The First Of Many


So, after threatening to do so for a while, I have decided to create a blog. I am a Police officer who is frustrated with the system and also at times frustrated with the lack of opportunity to speak out and say what you really think. I have been inspired so to speak, to create this blog as a kind of release. There are so many things about being a copper that make you want to scream and yet so many other parts of the job that get me jumping out of bed each day to go to work. This week has seen that contrast in so many ways and my hope is that by writing about my experiences, others will be able to see just how infuriating the whole system can be.

I would prefer to talk about my own experiences rather than what's made the papers this week because I want this to be an insight into a frustrated coppers mind rather than just a pro police rambling that goes about slagging off the lefties and endorsing everything about the role. Having said that, I can't post without a quick word on PC Harwood's recent acquital over the alleged manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson. First of all, I won't and ultimately can't defend his actions, but happen to agree with the verdict of not guilty. I do not believe that he intended to cause harm to Ian Tomlinson, and that his sense of the threat around him would have been greatly affected by the afternoons events. However we have all seen the footage and I have yet to find a copper who would have done the same in his position. I believe he will be dismissed from the police service and that the Tomlinsons will receive compensation from the Met. One point I would raise (and people won't like it) is, the family of Ian have gone to great lengths to tell the world how they have lost a great husband and father, yet they didn't seem to be too bothered about him when he was alive.  it obviously wasn't their fault that he died and I can understand their grief, but it isn't as if they were standing by him through his tough times now was it!

Mr Tomlinsons death raises serious questions and the Met will have to answer them and I feel as if, at this moment we are all being tarnished with the same brush and despite the very large majority of police officers being decent, hardworking and honest, the general consensus amongst the population appears to be that we are all bad eggs and that the "old bill" have gone bad. The family of Mr Tomlinson and the wider public will be expecting answers and this is one scandal that won't jus go away.

I have many frustrations about the job, public opinion being one of them and I would like to comment on some of them soon but ultimately we do a job that can change lives and not always in a negative way.

On the other side of the coin, a lad on one of the states that falls on my patch was walking past the other day, he had come out of an alleyway and I went over to speak to him. I recognised him as someone I had stopped and searched a few months prior and that encounter was let's just less than friendly. He clearly disliked police greatly and made the stop as awkward and hostile as he possibly could. the result was his arrest for possession of drugs and a night in the cells. throughout the encounter, I tried to make him see the errors of his ways. I spoke to him (alright, lectured him a bit) about the importance of getting a job, paying his way and generally growing up to be a responsible adult and lets face it, who wants to employ someone who by the time their 21 has a list of convictions as long as your arm. I was let's just say, cynical as to wether my wise words had had any affect on him. So imagine my surprise when a few months later, we meet again and he thanks me! Actually thanked me for nicking him. He said it was a turning point and that he had just got himslef his first job with the help of the youth offending team. It made my day and was one of those moments when it makes it all worth it.

We ain't all bad and I sincerely hope we can once again turn public opinion back in our favour.

Please leave me a comment and I would very much like to invoke a civilized debate about the problems facing modern day policing

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