evidence - there's no chance of prosecution at court .
People do expect police to stop all crime . To solve their problems instantly . We have to work with what we have . And what we have is often sod all . People want us to move them out of their house to a better area where the kids aren't chucking apples at the windows . People want us to do their bidding. People want us to take sides in civil disputes . People want us to pack their things up and taxi them when they've had a row . People's expectations need managing around what powers we have and what we don't have. Being morally right isnt the same as being legally right. I'm lucky in that I'm a good communicator, but I'm really tired. I don't know how anyone gets to 30 years in this job . I don't think I will . It does break you .

I really need my bed I am working tomorrow.

@damnedwhatever all the nice things you do are great, but they don't erase the multitude of disgusting behavior from other police officers. I worked for a DV charity and you could not believe the amount of abuse victims who called the police only for the police to believe the abuser. You cannot expect people with those experiences to have a good opinion of the police.

The police force are not picky as with the NHS they are desperate for bodies to fill positions. I seen some appalling people work in the NHS. But who cares.

And I don't expect them to . But my point is we aren't meant to "believe " either side - we are meant to gather the evidence impartially and present that evidence (all of it - to prove or disprove) a full 360 degree investigation- to the cps for their decision- if the offence meets the threshold test .

I've had people complain at me that we did nothing about dv - but then when you dig down - they refused to give a statement or evidence, refused medical evidence, - sometimes our hands are tied . 9/10 times if a dv victim wi t assist the investigation the cps throw it out . Without a victim - there is no evidence - only in exceptional circumstances have I known cps run a victimless prosecution.

I do feel police get blamed and carry the brunt of what are often CPS decisions .

I for one was involved in a case that I'm just waiting to come back and bite CPS on the arse . They should have run it . Without a shadow of a doubt in my mind and in the mind of everyone who worked on it . One day that's gonna come home to roost . And so it bloody should . It was a disgrace. It should have run . But the cps lawyers in their infinite wisdom decided no . I'm waiting for that one to come back . And when it does - I'm ready because I have saved every bit of paperwork.

It took me 18 months to get into
The police from application to offer . I did a paper sift. Then 4 essay type questions. Then a full day at an assessment centre where I did 2 written English exams, a maths exam, and 4 role plays which were scored .

I then did a formal 20 minute interview with 4 questions that you had a 5 min timer on each .
I then did a medical .
Finally I did the fitness test . Bleep test and push /pull test . This was repeated 5 times within my probation.
You had to score 60% or above on all to get through . I scored 68% .

I don't know what the process is now but when I joined it was extremely rigorous.

Same and probation is bloody hard in my force too. Then the yearly fitness test, waiting for courses and earning them through waiting your turn and performing well etc. Theres so, so much people don't know, you're very much signing up for a lifestyle no wonder people want to defend it.

As for believing people - my stance is believe everything and follow the evidence .

I don't judge . It's served me very well . I've never had cps knock back one my jobs that I've solely worked on and for that I am proud .

I've caught plenty of liars out . The evidence speaks for itself . When someone is telling you they're a victim I believe them and look at the evidence.

I'm old though . And not daft . And I joined late .

And that's just the process to get in - then you've got the degree to do .

My force certainly doesn't recruit any Tom dick or Harry .

I believe there should be more emphasis on common sense than academic qualifications. You can't teach common sense.

And yes it's a
Lifestyle. One that's cost me more than it gave me . Sadly .

When I say I've caught liars out - one man who
Was very pissed off at his partner catching him cheating online and meeting women decided to get revenge by trying to accuse her of assault and tried to get her sacked as a nurse .

It took me less than an hour to find he'd been arrested for harassing her after she kicked him out . Before the allegations from him . Phone records showed the truth and the timeline.

I took enormous pleasure in calling him out and arresting him for for further offences which came to light . That poor woman was a nervous wreck and was physically sick when I took her statement . She didn't want to get him in trouble yet he'd have happily had her sacked from a 20 year career with his lies . And they were all lies and proven that they were lies . The evidence was there . So while he came in as victim the evidence showed he was far from it .

Evidence . That's what we should be looking at. Believe- and then look at the evidence. Things aren't always as they first seem .

I love my job . But I am at the end of the road with it I think . I'm not on the frontline currently due to health , but still carrying a weighty crime list . I'd like to retire . I feel burnt out.

Sorry I'm an insomniac and I'm waffling .

I lost all respect for the police after I was raped by my then husband. I had a male DS come to my mum's where I was living after leaving him shout in my face that I was lying & the rape never took place, despite my records showing pictures I had taken of my injuries & a consultant's report that I had internal bruising & cuts which eventually led to me having to have a hysterectomy. My mum threw him out of the house, it was no surprise that the case didn't reach the CPS threshold for prosecution. If it happened again I wouldn't bother reporting it. The video interview was almost as bad as the actual rape.

I'm so sorry that happened to you .

So
Sorry .
I hope you're ok now .

When I first joined and was a total rookie - I went to a rape . I had a really good rapport with the victim , I did the rape kit with her , and took first account for CID .

She was 18 . Her dad was a cop in another force . I absolutely believed her . 100%.

I found out later when I asked after her - they didn't run it . CID cops found out she had a boyfriend, and thought she'd made it up to cover her tracks so the boyfriend wouldn't get mad and ditch her .

I was very very young in service - but I was absolutely shocked and disgusted. There wasn't anything I could do at the time - I was a probationer and these were seasoned detectives.

But it stayed with me and I vowed I wouldn't let that happen again if I was out in that position.

When I joined - it was very misogynistic. Not just to victims - to female officers . I absolutely detested and despised one of my team beck then . He was an absolute dinosaur. And I did report him . The answer ?
They moved me . HR rang me and asked if I'd go on record and I said yes . I never heard another thing . I went to my superintendent and told him . He was lovely - he said I was what the service was lacking . He gave me 3 choices. Move group . Move station . Or stay where I was .
I moved group .
I know that officer got complaints from police staff for his gobby attitude on the radio . He was an absolute arse .

I do think things have changed now . I was still in my probation beck then and was scared to rock the boat , but I did it anyway . And I was moved . Nowadays I'd like to think he would be dealt with for being the misogynistic arse he is .

I wouldn't tolerate that again now as a seasoned officer . There is a shift happening and it's welcome .

@BluebellsareBlue "These people"? These people have no idea, these people aren't as brave as us, these people should be thankful...I'm not sure how this type of language is helping paint the profession in a better light.

Exactly. And they can't see it! (Or perhaps they can?). Same attitude - we're special. And they wonder why the respect's gone down the toilet.

And? A degree is a requirement for many jobs.

This is a very interesting and thought provoking point thanks for sharing ! The system itself appears to be broken and if that is fixed it will weed out the awful bad apples hopefully. What I don't understand is why the police management can't take a private sector approach and manage the bottom 10 % in terms of performance and attitude out. Howcome there is no performance management or accountability ? How is performance management done in the polyce ?Thats is a major issue and given you are dealing with life and death it's even more critical