Channel 4 - To Catch A Copper

[NameChangeAsICouldBeOverReacting]

Thoughts?

I was luckily able to watch this during work due to my job and it absolutely SHOCKED me to my core and really affected me.

This is what Avon and Somerset Police have put on Xtwitter after that shitshow of a programme.

'Following tonight’s documentary on @Channel4 if you've ever felt concerned or dissatisfied with your experience in relation to behaviour of a police officer, police staff or volunteer, you can make a complaint via 101, online, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'

As you can imagine the comments are very negative. For example: 'You've just proved there is NO POINT complaining with that disgusting farce.'

It was truly heartbreaking watching these three women being abused and let down by the police. I was very, very upset for them.
I really hope these women have been able to access help and kindness.

The media don’t seem to have picked up on this programme yet. Hope it’s not going to just fade away. There are two more episodes so fingers crossed that more and more people will watch it.

The Guardian calls it “shocking” and “disgusting”.

I am awake thinking about it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and thought "at least they'll be punished since they're putting all this shocking stuff on television they must have got done for it", then... Nothing at all.

Very distressing.

@AuContraire that's what I was thinking we would see a satisfying and right conclusion but no , retired on full pension and a bit of a chat ! I don't know if I'll watch the other episodes it's just too much. those poor women that were assaulted and abused.

Awful and abhorrent. Was so hard to watch. The way these women were treated made my skin crawl.

But my biggest takeaway was one question. What in the hell do these officers have to do to be dismissed or prosecuted. We saw police officers assault, sexually assault, dehumanise, humiliate and almost torture vulnerable women and not one of them was actually held to account. Sgt. Cocking was paid and continues to be paid large sums of tax payers cash. 2 officers were able to resign and walk away with clean hands. The other two had a painfully cringey conversation with their "line manager" about their behaviour and were sent back out on duty.

Also, why does it take so long to deal with these issues. Some of these issues took years to "resolve". All the while, some of these officers are out on duty, they were all being paid and not one of them was held to account in any way whatsoever.

Not many replies on here really. I wonder if many people even watched it !

Just trying to get this straight: the counter corruption unit at Avon and Somerset police identify misconduct, the chief constable is involved, the matter is referred to the IOPC who independently investigate and make a decision/recommendation. Can the police force appeal if they disagree with the decision? Obviously in the Cocking case there were criminal proceedings which failed to convict, but the counter corruption officer seemed confident that misconduct would succeed (balance of probabilities) but ultimately it didn’t.

Is the IOPC the main problem here and the police force are essentially whistle blowing?

Already dreading what is to come in following episodes. There should be a media shitstorm about this surely?

Am 8 mins in and I've had to stop watching for a bit while I catch my breath.
I cannot believe what I just watched. I don't know if I can get through a whole episode or more of this. Exactly the very worst kind of policing you could ever imagine. As if the bullies from the playground have been given the power they always wanted.

I missed the first few minutes of the programme - how were the two cases involving the women in MH crisis brought to the attention of the counter corruption unit in the first place? I know I should rewatch but I don’t know if I can face it.

@Turkeyhen it looked like a motorway maintenance crew or maybe toll worker had phoned the police they had her off the bridge although it wasn't clear.

Someone on an internal panel who was watching the cam footage to see if OFFICERS were hurt tagged it as bad practice

they seemed to also know her because they said to the PO "it's one of your regulars "

There appear to be 3 officers in the car too. I have to say it's stopped for adverts and I've never been so relieved to have the stupid Domino-hoo-hoo adverts. I honestly feel quite sick.

Thank goodness the internal panel did their job!

Thanks for filling me in. Just makes me wonder how much of this behaviour goes undetected then. I assume those women (MH crisis) didn’t make a complaint later, or someone on their behalf? Surely their permission was sought to show the footage even if their faces were obscured?

It was shocking.

The two cops then who were caught on bodycam being verbally abusive to the distressed woman in the wheelchair. They talked about her in her presence like she was an animal.

They got away with a warning/reprimand.
The 'warning' by the senior office was a cosy, smiley chat with them, including cups of tea, and they all went off feeling like great lads.

In all these cases the victims were female.

It's almost like because they are female, there was a quickness to jump onto an opportunity to control and belittle and dehumanise them.

I'm not sure if that person on the bridge had been a male, would he have gotten that same response and would the same things have been said to him?
Like 'you fucking bitch'. There's a degradation in it that I'm not sure if males get that.

I think the worst officer in the woman on the bridge was a female policewoman too.

This was my faults exactly!

Do what you need to for your happiness & mental health but we need more good ones in the police, not fewer.

It is women who are the victims plus very vulnerable ones, plus they were made out to be the perpetrators.

The jury were misogynists.

Agreed.

I thought the consequence to the two officers in the mh case was appalling. They had the bodycam evidence so cps did not need her statement and it was witnessed. Neither mh lady had committed a criminal offence.

This programme was shocking. The two women with mental health problems could, in the future, be any of us or our family members - who knows if in the future we will have a "breakdown" and end up in that position? How could people so obviously ill end up being treated like they were, and then for those police officers to not even receive slaps on the wrist? The arrogance of the officers concerned was breathtaking - they knew everything would be seen on their body cameras but they just didn't care - presumably because they knew there would be no consequences.

I know there's a shortage of police officers but surely they're not so desperate that they continue to employ people who are so unsuited for the job.

Why doesn't the Chief Constable have the power to remove "bad" officers?

Why doesn't the Chief Constable have the power to remove "bad" officers?

@MissMarplesNiece this is what I'm trying to understand. It seems that the CC has to go with the IOPC's decision, so is it the IOPC that is failing here? And is there an appeals procedure if the police force isn't satisfied with the IOPC's decision?

That's our police folks. And that's only a tiny snapshot of their behaviour. They also perform "corrective" sexual assault on women who dare to challenge them or complain.

https://news.sky.com/story/i-was-forced-to-strip-naked-in-police-cell-and-threatened-to-drop-complaints-against-officers-says-mother-13050816