Mushroom

Member
The Police
It started to go wrong decades ago when numbers were adequate at best and then the requirement to patrol on either foot or in a car was reformed to a style of 'fire brigade' policing, where plod only went out when an incident occurred requiring attendance.
That 'attendance' slowly reverted to staying put and attending not at the time, but afterwards and once it was known that there was no deterrent out there to readily sort out crime or anti social behaviour, it flourished.
The old mantra of 'prevention and detection of crime' disappeared many years ago and today it is neither prevented or detected.
The old fashioned but effective idea of plod on the beat talking to the public and getting to know who was up to what has been replaced by halfwits who can probably not even string a decent communication together.
My old mate, Bill Coates, was a community plod who lived in the area where he worked. He knew everyone in the village and they all knew him.
He was famous for having a pocket book that he only renewed once a year because he put very little in it. Instead, with his ear to the ground and catching up on gossip in the street or the pubs (usually on duty !),he was able to nip things in the bud before they ever affected anyone. That was prevention at it's best, with nothing to detect if it hadn't been allowed to happen in the first place.
When a halfwit Inspector arrived, he looked at Bill's 'level of productivity' and decided that pre-retirement he should be given a non-existent post in the front office of the nick. He wasn't replaced and with no surprise, crime became increased in his old beat.
The writing was on the wall (criminal damage?) to my memory as early as the 70's when in an attempt to massage crime figures a Form 130 existed. For any form of damage under £20, it was recorded on a form 130. It took about 10 seconds to complete and it wasn't recorded as a crime.
It was no surprise when a member of the public rang in to say someone had slashed a car tyre and the value was recorded at £19.95p.
Today, joe public does not even ring a crime in because, in the first instance, even ongoing, no-one wants to attend, then if it has to be recorded, a letter will be sent to say "We are sorry you are a victim of crime."
It goes on to give details of agencies who may assist with counselling and of course the reference number to quote to insurance companies.
Meanwhile, in West Yorkshire, all the local town nicks have been closed. My first posting is now a Farmfoods shop and our traffic office is now the Dairy section. Instead, we have 'super' stations which means if half a dozen or more have been closed, one new super station can be built to take their place.
With everything under one roof, it is very simple maths to calculate how many officers of all skills and ranks existed in total at the singular stations, then find out how many are now posted at the super station. It is much less.
Natural wastage due to retirements etc have not been replenished and god forbid you live in an outlying area covered by a super station and need urgent attendance, you won't get it.
Way before my time the old 'city' Police existed. Leeds City, Wakefield City etc.
From what I was told, they worked well and much better than the amalgamation of them which became West Yorkshire plod.
Now, there's an idea? Won't happen.
 

Saoirse

Moderator
Top Poster Of Month
The Police
An observation re many cops specifically retirees

Abroad as expats/ immigrants they always stand out a mile to me . Their attitudes how they come across etc. Could pick them out easily. Socially they stand out

Some people have " gaydar " I definitely have " excopdar"
 
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Jaycey

African Refugee
The Police
I can’t speak of the UK but I’ve always been lucky with the police except in Liberia…

On seeing a new white guy driving around a a cop stopped me for going through a red light and demanded $10 – he then messaged his police mates telling them that there was a new arrival that paid $10 every time he was stopped. Cost me a small fortune! At the time I was working with the then president who told me to use his driver, Jimmy a little black chap. I was still stopped a few times, refused to pay and told them to lock Jimmy up for the night which they did. Next morning I gave Jimmy $20 and the stopping ceased. :)

BTW there were no traffic lights in Monrovia at that time!

Another time, on the eve of my departure from Monrovia, I hosted a goodbye party for a few friends and driving back to my pad a police car flashed lights telling me to pull over. I confess that I was sufficiently pi$$ed to ignore him and the chase was on. I hadn’t gone very far when I realised that some half dozen other police cars & motor cycles had joined the chase. Then I mistakenly entered a cul de sac and my fate was sealed. A senior cop came up to me and demanded $100 – I told him that I only had $2 but seems that was enough to pay off the entire Monrovian police force!

Maybe the UK police aren’t so bad after all!
 

Mushroom

Member
The Police
Best tip I gave to the boss and daughter in case they ever get pulled by plod whilst driving, is to listen to the plod line of questioning first and put in the correct response afterwards, politely and with a straight face.
Mobile and traffic plod usually pull up the motorist and the first question is "Do you know why I've stopped you?"
Instead of the verbal admission in it's basic form "Was it to do with my speed?' which is a plod starter for ten in prosecution terms or the " I don't know?" which can give rise to plod believing that the motorist might not have been paying attention, and also starter for ten, a basic "Can I assist you?" usually puts them on the back foot.
For those more accustomed to a level of legal awkwardness, "Would you like to come and sit in my car?" can always be substituted by "No, Thanks." spoken through a driver's window which is about 3 inches down and the car secured.
Seeing as that is almost certain to upset plod, it should be borne in mind that only a driver confident that the car is 100% legal and they are not under the influence, can play the awkward game.
 

Maisie

Member
The Police
This is outrageous. The report says that one of the two officers involved has been suspended on full pay since 2017! FFS, he has been rewarded for his heinous behaviour.

How long does it take to investigate? It seems that the evidence is patent.

Maisie
 

Mushroom

Member
The Police

I mean this is the Met. 70% haven't made a single arrest in a whole year !!
It must be so pleasing to work in a capital city force where there are no knife crimes, robberies, burglaries, drug offences..... the list goes on.
 

IbrahimAbi

Grey wisdom
The Police

I mean this is the Met. 70% haven't made a single arrest in a whole year !!
It must be so pleasing to work in a capital city force where there are no knife crimes, robberies, burglaries, drug offences..... the list goes on.
You forgot office parties in a lockdown, how remiss
 

enoch

Member
The Police

I mean this is the Met. 70% haven't made a single arrest in a whole year !!
It must be so pleasing to work in a capital city force where there are no knife crimes, robberies, burglaries, drug offences..... the list goes on.
That takes good training that. 🤔
 

juco

Member
The Police

Bad Law : The Rise Of The British Gestapo: War veteran arrested for a re tweet. Laurence Fox & Harry Miller give support.

 

Chasey

Member
The Police
Best tip I gave to the boss and daughter in case they ever get pulled by plod whilst driving, is to listen to the plod line of questioning first and put in the correct response afterwards, politely and with a straight face.
Mobile and traffic plod usually pull up the motorist and the first question is "Do you know why I've stopped you?"
Instead of the verbal admission in it's basic form "Was it to do with my speed?' which is a plod starter for ten in prosecution terms or the " I don't know?" which can give rise to plod believing that the motorist might not have been paying attention, and also starter for ten, a basic "Can I assist you?" usually puts them on the back foot.
For those more accustomed to a level of legal awkwardness, "Would you like to come and sit in my car?" can always be substituted by "No, Thanks." spoken through a driver's window which is about 3 inches down and the car secured.
Seeing as that is almost certain to upset plod, it should be borne in mind that only a driver confident that the car is 100% legal and they are not under the influence, can play the awkward game.


I did the confident and I know my rights routine following a police stop where I was breathalyzed four times at about 1:30am on a county road all of which came up negative. I was told id be taken to the Police station for a blood test as I was doing it wrong

I insisted a statement was taken down indicating I hadn't had a drink for 24 hours and if the police still insisted I was drunk and took me to the station where I proved this point, id be seeking damages.

I was done for a loose battery mount in the car which got me points on my license????

Amazing as they never lifted the bonnet
 

Mushroom

Member
The Police
I did the confident and I know my rights routine following a police stop where I was breathalyzed four times at about 1:30am on a county road all of which came up negative. I was told id be taken to the Police station for a blood test as I was doing it wrong

I insisted a statement was taken down indicating I hadn't had a drink for 24 hours and if the police still insisted I was drunk and took me to the station where I proved this point, id be seeking damages.

I was done for a loose battery mount in the car which got me points on my license????

Amazing as they never lifted the bonnet
And the force in question?
Do I know the answer already?
Best never to declare that you know your rights but keep it as a trump card for later.
Nowadays everything is recorded on Go Pro for plod and mobile phone for us plebs.
I'm told that the response that plod don't like is when the pleb informs them that they are not only being recorded but the footage is being streamed instantly to the 'cloud'. I understand the theory, not the practice.
 
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juco

Member
The Police
If stopped always ask if they (the police) are recording as you can request a copy their video, then it can be checked if what they done was legal.
 

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