Fisha:
Generally, if asked my number by a person I was speaking to, I would give it out to the person – reality is that its quite often an empty threat from a smart arse … hence the fail of the attitude test so to speak.

Van Cough Cough:
I think you quite possibly fail the attitude test if you think someone is a smart arse for asking for your number.

Really? I think you’ve failed to appreciate the point I was making.

More often than not ( note, not all ) asking for my ‘number’ is from someone who turns out to be trying it on, being an unwarranted smart arse when its not necessary on their part.

Account closed.

Oh whell.

take no notice of the usual cop haterz/attention seekers on here.

Nah, take no notice of those who want to see a better, more accountable police force, eh? 🙄

Let’s all just wear rose-tinted specs, eh?

Pft…

Rose tinted specs donned here 8)

Remember when talking to coppers you are usually talking yourself into trouble. If they ask you a question, ask if they are holding you for any reason. If they reply no, walk away. You are not obliged to talk to a policeman. (unless you’ve done something wrong of course) Usually things you say/do end up getting you arrested, so unless they actually saw you do something, they can’t do anything.

And yes, always take their number and make notes if possible. Also if you have your GoPro, record the conversation too. Pisses them right off.

That said, some coppers are nice blokes.

And your smart arsed reply to my comment is “oh whell”

Elfin, be a good little boy and take some English lessons.

I think I’ll be staying here after all..

You know, whilst aspects of what you say is correct, it is somewhat disappointing to see the attitude that unless you’re being held for a reason, then Police simply aren’t to be spoken to and walked away from.

Do you really think that every officer wants to speak to people so that they can dobb themselves in?

Has it ever occurred to you that a question of “alright chaps, what you upto? ” is just that? an ice breaker to talk to people ? ( I know, a shocker eh! ) Yes, you get folk that dont want talk but you also get plenty people who do.

Taking the Police officer bit out of the equation, and you walked up to me to ask a simple question, or to say hello, and I looked at you and commented ” dont need to talk you ” turned on my heels and walked off … could you really say that you would not come to a conclusion about me? You would have to some extent ( yes, it may be little, but you’d likely think it ) a thought in your mind of ” eh? why be like that? ”

As easygirl says, it sometimes seems futile and pointless trying to defend the Police. I do agree, there are bad apples on every tree but its sad that the tarring brush seems bigger than average when it comes to the Police.

I think I’ll be staying here after all..

Excellent! 😀

Grab a drink; there’s some snacks on the table over there…

As easygirl says, it sometimes seems futile and pointless trying to defend the Police. I do agree, there are bad apples on every tree but its sad that the tarring brush seems bigger than average when it comes to the Police.

Probably because we expect a higher standard or something from people we pay to uphold the law.

AS you will see from the exchange between elf and I on the previous page what tends to happen (in a typicaly british way) we moan and tut but never compliment unless twisted into it.

You then get the ones who have no idea what you actually do and the fantasists who fantasise about chopping fingers off or whatever other piffle they said

I worked alongside the police for a while in Edinburgh and was surprised by what I saw – just the mundanity of it – Arrest a stroppy drunk, then another , then a whining junkie on a warrant, then some minor crim doing something stupid. around 60 over a weekend would be a usual count. Lots of failling of the attitude test.

I must have seen a thousand arrests and only a couple of actual significant crimes – all the rest were stupid mundane idiots.

The funniest tho was watching the drunks kick off in the custody suite. waht they thought they would gain by going radge I don’t know. unsuprisingly they always lost.

The cops – remained professional in all instances that I saw

We all like to get pissed now and then adn can get a bit rowdy – but when a cop says ” you are drunk and being stupid – go home” the correct answer is Yessir! and go

Oh God, another smart arsed comment from Elfin.

I was going to come back at you with some cutting remarks, then my Wife reminded me that it’s ‘just a silly man on a forum’. I’m inclined to agree with her on this occasion.

Bye bye silly man.

Babyjack – you missed the point I think – thats a “welcome, help yourself, plenty for all, do join in”

when a cop says ” you are drunk and being stupid – go home” the correct answer is ‘no, you go home’

FTFY. 😀

my Wife reminded me that it’s ‘just a silly man on a forum’

I had no idea your wife had ever met me. 😆

we moan and tut but never compliment unless twisted into it.

Credit where it’s due, TJ. I’ve already said this.

Not a lot of what I see the police doing warrants much compliment. TBH, they do their jobs, little more. And too often, either don’t do their jobs propply, or do very bad things.

I never had anyone compliment me when I stacked shelves in a supermarket, no matter how much effort I’d put into it. 😥

Probably because we expect a higher standard or something from people we pay to uphold the law.

OK, but what is it, from your personal experiences that you expect? Not necessarily “a friend of mine and the police….” of ” I know someone when the police …” ( sincere Q by the way )

I dont think its ever going to be possible that you can completely eliminate the possibility of the occasional wrong doing. Across all aspects of life, there are going to be people that buck the trend so to speak.

( Not really sure how best to put this … I’m talking about bad integrity, not necessarily laziness )

I would say though, that the holes in the net for catching wrong doing within the Police are very small. Just about everything that we do is recorded in some auditable manner these days. I’m tracked by GPS, radio and phone calls recorded, my reports linked against calls I go to, stop searches I do are recorded. Station charge bars and cell areas are full of cameras and have extremely sensitive microphones. Just about every action I do on the computers is recorded and can reviewed if required. Complaints from the public are investigated and will look at the above areas. Nowadays, its just not worth trying to cheat the system on my part … sometime further down the line, you get found out.

And some people do get caught, but its a very small minority.

Which is why, as I said before, its disappointing that those that are caught, are perceived as being what like the majority is.

@ Bigthuinder

“recent cock ups have shown them up very poorly as well – things like steven lawrence”

Recent? What world do you live in when an 18 year old crime is recent?

“worming their way out a few tricky situations due to the lying of the IPCA. “

The clue is in the I. It is short for independent. They are not the police.

credit indeed elf – i was trying to point out what the cops might have missed

Recent? What world do you live in when an 18 year old crime is recent?

Er, when those accused are currently being tried for it, and evidence has emerged of some shocking actions by police officers, including altering computer database information?.

OK, but what is it, from your personal experiences that you expect? Not necessarily “a friend of mine and the police….” of ” I know someone when the police …” ( sincere Q by the way )

Ok, I would quite like not hearing comments like ‘we’re not taking a mental ill student into custody, it’s a bloody nightmare for us’ after said student has been physically restrained for 40 minutes after we took a knife and pair of scissors off her as she was swinging them at people. Having said that on other daily matters the police have been pretty decent.

Others probably have other axes to grind, mine mainly relate to FIT and TSG behaviour at demonstrations (and before and after), infiltration and incitement at demonstrations and against targeted groups and so on and so forth. As an example, I remember well the actions of a FIT team prior to the G20 meeting in London a couple of years back. After parking outside a convergence centre overnight and playing white noise throughout in order to keep everyone inside on edge and awake, they kicked the doors in first thing in the morning, went in with dogs and tazers, forced everyone to be photographed and arrested one person for possession of cannabis. And they loved it. Every bit of it.

That’s my sort of beef. It’s the stuff coming down the pipes from Whitehall that the police accept without question and the willingness of some officers to overstep an obvious mark apparently safe in knowledge that they’ll get backed up by other like minded officers. You know exactly what I mean I’m sure. I’m certain that a decent proportion of officers are not comfortable with this, I’m equally certain that a decent proportion of officers love it too. That’s my problem.

Oh, and it’s not just a matter of ‘one bad apple’, but all too often, extensive networks of police officers involved in anti-democratic activities:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/13/undercover-policeman-admits-spying-danish-activists

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15372037

Ooh dear, eh?

99

100

wunhundreed!
bugger – you cheated!

Babylonian, in’t he? 😐

Using underhand tactics comes as second nature to him…. 😉

I don’t have to follow the rules. I’m undercover – intelligence gathering on a dangerous subversive element operating within STW 🙂

I’m undercover

😆

You’re rubbish!

*mumbles*

You’re rubbish!

Harsh, but fair.

Had to be said, Deluded; had to be said.

Now who’s gone and posted up that ‘Juliet Bravo-phwoar!’ tag? 😐

It’s a Fair Cop.

I, er, um, now where was I….?