Tuesday 28 April 2009

Pigs Might Fly

The title for this post comes from when l had just completed my veterinary nurse training. One of the police dog handlers who was a sweetie and often visited us once arrived with his sergeant. JB the dog handler was trying to convince me that my boss whom l shall call Agent Orange (he was so toxic) actually appreciated what we staff did. I snorted and told JB that “Pigs might fly” a comment l often use without thinking.
JB boomed with laughter, his sergeant gave me a weird look but said nothing, l am so used to weird looks l ignored it. It took me almost a week for my comment to ding home in my brain. I had an embarrassed chuckle over it but figured oh well foot is always in mouth so nothing new there.
I thought that the comment would fit this post, whether it does or not l don’t know, but what the heck l like it.

I decided as a plain old MOP, Member of Public as opposed to being a thing to clean the floor, to give my take on the modern police force. Speaking to police l meet at work l understood a bit and I have learned a lot more reading police blogs [l have linked some of them here where l felt they fitted] about police powers and how generally pissed off they are.
What they can not do it seems to do, is to protect anyone or their property and that includes the police themselves. The "system" conspires against them. The "system" being, politicians, bleeding hearts = various groups of concerned people, think tanks, and the media.

I do not buy papers but do listen to the media (tv or radio) in the background while l do other things. The media story is funnily enough at odds with those police who have a chance, albeit under pseudo names to tell the stories from their side of life.
I may well totally misunderstand the situation but this is my take on the average street level slowly going insane and drowning under paperwork and many badly thought out rules and procedures copper, and the "system" that they operate under. I have added comments on how l feel it affects my family and l.

Not all police are good, just as not all people in anything are good. The majority are and just want to do the best they can under a deteriorating "system" with people, who are often not fit to run a crèche, being in charge of them [police].

Starting with the protests as they have been in the news so often lately…..
These major G20 type protests are known trouble areas. If people go to them then they shouldn’t be surprised that they get hurt.
Police should be allowed to use water cannons to clear problems and protect property that is being destroyed. Just because someone has a small shop that is no reason to smash it up, and/or steal from it. Someone worked hard to set it up, they may employ others and they keep people employed down the line making items, window cleaning and just supporting it. The person owning the shop is probably less well off than half the protesters on their dole and other handouts.

I am not sure on rubber bullets but it may well be worth considering (nope maybe not l can hear the mutters of not happy police having to use them)
Quite frankly, if my business was damaged or destroyed l would like anything used against the people that destroyed it. That would be an emotional rather than a realistic view though, so l guess not really valid.
Tear gas l do not like the idea of because people who live in the area and are staying locked indoors and also animals will be affected and they are innocent of any trouble making.

The fact that police are also under attack is immaterial, well not to the police, l mean to the system. The average “Joe Copper” seem to be expected to protect themselves, others and property by saying “l am the police, please do not be nasty to me, other people or the property you are destroying because that makes you a naughty person”
For some reason doesn’t seem to work, not sure why l mean calling people naughty should work, shouldn’t it?

I do not know what Ian T did do or didn’t do that day but then neither do the media, let investigations get done.
Unfortunately l doubt the police will come out well, no matter what they do it will have been wrong. It seems that the abuse, bottles and missiles thrown from the crowd are all forgotten. This is understandable we all know it is the police’s fault.

As to the other episode with the woman that was slapped. I finally saw the clip on the news last night. Quite frankly she was out of order and a total idiot. She went looking for trouble from the start. She was right up behind the copper screaming in his ear. If l was him l would feel threatened no wonder he pushed back as he turned. With the general behaviour there he probably did not know if he would get knifed or bottled in the back. And instead of getting the hint the stupid cow keeps going in on the attack. And now she is whinging that she was brutally attacked. Nope “love” you got less than you actually deserved. Go try and do that in a different country and see what happens.

I am not stupid enough to go to a major demonstration. I know that there will be trouble makers in there. The woman above is a case in point. If there is any doubt just watch the build up to these protests. After all the build up and you still want to go, then do not start screaming police brutality, especially when the police are trying to protect themselves or others property.

Many demo's do pass peacefully but are never or very rarely reported and police behaviour is never commented on, good news is not news.
I have been on one demo/protest. It was only small, a few hundred people outside the Zimbabwe embassy a few years ago. Think we had a couple of police there and another one passed by stopping to chat to his mates and us. There was dancing, singing and chanting. Strangely enough we were not corralled, hit with batons or anything untoward.
Gosh l feel cheated, l may have to send in a complaint to the IPCC and find someone in the media to represent me in my claim for unfair treatment.

Moving on from protests into general life, people have been killed or injured in high speed chases with the police and the police are blamed WTF for?
The blame should go to the scroats who have done whatever for the police to chase them. If an innocent person gets caught up in the debacle l feel terribly sorry for them but put the blame on the scroats that caused it. You never hear any blame on those who broke the law and caused the chase, it is only the police for not doing the right thing and no matter how much they do it still isn’t right.
Yes, the accident has to be investigated, ways may (again they may not) be found to avoid it happening again, however it was an accident. Banning police chases is plain stupid, all that does is allow scroats to rule the streets and has lead to unresponse cars as opposed to response cars.

When the great unwashed public, that is the likes of the average just want a quiet life and try and live within the law person need the police they do not turn up ASAP or can not for several days. The way they are sent on various jobs this doesn’t come as a particular surprise given the control rooms wiz round.
My hub and l have been a victim of control rooms, and it was not just us that were upset and angry. The police that turned up were furious with control and as they pointed out that they relied on the idiots if they were in danger. This is not to say that all control room are idiots, they probably have a ton of restrictions as well but boy that night we had the world’s collection of idiots in one room. That’s a different story for another time.

People who have a crime sheet as long as their arm are let out of jail early on “good behaviour” as soon as they are out they start on bad behaviour again. There is lots of excuses for this but at least while inside there is one less trouble maker on the street.
I do not have a problem with those inside taking lessons to improve reading or writing or trying to better themselves, but given this opportunity how many do. And if they do how many keep it up when released, not many, so is it worth them doing anything inside well apart from them learning how to be better criminals. Better, means how to get off when they are caught….l should say ‘if’ they are caught. They may not be in a target group so it is best to ignore them. Perish the thought that some upper echelons and politicians should have a muddied target sheet.

Mind you, it seems that there is more who never actually get to jail than do. They are let off on a variety of technicalities that is called the revolving door syndrome
No matter how vicious or drugged up they are, in fact, it seems the more they are drugged and vicious the less likely they will go to prison. Poor things never had a chance being poor and from a no hoper background, cut them some slack.
If l remember rightly Abraham Lincoln was dirt poor farm stock and taught himself to read and write.

It helps knowing how to play the system l guess and the worse the scroats and scum are the better they know the system and the less likely to be locked away even for a couple of months.
The above situation cost JB his job and the force a f**king good officer and dog handler the only plus side is at least he is still alive but it was close. The thing is he was a police officer, spent a long time in hospital and rehab, ended up having to retire on health grounds and the scum were let off. What chance do the rest of us have?

Paperwork is needed for good policing. Now it has become the “god of policing”. Notice l took the o out of good?
I was in a practice when an officer came to discuss a theft and have a statement signed. He had written that he entered by the left, front double doors that were inward opening on the west side of the building 5 paces from the car and proceeded 10 paces to the reception desk and on and on in that manner. I had to ask him if it was for real and he confirmed yes it was. My jaw hitting the ground made an audible “thunk” and l had a big bruise on it. Maybe l should complain for the bruise? I may get something for it after all it was police brutality.
Or as another example, the pony This was a stray pony for goodness sake, not a dead body.

Quite frankly as an MOP l am tired of scroats and "the system" ruining my and my family's perception of feeling secure. I do not need more rules and snooping from government. What l need is police that know the area, that know what’s going on and who is doing what because they walk or use a bicycle around it.
That when l call for help it will be there, fast and know that the police are not to worried to help someone because those in charge will have them on some trumped up disciplinary.
Stuff your initiative’s back in your little brains those that dream them up. Let proper police run the police, not people who are fast tracked because they are good at either boot licking or paperwork. Allow people that KNOW what the hell they are doing. Now there is a novel idea, l do not suppose it will ever take off though. Think of all those wasted initiatives if it did, those would be the first thing dumped.

I agree that there has to be standards in all walks of life. The police are in a position that the ordinary public are not and as such have strict standards and rules. They do not mind having rules and standards, sensible ones allow them to operate and know their bounds.
The problem is that rules are being put in place over other rules, common sense seems to have been flung out of the window with sensible rules. This protects the scroats, heaven forbid that they should be proved doing anything wrong, there goes the targets again.

Innocent people are often caught up in problems and are easy targets. I have learnt that it is not the police who are to blame, well not all the time, but very often the prosecution service who like easy targets. The generally "try to be honest citizen" does not know how to twist and abuse the law so it is easier to get them locked up or fined anything really to look good on the target sheets.

For those who think this is a police state you are wrong. A police state is a place like Zimbabwe. And when the police end up in the same true situations as 2 friends of mine one who writes the above blog and was a white serving policeman in Zimbabwe the other was a white farmer whose land was grabbed his workers abused and/or killed and driven off to starve while the land was also destroyed, that is a true police state being made. (On the above 2 links click on review)

The good police are relocating to other countries police forces, get other jobs or retire. At the rate the police force is being destroyed by bad leadership there will be no one left to teach the newbie’s the job as they come through the system or do the real work of policing and protecting people and property.

It is said that “the law is an ass”. Well an ass is a hard working animal that can survive in extreme conditions and is often poorly treated which shortens its life span. The problem is not that the law is an ass, it is that it is being controlled by the incompetent "system" in place today.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Ahhh, I see it's not just us that feel these things. I find it disturbing that others feel it as well.

I do like you writing style and I agree with most of what you say as well. Brilliant work.
I particularly like the bit about letting the police get run by the police, not those on the fast track system.. ahhh it's music to my ears.

I look forward to more.

Constable Confused.com said...

Wow,

go girlie, mental note to self never to piss you off. That is a pretty well thought out post and is quite impactive.

When are you going for MP,PM and beyond?

Thank you and as ever,

Regards.

dickiebo said...

Very profound, m'dear. Oh God, I can't say that, can I??

Vetnurse said...

What's wrong with the comment Dickiebo?

Thanks BAL, l tend to rant a lot but am sure at some point will let loose again. :-)

Gee thanks CC just my idea of heaven to be an MP or PM :-(

I do post short comments around blogs but just wanted to put a longer post up on my feelings about things. I realise we can not put the clock back but l wish they could fast forward it to the bit where those in "the system" realised they were screwing it up and actually improved it, by taking good parts that used to work, and throwing out bad modern parts that don't instead of messing it up more with modern thinking.

Actually there is a lot of similarities between the feelings of being pissed off and let down between the police and the vet nursing professions.
We also have appalling pay issues but do not think that figures to much as a problem in the police, or if it does it doesn't come across.

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

http://michaelpinkstone.wordpress.com/

I have followed the blog by PC Pinkstone for some time - initially because I used to live near Luton...and later, because I liked his style, and was appalled by what was happening to the police force in the UK.
So i agree with what you write... and feel free to discover Michael for yourself - he is one of those leaving for other shores :(

Vetnurse said...

Hi Fi l didn't realise you lived near Luton. Yes l go on all the blogs l have used and frequently comment on them :-)
If anyone wants to go on the main part of quoted blogs, if they take off every thing AFTER the first single / (ignoring the http// not them) it will go the the blogs main page.
Does that make sense :-\

Failing that they are all in my blog list on the left much simpler than trying to make sense of my waffle.

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

Born in Fulham, lived Luton/Harpenden... then Cheshire, Hampshire, bck to Harpenden, then New Zealand - but my father worked in Luton for many years - so knew it well.

Stressed Out Cop said...

Vet Nurse

Nice post indeed - ultimately people like you are the reason we keep going, it's just a shame that most of our time is spent with those with differing views.

SOC

Vetnurse said...

Thanks for keeping going SOC :-)

TonyF said...

Well written!

I have a sneaking suspicion that the vast majority of MOPs and Police alike would agree 100%. However the spineless, sinning, spinners, of Westminster, our illustrious 'leaders' own little world view does not subscribe to the real world. They let all manner of scrotes into our country, including known terrorists, but argue over the rights to stay of extremely loyal Gurkhas?

Pleased to say I read a lot of the police blogs too. I am now goint to read UHDDs blog to get my blood pressure down again!

JuliaM said...

"I have a sneaking suspicion that the vast majority of MOPs and Police alike would agree 100%. "

About the major things, yes. Certainly, the 'concerns' over the G20 policing echoed in all the papers and media and leftwing blogs wasn't echoed by any of my friends or acquaintances.

Most, in fact, felt the police didn't go far enough in clearing the streets!

But as more and more fall foul of stupid rules and regulations, or are held up and hindered by (for instance) small accidents that take forever to get sorted due to 'police investigations', they are starting to look their innate trust and respect, and that's a dangerous thing to have happen.

dickiebo said...

'M'dear' is sexist. I'm a gonna!

Vetnurse said...

&*^%***(*&^% to sexism and all the rest of the PC.