To be losing all respect for the police?

[GroundHogDay01]

Earlier this week a man was being told he cannot sit in his front garden. Now we have a man being threatened to be pepper sprayed for absolutely no reason.

The public are going to lose faith in the police. My DH was being racially abused once and a couple of officers just walked on by.

I think the police need a huge shake after this. It’s not good enough to be issuing apologies after they’ve been caught bang to rights doing something wrong

Thoughts?

The police have massive issues with institutional racism and they still havent fully addressed it.

Obviously, not all police are the same but sadly, it attracts people with a power complex hence why some officers have been going way too far. Its VERY concerning that they are being so ill informed and ignorant about how the virus actually spreads and the law they are supposed to be upholding. If they dont understand the law in the first place how on earth can they enforce it?

There was also that bloody stupid "exuberant officer" that posted about checking peoples shopping and was then deleted. Very concerning.

ShowOfHands

A chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

I agree, to lose all respect for the entire police service based on the actions of a few is silly.

But not to lose any respect for an entire service based on the actions of a few is equally as naive.

To point out the good in a service when someone is highlighting the bad only serves to dismiss the bad. And that should not happen. Because if it does, then the bad gets away with it.

On the other hand, to overstate the bad, to the point of exaggeration, can actually be for the best in the long run, as doing so can function to ensure that the bad does not continue to happen.

oh and before someone says you get stupid people in every profession, whilst thats indeed true, with power comes responsibility and if you are given the power to literally ARREST people then you better make damn sure you know the law. Theres no excuse.

Totally agree AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter

Years ago I worked as a criminal lawyer. Prosecution and defence. I lost all respect for the police then. Very little honesty.

Policing in this country works by consent. They need the goodwill of the public otherwise it fails. Telling people they can’t be in their front garden or can’t buy Easter eggs is a quick route to breaking down trust.

They need to be more accountable and frankly more humble: if you don’t know what the law is don’t just make shit up.

There are idiots in every profession. The police in the news are the jobs worths, power trippers and idiots.

I'd like to think 90% of the police are using common sense and trying get people to adhere to the guidance.

I think some are probably board and some are getting conflicting info from higher up too and are just following orders.

No I think they are doing a very difficult job and some people are behaving like idiots. I've lost respect for the government though!

Wait, you already had respect for them?

Sorry but I think the police are trying to do the best they can the amount of idiots that are still going to friends families as if it's a normal day risking lives and then the total tit heads that are off on holidays or second homes in this country and heading to places that can just about cope with the locals let alone outsiders just shocking and what's worse if these idiots continue we will be going on with this virus for years and lockdown after lockdown

Yes the guy who was standing in his own front garden after buying gas or electric was totes off to his second home

Clearly the letter of the guidelines needs to be very clearly spelt out to all officers, for the benefit of those that are a little hard of thinking, in very small words, and very big print. What they have the right and responsibility to require the public to do, and what they don't, even if that's what their personal belief and preference is.

I'm sure that's a very small minority of officers, who are hopefully going to find their being the source of considerable embarrassment to the police force, and detriment to the custom of policing by consent, somewhat career limiting.

But the police are front line workers, they're tense, fearful, worried about the risk to them and theirs like everybody else.

HUGE generalisation!!! My sister and BIL are our nearly every day leaving their kids behind dealing with idiots who can’t folklore guidance being sworn at and abused. They are under resourced and working ridiculous hours, having had all leave cancelled.
She’s been spat at by someone dating the hoped she caught it, had to deal with deaths...

You are annoyed at a couple of situations - not the WHOLE police. You are massively unreasonable!!!

The problem is. This legislation was pushed through. I expect they haven't been told of the new powers. Or non poets. Just told to read a document. Which some won't understand.

@ParkheadParadise Hugs. Huge huge hugs xx

And to add... it’s not like the media are going to report all of the amazing the police HAVE done. The media are out for clicks don’t be fooled by the twisted media.

2beautifulbabs

That’s a different argument.

The idiots among the population acting, well, idiotically, does not excuse the police from acting unlawfully or unnecessarily aggressively.

It’s rather disconcerting how so many are being obtuse or dismissive of the issue in regards to bad policing examples.

There is no excuse for the minority of police who act this way. Just as there is no excuse for those members of the public to act the way they do.

It’s quite frankly tiring and actually rather stupid to hear of excuses being trotted out on this thread.

It serves no purpose other than to detract from the bad. To excuse the bad. Which will only ever result in us putting up with the bad.

We absolutely should not have to put up with the bad.

And as in any walk of life. It’s the good who do have to pick up the pieces.

I never had much respect for them. Even though I do have a friend who is a detective. Tho has made my feelings so much worse.

The problem is. This legislation was pushed through. I expect they haven't been told of the new powers. Or non poets. Just told to read a document. Which some won't understand.

Is it really so unreasonable to expect a police officer to be capable of reading and understanding a document for themselves, without needing it to be spoon-fed to them in words of one syllable?

Well most of you know what you should retrain as and do a better job! Seriously I never insult people in posts but some clueless, idiotic statements on here who have NO clue what a police officer can go through each day.
Go and sit by a dead body until it is collected, go aand attend a RTI where you have to search for missing body parts, get threatened every day....

The examples that you have given have been incidents that are obviously wrong and need dealing with.

They do not represent ‘the police’ as a whole though. The police in my area have dealt with this whole situation pretty well, they aren’t stopping people in supermarkets checking what they’re buying and I haven’t seen any reports of people in this county being told they cannot sit in their front gardens.

Please don’t let the incidents that are being reporting by the National news influence your opinion of the police in general. What happened to your husband is wrong, but check how the police in your area are dealing with enforcing the new laws before losing all respect.

The police officers I know are embarrassed and pissed off at colleagues making prats of themselves. It's making them lose respect for the forces where things are getting out of hand because they know that the general public will be thinking the same thing.

It's one thing when you get a rogue officer who needs to be swiftly dealt with but clearly in some cases the higher ups have gone power mad.

If anything my respect has gone up.

People don't realise how patient the police in this country are. I've travelled the world and lived abroad and in most countries the police take a harder line.

For example, that woman on the park bench the other day, would have been dealt with much harshly if she were in France.

In fact, only yesterday our police had to put up with a man biting one of their officers and assaulting two others when they tried to explain the new rules.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-manchester-police-officer-attack-easter-eggs-a9459516.html%3Famp&ved=2ahUKEwjQnc6P-uDoAhURE8AKHYQrC6QQFjADegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw0e2e0gEMUN9kzghurkVZLr&ampcf=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Police Officer bitten

IMO the police are too soft in this country and people don't know how lucky they've got it.

Sorry Poochnewbie

But you are being as anacdotal as the the person who started this thread is being.

All I am asking for is that those who are in the wrong when representing their profession are held accountable for their actions.

My point is simple. If someone does something wrong, then that someone absolutely does not get to ride on the coattails of someone who does something right.

If I was that they wouldnt deal with my ex's harassment (or that experienced by friends) then suddenly it's okay to pursue lockdown breach allegations with a stern chat and a "don't do it again", even where there is no evidence and denial of wrongdoing? Why is that permissible now? Why not do that to assist domestic violence and harassment victims?

It's laid starkly bare how bullshit the police is for women in difficulty. Unless you're already dead they won't help even then it's fine, just claim it's sex gone wrong.

DSis is in Spain she was stopped 3 times by police just going to the supermarket- you ain't seen nothing yet ??!