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.

@TooBigForMyBoots that is deeply, deeply disturbing

I couldn't watch it all. I was assaulted by an officer and asked on a date by another as a young teen. As an adult we were completely let down after a horrific incident, and they covered up their incompetence. I now feel panic when they so much as drive past me, my heart races and I feel sick. I can't imagine how vulnerable women feel. The fact they get away with it is truly terrifying.

It's not the only case of "corrective" sexual assault and humiliation @Turkeyhen. Here's another. Not only that, they then pursued a malicious criminal case against Dr Duff. Officers at this station were also responsible for the Child Q case where a 15yo girl was strip searched at school.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/24/met-apologises-to-academic-for-sexist-derogatory-language

I really can't fathom why on earth the police would let this program go out. I'd imagine they are trying to show they are doing something about rogue officers but with the current police reputation I think it's just going to damage them further & cause mis-trust

Watching now. Horrific.

That was my reaction. Yes it shows behaviour is monitored by a team of senior officers, if only presumably in instances reported by fellow officers or complainant, but they seem to have little impact. The officers shown who left are now free to work in a security capacity, even if with ptsd and retired on full pension.

I've not watched yet. But the comments reflect what I feared. (Going to watch. Maybe with a stick between my teeth)

My feelings in general are multi faceted.

I was married to a motorcycle cop. He's retired now Hoping that's context for a SLIGHTLY older generation of whom are dying out.. I saw the power hungry, often misogynistic view of ex-DH and many of his colleagues. Older than me. They were of the "throw them down the stairs and say they'd tripped" era. As a group they inherently believed that someone was bad until proven otherwise. I wonder if certain departments breed more of a "better than everyone" attitude than others. (Yes. I'm looking at the roads policing types!)

BUT I also met lovely people in ex-DH circle. NOTHING like him. And I refuse to accept that the majority are like ex-DH.

I have to ask myself... does the force attract a certain personality type. Or turn them once they get hold of them.

I stand firm in the belief that most police officers are good people doing good work.

I am concerned though as the overarching ability to police themselves, the opportunities for whistle blowers to blow and be heard. Bless you good ones. Its an uphill battle 😘

I remember hearing a plea for more women to join the force after Everard. This show is exactly why I think most women would not even consider it. You can see what your working environment would be like, and I'm not talking about the interactions with civilians. You see the culture of working there and the hostility it breeds.

It also makes it very clear to me that body cameras should be mandatory for all forces. They currently are not and some don't even have them.

My guess would be thatgiven the Chief Constable's track record she's is pissed off with the IOPC's toothless behaviour and wants something done about it.

His wife believing him was even more bizarre. Just the act of a lone male saying he'd take the drunk woman home seemed unprofessional to me. Surely that's leaving you open to allegations of impropriety?

Scary that this was on camera behaviour which makes you wonder about what happens when not.

If that Cockering had had a body cam on he could have proved what he was saying too - it would work both ways. I'd strongly suspect that those who don't wear them or turn them off do so because they know it would not work in their favour.

Yes, as you and a pp also said, the Chief Constable sounds like she is genuinely committed to tackling this, and has done some really good work on how sex offences are dealt with. She's basically whistleblowing here, but what a way to do it.

OMG, when they had her at the station and she was screaming they are raping me 😥, it was so obvious what had happened to her previously and then to keep manhandling her, it made me tear up

Agreed, I think this is almost the most shocking part. Newbie cop is disappointed he's not on Police Interceptors and his boss lets him moan about MH patients rather than explain to him that serving the public is the job of the police! No reflection took place there, only consequence will be to switch off the cameras in future!

I've watched it. I was in an MH crisis 6yrs ago and police were involved. I had to put in a formal complaint which was upheld.

I've been diagnosed with CPTSD since.

The programme was so triggering, I wish I'd not watched it.

I'm so sorry you went through that. As I was watching it I thought this should have had a massive trigger warning at that start (I missed the first few minutes so maybe it did? I don't know).

I missed the intro but I was wondering if it had a distressing warning on it,

@Turkeyhen I watched it on catch up and there was a pop up on my phone that had a warning and 'accept and continue' link. I didn't read it tbh, just clicked, almost turned it off countless times but watched it through in the hope that the police officers would all be charged, dragged through court and banned from policing.

Ha! I should have known better.

Oh god, I'm so sorry you went through that - it should have a huge trigger warning plastered all over it. I can't imagine how distressing that must have been. I watched it thinking "surely, surely, SURELY they will be sacked/prosecuted/disciplined". Unbelievable that they all got off scot free.

The only positive I can cling on to is that it was broadcast to make people aware that this is happening and hopefully bring about change.

I joined up just to express my outrage on this programme. I worked in police stations until 2012 and have seen and heard it all. However what made me shout at the TV was that cocky sergeant, no pun intended, who claimed the victim raped him! WHAT? Why did he drive her up the dirt path, why couldn't he move her off him, and what on earth is wrong with his wife? As for finding him not guilty, I honestly give up.

I think the only way they allowed this to be filmed and watched was because its keeping even worse stuff hidden

Have any politicians picked up on this?

Who's the current Home Sec, James Cleverly?

I didn't hear any discussion about it on the news this morning, maybe not enough people knew about it/watched it.

I gave up watching it as I wasn't enjoying watching them taunt mentally ill people