Today I read three different stories about the Police. The first is serious – the other two mildly absurd.
I read on SimonCollister.com a post about the Metropolitan Police and the Evening Standard
“The Met has now requested that all imagery of its officers hiding or obscuring their badges be removed from photo libraries and image databases (hiding numbers means officers can’t be (easily) identified and is an illegal tactic usually performed to allow police to act with impunity while committing – often violent – offences against the public).
While the Standard accuses the Met of trying to “re-write history”, a member of the public gets it right in a comment posted on the story:
“If people start uploading such images to Facebook and Twitter, will they get their collars felt? We seem to be heading in that direction.”
SimonCollister.com goes on, however, to reveal something rather more unpleasant…
He was talking about the Met’s unwillingness to engage with social media and noted…
“Following the G20 the Met has signed up 6Consulting and Radian6 to run social media monitoring for the force so it’s very likely that any ‘offending’ material will certainly be identified. That said, I return to the point I made originally which was that this approach reveals a traditional command and control communications culture at the Met which will not fit in the distributed, complex, networked world in which we now live.”
The blog post ends with a note where the author of the post had a rather intimidating ‘encounter’ with the Met’s Director of External Affairs, Dick Fedoricio.. who left a phone message . “He advised me, in a rather intimidating fashion, that if I planned on blogging about the Met again I should give him a call in advance.”
We live in a democracy of sorts where the police, theoretically, act on behalf of the people and not against the people. They police, theoretically, by consent. For the most part, this is true – but we have seen many instances over the years of police brutality, police corruption, police dishonesty and police criminality. Hopefully – eventually, these transgressions are rooted out and dealt with.
I can see absolutely no reason why any journalist, blogger or other commentator (provided they do not compromise an authorised police operation or compromise judicial proceedings) should not question the police, write about the police or comment on police activity…..
Next they’ll be telling us we cannot photograph them…. Hang on… they already have… possibly so that we cannot identify police officers, with their shoulder boards taped over, using truncheons on unarmed women or hitting an unsuspecting man from behind at the G20 protest – a man who subsequently died.
Well… if the Met’s Director of External Affairs, Dick Fedoricio wishes to consult with me about my future blog posts about the Met… he can have a quick look at my ‘About‘ section which will provide him with the means of getting hold of me. Mind you, after reading my About section he may well take the view that his time would be better spent on other matters. I would understand.
Now to the two absurd stories about Plod…both from The Sun.
Cops have been assigned to peer out from behind a beach hut clutching hand-held speed cameras in a bid to halt brisk bikers breaking the 10MPH limit along a waterfront promenade. The operation — which sees a PC clock a speeding rider and radio down to a council “seafront ranger” who stops the cyclist and warns him to slow down — has been slammed as “ludicrous” and “absolutely ridiculous”.
Curiously… it looks as if this officer is not wearing identifying shoulder boards… so maybe he was ‘undercover’.
The second story involves Police cyclists. Apparently there is rather a complex ‘Roadcraft Style’ booklet to ensure that Police know how to stay upright, how to get off and… the fun bit… know how to cycle down stairs past a ceremonial guard of other police officers.
In fairness – as a motor bike rider – the Police Roadcraft method for motorbikes is superb. I have had three excellent two day courses with experienced police riders who were great fun to learn from and I have no doubt at all that my bike riding improved – particularly in London. For the avoidance of doubt – should Met Blogger Spotters be reading this – I do respect the work that the majority of police officers do. Like others, I have no time at all for police who abuse their powers or break the law. We need a good police service.
Thankfully… most police officers do not behave badly, do not break the law, do not abuse powers and, frankly, deal with some pretty unpleasant stuff during their working lives. Would you want to deal with a fatal road crash? Would you want to deal with violent drunks on a Saturday night or face a dangerous thug or criminal? Not so sure I would…
I’d like to say “Evening all”… mind how you go... but it would appear that this is just not allowed now in the politically correct mania that is our country. Apparently, it might offend some sodding minority who may have a different view on what the word ‘Evening’ means… sod it… I’m thinking of sailing for France where they seem to be far more sanguine about many things!
I don’t understand how this taping up of the numbers can continue. As it is illegal, why are we not hearing of policemen in court? There must be endless photographs of such miscreants taken by those on demonstrations.
Or is the punishment so mild that there is no deterrent?
[…] has come to the attention of the authorities, who have come up with a simple solution: a “request” that all videos and photography of said naughty badged boys be thrown down …, brought to us by Charon […]