Saturday 13 August 2011

Policing.

When I was a much younger woman than I am now I had a boyfriend in the police. It didn't last long but it was good whilst it lasted even though he changed the way I view the police completely in a short space of time.
He was a Freemason because that is or was then the way to get on in the force.
He was a racist ...his opinions on my black friends made me very angry indeed and it's no wonder we did not see each other for long.
All his friends in the force were also racist and I drew the conclusion back then that it was endemic in the force and would take a complete upheaval to eradicate.
He also showed me how evidence could be falsified.
I was learning to drive at the time and he gave me lots of info about how not to get caught if I'd been drinking.
It was what he showed me about finger prints that really shocked.
"Never accept either a glass or a cup if you get pulled at any time" he said.
When I questioned this he showed me how with the help of some Sellotape he could transfer prints from one surface to another..
This at the time shocked me totally though I seem to have read somewhere since that other factors are involved in finger print evidence.
I am blogging all this of course because of the articles written this week concerned with the role of the police during the rioting.
They are brave men I am certain who have a difficult job to do during civil unrest.
I am completely behind the police but I think there are pockets, many less than there were where dodgy practices still happen. They need our support certainly at the local level. As individuals all those I meet are decent chaps. It's not the policemen and women who are the problem. It's the institution itself which sometimes gives concern.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

4 comments:

UKViewer said...

Jean, I know that you speak from your own experience formed over a long time and it is one that I can understand. I'm just wondering if the Police Service your remember still exists in these days.

I know that corruption is still about, but the evidence from the News of the World, the Milly Dowler inquiry and other cases reported appear to be much more about abuse of an official position by disclosing sensitive information either for money, or to aid some nefarious personal purpose such as the recent case to use the PNC to identify the new partner of an ex-spouse, where they lived and anything about them. If seems that information is the valuable commodity these days.

I know a few Police Officers and have met many more. They, like us are human, with all of their faults and failings. But, like the Armed Forces, they give up some of their freedoms for the greater good. And they put themselves in harms way, to protect us.

Looking at the scale of injuries suffered by Police Officers in the recent riots, several hundred across the nation required hospital treatment. I've not seen any reports of rioters or looters needing such treatment post-arrest. The nerves and personal restraint necessary by the police officers in the face of great provocation, are an example of which we should be proud.

I think that it's right to be concerned, but I for one don't subscribe to a generalised view among many that corruption is rife in the police service and that we can't trust them.

Revjeanrolt said...

I do agree with all of that Ernie. My views were formed as a young woman many years ago. The shock I felt at tha time has never quite left me. I was equally shocked by the death of the young teacher on one occasion whose name is now so far in the past that I can't remember it. Blair Something I think. But the police at the time tried to blame him for something he hadn't done. It all left me with an open mind. The vast majority I am sure are decent and honorable in their dealings with the rioters. Or we would have heard by this time.

Ray Barnes said...

As I suspect, you did Jean, I grew up with the left-wing view that the police (as an organisation) was a corrupt and untrustworthy, anti protest of any kind force.
Over a longish lifetime, i have come to the conclusion that it is not the organisation which is corrupt, but simply that where there is such power in just a few hands, the potential for abuse of that power is great.
Fortunately, by and large, our police force as a whole entity is one to be proud of, especially when compared with some of its European counterparts.
Every barrel has a few bad apples and provided they are spotted and rooted out early, the good fruit will prevail.

Revjeanrolt said...

Ray your suspicions are correct!