Carry On Constable

Data 'Protection'

2009-03-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

It appears those caped crusaders of law and order, Lothian & Borders Police, the Keystone Kops of all the police forces, are in the news, for all the wrong reasons, yet again.

They've gone and lost their wee memory stick with a shedful of unencrypted data on it;they actually admit to "...750 entries on vehicles "of interest" to police...", but it's the "...along with 'other' intelligence..." bit that concerns me most, although intelligence isn't a word that is applied to Lothian & Borders Police very often!

Somehow I don't feel that putting confidential data onto an unencrypted memory stick really shows much 'duty of care' towards that information. Perhaps if they hadn't spent £120k on a new logo last year, or sent dozens of their goons to harass the Sheridans, they'd have more resources to allocate towards data security!

Criminal Policing

2009-02-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

An interesting article from Mark Thomas in the Grauniad of 3rd February, 2009:-

Criminal policing
Did you know ... police face few sanctions even if their conduct, such as searching you for 'over-confidence', is deemed unlawful

Back in the heady days of September 2007 I was at an arms fair in the Docklands in London, though to avoid confusion I should add I was outside speaking against it, rather than inside browsing. The crowd I addressed was a mixture of Quakers and crusties and for my troubles the police stopped and searched me as I left the event, an incident that I wrote about in Cif.
When the police conduct a stop and search they have to fill out a form giving their reasons and hand a copy over to you. On mine they wrote that Mr Thomas appeared to be an "influential individual" – a quote I intend to use in future publicity – and had attempted to walk past the police with an "over-confident manner" – always a sure sign of criminal intent. Maybe I am wrong, perhaps there is a forensic linkage with having an "over-confident manner" and criminality, perhaps the police routinely chase suspects through our metropolis shouting, "Stop him, he's got a jaunty demeanour!" But I got the distinct impression the police were stopping me because they thought they could.
My rakish over-confidence might be the reason I was stopped but the official purpose was to look for items I might use to commit criminal damage (the arms fair had been subject to a paint attack earlier in the day). So exactly what tools did the police hope to find rummaging through my wallet? Unless my wallet possessed some Tardis-like qualities it was unlikely that a large crowbar might clatter out from between a photo of my daughter and my British Library card? Wasn't this intrusive as well as unlawful?
Although protesters are often targeted for stop and search, often claiming these are unlawful, they seldom seem to put in official complaints. So with the help of solicitors at Fisher Meredith I brought a complaint against the police. Being Britain the first step in a complaint against an official body is for the very body you are complaining about to investigate itself. And lo the police did find themselves innocent.
In official interviews the officers who conducted the stop and search described me as "pleasant and conversational throughout the incident" and thus were "surprised and disappointed that Mr Thomas has made this complaint". Please note that it is me that has disappointed them in this complaint, we had a bond in those moments you see, a brief passing moment of pleasant intimacy, then I let them down. I don't return their calls, ignore them in the street and am later seen being searched by other police officers. In their logic my decent behaviour exonerates their bad behaviour.
So had I been rude or surly would this have implied guilt on their part? If when stopped I had responded by saying, "Fuck off copper", would they have blinked and spluttered, "Oh blimey, you got me bang to rights guv'nor ! It's an unlawful search, an' no mistake." How else are we meant to respond to the police if not politely? If innocent people respond rudely they become guilty by default. Suffice to say the police deemed there was "no case to answer".
So pressing on, the issue was put before the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Now the IPCC generally attack the police with all the effective ferocity of a moth taking on a lightbulb. So I was somewhat taken aback when at the end of last year they declared that they "consider[ed] the stop and search of Mr Thomas and the subsequent search of his wallet was unlawful". And that "it would appear that the officers had misinterpreted their powers under PACE (Police And Criminal Evidence Act)". In an earlier point in the investigation the police said they had stopped everyone at the demo with a bag, this the IPCC said was "an indication that the officers did not consider whether or not they had reasonable grounds to suspect each individual may have been in possession of items to use in criminal damage".
Fifteen months after the event the police have been found to be acting unlawfully. So what sanctions do the police face? "The appropriate way to address the failure in standards is that the officer is given words of advice," says the IPCC, "Such advice is neither given nor received lightly and is delivered by a senior member of the officer's management team." I am sure you will agree this is a daunting sanction.
The debate about the use of stop and search – be it protesters or young black and Asian men, be it in the case of stopping knife crime or deterring terrorism – is one that has understandably perhaps been fixed on the police results rather than the times they get it wrong. But it is in the cases where they get it wrong that attitudes towards police are sharpened and the rights we feel we have as citizens practically defined. So I am writing to the police requesting a formal admission of liability on the part of the commissioner and damages for assault and false imprisonment.

In his article MT writes:- "...In official interviews the officers who conducted the stop and search described me as "pleasant and conversational throughout the incident" and thus were "surprised and disappointed that Mr Thomas has made this complaint".... "
That's where I differ with MT, in any dealing with any piggery you have to spit and snarl at them, these are the sort of dehumanised goons that would happily fire rubber bullets or operate water cannon, as it means they get to keep control over all of us. What was the point of it, nothing, yet they'll carry on doing it, all over the country, every one of these servile fucks, yet they'll deny that they have any opinion about the acts they perpetrate, passing it off as "just doing our job....SIR", yet knowing that they won't get taken to task. Then they're baffled why public opinion about the Police is so low and it gets passed off as people not being keen on motoring law FFS!!! Is it any wonder why THEY ARE ALL UNIVERSALLY LOATHED?!

Police Hate Palestinians Too!

2009-02-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

GALLOWAY CONDEMNS LANCASHIRE POLICE ACTION OVER GAZA AID CONVOY.

EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN OVER DAMAGE TO COMMUNITY RELATIONS

George Galloway MP, the leader of the 110 vehicle British aid convoy currently in Morroco and bound for Gaza, this afternoon spoke of his anger at the high profile Lancashire Constabulary police action which led to the arrest of nine innocent men who were bound to join the Viva Palestina convoy last Friday.

Six of the nine were released without charge some days ago and are now heading for Tunis in three vehicles laden with humanitarian supplies for the people of Gaza.

But three more were detained in custody for almost a week before being released without charge this afternoon.

George Galloway condemned the timing of the arrests, the arrests themselves and the deliberate efforts of the police to create a story in the press the purposes of which appears to have been to discredit the aid convoy to Gaza. Viva Palestina reports that there was a drop of 80% in donations following the broadcast of the arrests and the police allegations on the BBC on Saturday afternoon.

"Nine innocent people were prevented by the police from joining our convoy with vital aid to meet the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," said George Galloway this afternoon.

"The follow up action by the police, which has apparently included the strip-searching of an Imam and his wife in their own home in Blackburn, has gravely damaged their relations with the community whose trust they need to win.

"Anyone with any sense can see that it is in everyone's interest to encourage Britain's Muslim community to engage themselves in democratic politics. That is precisely what this convoy - and the huge political, and humanitarian effort throughout Britain's often alienated Muslim communities which lies behind it - is about.

"To arrest innocent men in such a provocative and hyped operation will achieve precisely the opposite of that engagement. The timing of the operation is seen locally as an attempt to smear and intimidate the Muslim community and I must say they seem to be right.

"The arrests were clearly deliberately timed for the eve of the departure of the convoy. Photographs of the high-profile snatch on the M65 were immediately fed to the press to maximise the newsworthiness of the smear that was being perpetrated on the convoy" said Galloway.

"I am writing to the Chief Constable of Lancashire to demand an explanation and will consult Viva Palestina's lawyers with a view to seeking compensation for the real financial and public relations damage we have suffered as a result. I will also be writing to the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, to demand action against those who seem to have abused their power and authority as a police officers to produce this really damaging outcome."

From Viva Palestina.org.

It was music to my ears to hear brother George Galloway MP bitterly decry the goons who interfered with our nine brothers from Blackburn who were on their way to assist in the humanitarian peace convoy to Gaza. The dibble have really put their jackboot in it this time, George Galloway's radio show attracts an audience in excess of 2 million weekly listeners, citizens that will be influenced by brother George's persuasive arguments slating the Police and rightly so. Galloway's lawyers are now busy preparing litigation against the Lancashire Police....here's to a massive damages payout.

Police Force Logos

2008-02-21T02:07:00.000-08:00

Lothian & Borders Police have just spent £120k on a new logo.

Here it is:-

If you take a look at the force who police my area, Dyfed-Powys, they seem to have stuck with the traditional badge.

Now if Lothian & Borders had stuck to the old badge, nothing wrong with it, they might have been able to pay the few measly quid in pay rise that all the filth were bleating on about so vociferously, YES I KNOW THEY'RE DIFFERENT BUDGETS! Just making a point.

Actually, I can see their point to an extent, so I've designed a logo that every Police for can use, in fact it should replace all the cap and helmet badges too:-

POLICE

This is who we are

This is what we do

If the relevant chief constables & commissioner would kindly donate their £120k's to NACRO please.

TOMMY SHERIDAN

2008-02-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

A rare celebrity left winger in a vile soup of right wing commentators and the right wing gutter press, I sincerely hope that Tommy and his family, colleagues and friends are suffering malicious prosecution and that, more importantly, they will be able to prove it.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/Sheridan39s-wife-Gail-charged-with.3794165.jp

Gail Sheridan suffered the indignity of having a bunch of goons ransacking her house back in December causing distress to both Gail and her young child. Now both Gail and Tommy have seen the inside of a cell and experienced the unpleasant fingerprinting and DNA swabbing that the pigs enjoy doing so much!

Tommy was magnanimous after his bail in December saying that he still supported the Police in their pay dispute, here is an extract of what he had to say yesterday:-

"It would appear the streets of Edinburgh … must be crime-free that the police have so much time on their hands that they can harass a family and a group of people who have committed no crime other than be friends or relatives of mine. As a family, we are outraged at the way we have been treated. But we are absolutely determined we will fight on."

Brother, my hopes and prayers are with you.

A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

2008-02-20T02:47:00.000-08:00

Quick call for backup, someone has overpowered the coppers who attended the mini moto incident and taken their uniforms

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=P2rqJYvuVJg&feature=related

These desperado's must be on drugs as they're giggling over nothing, but what have they done with the coppers who's uniforms they've nicked?

HEROIC ARMED POLICE

2008-02-19T02:49:00.000-08:00

......except they're not so heroic when there's a chance that the opposition might actually shoot back:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7251954.stm

It's great being in CO19, none of that poncing about looking for lost dogs and evicting gypsies, you get to dress in paramilitary uniform, carry big fucking guns and get to use them, THE BEST BIT, you'll never get convicted of murder because everytime you tie your shoelaces you're "putting your life on the line protecting the public" AND "you only get a 'split second' to make that decision to shoot!
It seems to have gone a little 'tits up' on this gig though, you can imagine the scene in the armoured car, a load of armed pigs pumped up and ready to kill...

PCMURDERINGBASTARDWHOHASESCAPEDPROSECUTIONONSEVERALOCCASIONS:"What's the target today skip? Is is a drunk with a hairdryer?"
SKIP:"nope"
PCMURDER...:"Is it a couple of 'terrorists' tucked up in bed and there's 200 uniforms in riot gear ready to kick the doors and windows in for us before we go in and (shoot 'em)defend ourselves?"
SKIP:"nope"
PCMURDER...:"We'll we're not staked out in killzones with covering fields of fire, so we're obviously not (going to be gunning down some armed robbers instead of arresting them and allowing them to be fairly tried in a court of their peers, thereby not violating the Human Rights Act)going to be heroicly foiling a dastardly armed robbery, regretfully having to kill all the robbers in order to protect the public?"
SKIP:"dead on there son"
PCMURDER...:"Wow, you don't mean that we're going to get to chase (an illegal immigrant in a backpack for a couple of miles until he's exhausted and get to empty our magazines into his head when he falls down begging for mercy)an evil suicide bomber who we have to despatch in order to save lives?" "I hope so, I missed out on the last one!"
SKIP:"nope, here comes the guv with details of today's operation for protecting the public"
GUV:"Sorry lads no black men today (hisses and boos), but we've got a brown 'un (cheers, whistles)" "He's a War Criminal"
PCSPG:"What Guv, you want us to shoot Tony bLAIR?"
GUV:"Only if he picks up a table leg and puts the public at risk son. No, today we've got an Israeli General to (shoot), 'erm, (someone shouts "arrest") apprehend"
PCMURDER...:"What's he done guv?"
GUV:"Apparently he's killed a load of Palestinians"
SKIP:"But Guv, the lads want to know what 'CRIMES' he's done"
GUV:"They must've missed those off the warrant, I'll radio Commander Dick (uproar, guffaws, shouts of "she's not 'avvin' mine the ugly slag") and ask for a list of his crimes" (goes to radio Dick)
PCSPG:"I'm not keen on this malarky, I get me dumdum bullets from Mossad"
GUV:"It does appear that killing Palestinians is illegal, something to do with the court of human rights"(uproar, shouts of "this country is going Politically Correct mad" etc.)
SKIP:"Guv, where do we get to (shoot) arrest the gentleman?"
GUV:"Well you need some flashbangs and smoke bombs as we've got to go onto the plane and flush him out"
PCSPG:"Guv, we never use smoke bombs and flashbangs, they're only for use where the suspect is armed"
GUV:"We suspect the suspect (guffaws) may be armed and might be accompanied by several bodyguards who may or may not be armed,(pandemonium breaks out, cries of "I didn't sign up for this") don't 'shoot the messenger' lads (cries of "we'll shoot anyone"), the Met. refused to do this, the Commissioner (all fall on their knees, go moist eyed, face Scotland Yard and masturbate for their great leader)said that we've got loads of 'terrorists' to (kill)(someone shouts "arrest") apprehend, but the fucking Solicitors (hisses, hostility, shouts of "shoot the fucking lot of 'em, apart from the Police Federation Solicitors of course")brought out a private arrest warrant, so we've got to do something"
SKIP:"Guv, the lads are threatening to strike, never mind all that 'no strike' bollocks, the chips are down, none of us are going in if there's a chance we're going to be shot!"
GUV:"But you're ARMED RESPONSE, that's what you're supposed to do!"
SKIP:"Send for the S.A.S. they can do that shit, we'll deal with the 'terrorists', he's only killed a few Palestinians, Christ it's no difference to what we do when we're 'protecting the public'!"
GUV:"What can I say? Dick'll have my bollocks!" ("she's not 'avvin' mine etc. followed by a group discussion) "Right, so we're all together on this one, first we'll say that we can't board the plane until we get permission as it might be sovereign Israeli territory and we don't want to provoke an International Incident (as the Met. refuses to instigate any action that might not be in the public interest), alright we'll scrub that last bit, you're right they'll never believe it. Secondly, we can say that we've performed a risk assessment (sounds of puzzlement) and that there might be grave danger to public safety (cheers, shouts of "nice one guv" chorus of "for he's a jolly good fellow"). Make sure all your pocketbooks tally and don't forget to change some of the words when Skip writes the 'report' for you all. (laughs, shouts of "he nearly got 'appropriate advice' the last time he did that" etc.)
SKIP:"Guv, just one thing, the lads are pumped up and ready to (shoot) (shout of "arrest") 'apprehend' someone, can't we go and let off steam somewhere?"
GUV:"Lads, I've laid out a load of empty cans and bottles and I've got WPCPLONK to paint them BLACK (shouts of "phwoar" "she can paint mine black anytime" etc.), so when you're shooting them you can pretend that they're n,n,n,n,n,n,n,n,...asty criminals"
PCSPG:"Guv, Can't I just pretend that mine is a nigger!?"

Britain's Oldest ASBO

2007-12-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Here are two that I found:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6971081.stm;

Dorothy Evans is aged 81.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/6443777.stm;

Arthur Burgess is aged 82.

I hope the Pigs that arrested these two are suitably proud of themselves!

GREEN 'MURDER' ACQUITTAL

2007-12-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

Although this happened a couple of weeks ago, it does need some comment.

See the BBC link giving a brief description:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/7144379.stm

You can also find other related links to this story in 'The Western Telegraph' & 'The Western Mail'.

I have something of a personal interest in the proceedings as, if you're familiar with the theory of Stanley Milgram entitled 'Six Degrees of Separation', I am acquainted with the youth who struck the allegedly fatal blow and I was also acquainted with the deceased.

The deceased man, Paul Roberts, nicknamed smurf, was known to me personally, he had been a customer of mine in the past and we would pass the 'time of day' if encountering one another in the street etc.

As for the youth who was accused of striking Mr Roberts, he comes from decent enough parents who contribute to society by going out to work each day. Now this youth left school at 16 with little or no qualifications and consequently no prospects. He is the type that will either be lucky and find regular employment, or he will fall by the wayside and end up criminalised like so many of today's youngsters, he may even be 'known' to Police.

When I initially learned of this incident, it was being touted as the callous and cold blooded murder of an innocent man who was walking home after a night out, being set upon by two yobbos and beaten insensible, resulting in death some days later.*1

This 'version' didn't tally with the press reposts that emerged in the week that followed, which alleged that some altercation had taken place and that the victim had been felled by just one or two blows.

My wife, by accident, encountered the parents of the youth known to me in early November and they gave a slightly different version of events, which it appears was the truth. The parents of the youth charged with murder suggested to my spouse that the two youths encountered something of a domestic incident at the spot in question, with Mr Roberts acting in rather an enraged manner, it also appears that he was heavily intoxicated. The youths intervened*2 and Mr Roberts apparently turned his wrath upon them, this was when the single blow was placed upon the person of Mr Roberts who fell and struck his head resulting in his tragic death. The youth maintained that his action was self defence throughout.

There are very few Criminal Solicitors in West Wales, but the youth was represented by Paul Layton who is widely regarded as an excellent defence solicitor, although I do not know what Barrister was contracted to represent the youth at Swansea Crown Court, both Barrister and Solicitor were in agreement that there was no case to answer and that the prosecution was weak.

As events transpired, both youths have been acquitted by the jury, who took less than an hour to reach their unanimous verdict.

-----x-----

Both of the accused were held in custody from Early September until early December, will they
now be entitled to compensation?

I have experience of the Police attempting to discredit those that they are seeking to charge with an offence, it certainly appears that they again attempted to do so in this case.

What a complete waste of Public Money! Yet again!!

*1 The source of this 'version' of events came directly from the Police.

*2 Never get involved, call the Police if you feel strongly and let them sort it out, but when you do get involved personally in any incident your motives will be unimportant to the Police, they are only interested in getting 'detections' for their Performance Indicator's, they couldn't care less about how they achieve those detections!

Deaths In Police Custody

2007-12-24T04:15:00.000-08:00

Read the articles and weep

http://www.guardian.co.uk/celldeaths/0,,195379,00.html

FACT: You're more likely to be arrested or brutalised by Police if you're black!

FACT: You've got more chance of dying in Police Custody if you're black!

FACT: The Police don't like Article 2 Of THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT - Right To Life! Unless it's their own lives, which they bleat on about risking every time they purchase a bottle of milk!

The Changing Face Of Britain

2007-12-24T04:02:00.000-08:00

Please take a look at this article by Amelia Hill extrapolating upon the ethnic diversity in our cities

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/dec/23/communities.population

Without ethnic groups to single out, abuse and harass, just who will the Police end up hating? Apart from EVERYONE, that is.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

WWW.POLICE.UK

2007-12-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

A police website for crime tip-offs has been axed because officers failed to check it out. The site, www.police.uk, was launched so people could post intelligence about yobs and anti-social behaviour. Reports would be sent for action and "crime maps" drawn up. But the £3million service was ignored by forces nationwide. Project leader Chief Constable Peter Neyroud admitted, "Only a handful used it to any significant degree. Expenditure of such a large sum on a narrowly distributed service could not be justified." It is believed officers were reluctant to use the site because they did not want more crimes reported, so pushing up crime rates.

Welcome

2007-12-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

I have for a long time been very unhappy with the British Police and recently that dismay has been transformed into open hostility.

This wasn't always so. I was brought up to respect and obey all Policemen, after all they were the good guys, plus I had a couple of close relations that were Police Officers, I also have several old friends who are serving coppers, though I wouldn't wish to pass the time of day with any of them now! I even contemplated joining the Police many years ago when I was informed that my eyesight wasn't adequate to embark upon my chosen career with The Royal Air Force, after all the Police salary was very good and there was accelerated graduate promotion too. Thank heavens that I was offered a post as a Trainee Accountant with Bass!

Many people, who will go through life with little or no contact with the Police, preserve an image of the 'good old British Bobby', 'George Dixon', 'The Blue Lamp' and make this their mantra, yet they will complain bitterly about their MP, Local Authority, price of petrol, car parking etc.
Those of us who have had contact with the Police, either as victims of crime, perpetrators of crime, or simply in the course of going about our lawful business, build up a dissatisfaction that ranges from being a little bit irked up to full blown hatred.

At the time of writing there has been some furore regarding the Government's refusal to backdate the Police pay award http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7129957.stm, it appears that serving coppers are surprised at the public apathy and disinterest towards their selfish complaining, it goes to demonstrate just how detached the Police are from society.

A research study conducted by TARP research back in 1999 discovered that on average an unhappy customer will tell 10 people about their experience. In turn, these 10 people will each tell a further 5 people, meaning that a total of 50 people will have heard about their bad experience. A sobering thought, wouldn’t you say?
What’s even more frightening, however, is that if we work on the basis that only one out of every ten of your dissatisfied customers registers a complaint with you, then in total, for every formal complaint you receive, 500 people will have heard about your customers’ problems!
Customers very rarely complain to the service/ product provider. Instead they will tell their friends, who will in turn tell their friends, creating a pyramid of dissatisfaction. (source:Federation of Small Businesses)

The Police aren't interested in 'customer satisfaction' and they don't care for your opinion, unless you are one of the pro-Police sycophants. The Police aren't interested that I am personally hostile, through their own fault, or you, or you, or you, even YOU! The Police can make our lives difficult and ultimately control us by force, so why should they even consider our opinions! The Police therefore become increasingly detached from the community that they are supposed to serve and are surprised,even indignant, when people fail to report crimes, make statements, act as witnesses etc. The current initiative of Neighbourhood Policing, largely based upon Police Community Support Officers, might go some way to forging a bond between the populace and the Police, but it's a very large gulf!

Finally, ".....I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.....", so don't expect to see any links to "Copper saves kitten" type stories on this blog, there is a vast spin machine out there praising the Police, I intend to post about their 'dark side' and I hope you've got plenty of examples too.....