As if the louts I deal with every day need any more reason to abuse my colleagues and I in the street, wether involved in an incident or not. Apparently, Scotland Yard has issued guidance to Officers instructing them not to arrest people who verbally abuse them in the streets, as the courts don’t convict them and we may have to pay out.

Wait, what? Instructions from above to not arrest people who may have committed offences? I have seen time and time again SMT changing laws and definitions of offences to fit whatever they need to achieve at that time.

Rather than passing this down from above, why not canvass the general public? Do they want the Police Officers of this country to stand there and take verbal abuse from a minority of the community, or step in and begin to retake some of the respect we have lost recently?

How long before ‘Assault PC’ is no longer an offence because we should expect it as a peril of the job? I personally will handcuff for Officer safety, and if this mockery of advice makes its way over to my end I will end up locking up for drunk and disorderly for offences under section 1 of The Attitude Act 2011!

It was four years ago, yesterday, that PC Henry was stabbed to death on the streets of Britain attending the same type of call that Police Officers do every single day. Four years goes past very quickly, don’t you think? Four years of political promises about being tough on whatever they feel like that hour.

The truth? I’m scared.

Scared not, of a knife. No, I’m aware of that, there’s a difference. I’m scared about the public’s perception of the Police, scared about how that might change how I react, and scared that whilst I’m taking the few extra seconds to think about the forms I’ll have to fill in, and the justifications I’ll have to give if I draw my TASER, I do get stabbed.

I’m scared that I won’t deliver a pre-emptive strike because the footage might be slickly edited, and posted on YouTube. I’m scared that my Force will be more concerned with the public relations disaster, rather than the safety of the front line. Drama has no place in response policing; you just get the job done and move onto the next call. Sometimes, you find a...

Continues, Read More...

It was four years ago, yesterday, that PC Henry was stabbed to death on the streets of Britain attending the same type of call that Police Officers do every single day. Four years goes past very quickly, don’t you think? Four years of political promises about being tough on whatever they feel like that hour.

The truth? I’m scared.

Scared not, of a knife. No, I’m aware of that, there’s a difference. I’m scared about the public’s perception of the Police, scared about how that might change how I react, and scared that whilst I’m taking the few extra seconds to think about the forms I’ll have to fill in, and the justifications I’ll have to give if I draw my TASER, I do get stabbed.

I’m scared that I won’t deliver a pre-emptive strike because the footage might be slickly edited, and posted on YouTube. I’m scared that my Force will be more concerned with the public relations disaster, rather than the safety of the front line. Drama has no place in response policing; you just get the job done and move onto the next call. Sometimes, you find a...

Continues, Read More...

After my early morning tea and toast, and seeing Mrs Peeb off on her way, I always make for the news. Wether it’s online, radio or TV, I feel the need to know what I’ve missed whilst sleeping. More often than not, it’s very little — but sometimes I catch a story that makes me pay attention. This morning, my ears pricked up. I had heard that there was a mooted change to the benefits system coming into play soon, and hoped it would be the end to all my problems policing. The reason behind my interest in this matter is simple; the vast, vast, vast majority of people I arrest on a daily basis are claiming some sort of benefits. Gasp? But it’s the truth! I very recently gave chase to a female wanted for a large-scale public order incident, who was leaping over bushes and whatnot, only to later lead her into custody with her needing the assistance of a cane to walk. Now, the chase was not that prolonged — it turned out she claimed to have limited mobility without the cane, and was on a number of benefits to help her get along in...

Continues, Read More...

If you’ve not read this story yet, it’s well worth it. It’s even better if you watch the video. helmeted raiders attempt to smash their way into the windows of a jeweller’s shop, ready and waiting on mopeds to get away, only to be thwarted by a pensioner in full sprint-and-swing mode, who comes tearing down the street. Suffice to say, nobody else gets involved, until the pensioner has the situation under control, including the cameraman himself.

A note must be made by the store manager who is in possession of the slowest moving security shutters in the history of commerce and retail. It’s great to see that the lovely lady escaped unharmed, that the criminals made off empty-handed and a number have been arrested in relation to this offence. They’re going to need some serious protection inside if it becomes common knowledge that they were battered by an elderly lady at the scene of the crime.

Lady; I would gladly swap you for a fair few people from my station, stick a baton in your hand and send you down Main Street on a Saturday...

Continues, Read More...

If you’ve not read this story yet, it’s well worth it. It’s even better if you watch the video. helmeted raiders attempt to smash their way into the windows of a jeweller’s shop, ready and waiting on mopeds to get away, only to be thwarted by a pensioner in full sprint-and-swing mode, who comes tearing down the street. Suffice to say, nobody else gets involved, until the pensioner has the situation under control, including the cameraman himself.

A note must be made by the store manager who is in possession of the slowest moving security shutters in the history of commerce and retail. It’s great to see that the lovely lady escaped unharmed, that the criminals made off empty-handed and a number have been arrested in relation to this offence. They’re going to need some serious protection inside if it becomes common knowledge that they were battered by an elderly lady at the scene of the crime.

Lady; I would gladly swap you for a fair few people from my station, stick a baton in your hand and send you down Main Street on a Saturday...

Continues, Read More...

You’re sent to a town centre location, single crewed, to reports of a male who has contacted Police, advising that he is going to ‘harm people’.

You arrive to meet an intoxicated male, obviously ranting about his previous convictions to you, and blaming you for everything that has gone wrong in his life.

You’re trying to talk him round; trying to find out ANY way to help him. You notice that this male won’t take one of his hands out of one of his pockets. He’s obviously winding himself up for ‘something’. Suddenly, he shouts something about you “HAVING ANOTHER RAOUL MOAT ON YOUR HANDS.”

You’re by yourself, about two feet away, with backup a few minutes away. You have no Tazer, just spray and a baton.

What would you do?