The (very) Thin Blue Line

[west didsblue]

You're talking nonsense,and insulting thousands of officers that currently perform the role.

Why do you equate the people i refer to with lacking intelligence? Are you even aware of the standards needed to pass the selection criteria?

Police cadets? they were disbanded years back were they not?

I’m not saying police who aren’t graduates aren’t intelligent. I’m saying you can’t generalise about graduates not having life experience.

 

[FantasyIreland]

I have a decent amount of friends in the GMP as a family member is a local copper and a union rep. They're a close knit bunch.

In my experience with them, the Police are generally socially minded citizens who recognise the difference between right and wrong, and want to help their communities to be safer places. Not all obviously because no ONE description covers every person within a certain group of people, but generally, as a stereotype, it's how they've come across to me.

Hearing that any Police Officer has been assaulted or died is distressing and disappointing, but it's worth pointing out that these are comparatively rare cases and we need to recognise that they're not the norm. I actually had the Police round at my house today because I had to ring 999 due to a violent domestic across the road and they popped in, had a brew, took some evidence then went on their way in a totally professional manner. The offender was restrained and locked up, and they went onto their next job after about seven hundred miles of paperwork.

Extraordinary events are by their nature extra ordinary and it's easy to have a visceral reaction to them. Instead try to take them in their proper context as a freak incident that isn't reflective of the wider day to day job.

Good post Damo.

Yes,the majority of officers are intelligent,hard working and unselfish individuals.They are unfortunately also undervalued,overworked and stressed to fuck.......they are also routinely taken advantage of....mainly because of their character attributes and personality i previously mentioned.

The entire system needs a huge shake up and an overhaul - money,somehow,needs to be found and spent.

 

[FantasyIreland]

I’m not saying police who aren’t graduates aren’t intelligent. I’m saying you can’t generalise about graduates not having life experience.

See my previous comments.

 

[Ric]

It’s awful news whenever any police officer, or public servant, is killed in the line of duty but as Damocles mentioned it’s thankfully a relatively rare occurrence. Don’t think his death should be used as a watershed moment to demand a new hardline approach to policing though. The police just need greater funding and numbers, either graduate or not, having been hit hard by austerity measures over the last decade.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Numbers of coppers might be a better measure and we are 22000 down since 2010. More police and proper sentences for violent offenders is where we need to be headed not stereotyping people who choose to join the force. For that to happen we need to stop putting many other categories of people inside. Drug addicts need treatment, not jail. Women not paying fines? It’s pointless putting them in the nick and it almost always costs more than the fine not being paid. Put almost all non violent offenders on litter picking or community service and clear out the jails.

So when Johnson introduces 20k new officers we are still 2k down? And its estimated over the projected period that they will be recruited and trained at current rates a further 20k will have retired or left the service? So his big fix is getting us no further on. Just one lie after another.

 

[Damocles]

The police just need greater funding and numbers, either graduate or not, having been hit hard by austerity measures over the last decade.

There's a pretty decent line of thought inside the GMP that suggests that the problem isn't necessarily funding but instead the inefficiencies within the system leading to a lot fo waste, especially on higher ups. Whether this is the usual complaining from the rank and file or a serious consideration I'm not really sure, but it's what they talk about after a few lagers at a barbecue!

 

[FantasyIreland]

It’s awful news whenever any police officer, or public servant, is killed in the line of duty but as Damocles mentioned it’s thankfully a relatively rare occurrence. Don’t think his death should be used as a watershed moment to demand a new hardline approach to policing though. The police just need greater funding and numbers, either graduate or not, having been hit hard by austerity measures over the last decade.

It wasn't meant as a watershed moment,more an incredibly relevant time to bring up the topic as surely,even to the most ignorant/blinkered of individuals,it must be obvious that our Police service is overstretched and unable to cope with the demands of an increasingly violent and wayward society.

Its reached a point where decent everyday folk have had enough.

 

[bluethrunthru]

It’s awful news whenever any police officer, or public servant, is killed in the line of duty but as Damocles mentioned it’s thankfully a relatively rare occurrence. Don’t think his death should be used as a watershed moment to demand a new hardline approach to policing though. The police just need greater funding and numbers, either graduate or not, having been hit hard by austerity measures over the last decade.

Rare but becoming less so. 9th August a Police officer was attacked in London by a man with a machete - 10th August a Police officer badly injured when he was knocked down by a man trying to escape in his own patrol car and now this.

 

[Damocles]

Its reached a point where decent everyday folk have had enough.

I hear degenerates like yourself also aren't pleased with the situation :-)

 

[FantasyIreland]

There's a pretty decent line of thought inside the GMP that suggests that the problem isn't necessarily funding but instead the inefficiencies within the system leading to a lot fo waste, especially on higher ups. Whether this is the usual complaining from the rank and file or a serious consideration I'm not really sure, but it's what they talk about after a few lagers at a barbecue!

Pissing in the wind,red tape,duplication,unnecessary bureaucracy and a lack of respect/not feeling valued are the main concerns/factors where retention is concerned.