World Weary Detective

The World Weary Detective continues...

2011-12-08T22:39:00.000Z

For those who are interested, The Guardian have kindly agreed to publish my writing. The first article is about the effect of government cuts on police emergency response teams. Please read and comment.

I may still post here from time to time, so don't cancel any links!

Second Time Lucky

2011-10-25T17:59:00.002Z

This blog has failed in it's objectives. Thank-you to all who took the time to read it, and goodbye.

Why do People Riot?

2011-09-27T12:59:00.002Z

This is a guest post by Allison Gamble who writes for forensicpsychology.net.

Please feel free to comment!

Psychology behind riots

Rioting as a social phenomenon can be difficult to understand. Morals and social values seem to fly out the window. Average people, people wouldn't normally steal, assault others, or commit vandalism, suddenly turn to looting and random acts of violence, often without even attempting to conceal their identities. What makes people behave this way? Understanding riots requires delving into various theories the fields of social and forensic psychology.

Psychologists, sociologists, and laypeople alike have various theories as to what makes people riot. Poverty could account for some rioting behavior, particularly looting. Perhaps rioters have low self-esteem, are politically motivated, belong to gangs, or simply find the act of rioting exciting. In the big picture, all of these theories may be correct, but none of them alone explain riots.

Sports analyst Bobby Brooks identified several contributing factors in the riot that broke out in Vancouver, Canada in June 2011, when the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup finals. The elements Brooks notes were present not only in the Vancouver riots, but also in other incidents that caught public attention in 2011, including the English riots in August and the uprisings in Egypt and Syria. These same factors also shaped the riots that broke out in America during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and in the wake of the Rodney King verdict in 1992.

According to Brooks, pre-existing conditions, the physical environment, cultural and subcultural norms, social conditions, group dynamics, mob psychology, and an instigating event work together to spark a riot. A crowded physical environment that can't easily be escaped, a prevailing sense of helplessness, distrust of law enforcement, and a culture or subculture with some degree of violence as a norm all form the preconditions for an instigating event to spark disorder, while group dynamics and mob psychology give the riot a life of its own.

Physical environment

Riots break out in cities, and inner city neighborhoods see more rioting than other areas. When the Vancouver riot broke out, the normally congested downtown area was even more crowded than usual between fans arriving for the game and transportation problems afterward. Similarly, the English riots broke out in the confines of crowded cities. The same was true of the American race riots and recent political riots in Egypt and Syria. In these cases, many of the rioters lived at or near the scene of the riot. Even if they had wanted to leave, they would've had nowhere else to go.

Cultural and subcultural norms

Not everyone in a community participates in a riot. Those who do tend to belong to a subculture where some amount of violence is normal, law enforcement is highly mistrusted, or both. Many social psychologists have pointed out rioters overwhelmingly tend to be young and male. Though this characteristic is common with gang members as well, obviously not all rioters belong to gangs.

Within the subculture of sports, fans tend to accept low levels of violence during a highly charged game. Insults and blows exchanged between fans of opposing teams are common. If other conditions favorable to rioting are present, this low normal level of violence can easily escalate.

Social conditions

The breakout of a riot is usually fueled by a prevailing sense of helplessness and hopelessness, whether due to economic factors, such as poverty and high unemployment; to an oppressive government; to discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or social class; or to profound collective disappointment. These factors were obviously present in the 2011 English riots, the riots of the Arab Spring, and America’s race riots.

At first glance, the Vancouver riot doesn't appear to share this element: the rioters were mostly not poor or oppressed. However, the Vancouver rioters had experienced profound disappointment and a sense of helplessness from the outcome of the hockey game. The Canucks, after years on a losing streak, had come within reach of the Stanley Cup, raising fans’ hopes. Losing by a small margin in the final game, an incident completely outside the fans’ control, dashed those fervent hopes and left fans immensely agitated.

Instigating event

However small or insignificant, there must be an instigating event for a riot to start. The Canucks’ loss, the British government cutting its welfare program, and the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King were all events that crystallized the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness in the groups they affected. Each served as the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Mob psychology

When a riot begins, the mob takes on a life of its own. Individuals set aside their quotidian identities and values and take on what they perceive to be the norms and values of a group. While this happens on a small scale in normal socialization, rioting takes this tendency to the extreme. In an instant, people caught up in a riot begin acting not as themselves, but as the mob. Sudden membership in a coherently chaotic and highly energetic group accounts for the vandalism, looting, and assault, perpetrated by normally civil individuals. Rioters' lack of concern about showing their faces to TV cameras illustrates the power of the feeling of collective belonging to override regard for the law and normal propriety generally. The collective effervescence of such a highly energized situation also creates the feeling of excitement some have identified as a motivation for rioting in and of itself.

Rioting doesn't happen just because people are poor, dissatisfied with government, or socially oppressed. Nor do they start purely because some participants find them exciting. The psychology behind rioting is much more complex, encompassing all of these factors in a situation that catalyzes an outbreak. Considering all of these factors crucial to the psychology of riots, we can identify the preconditions for rioting before an incident breaks out.

Who Gives a Fuck

2011-09-13T18:40:00.000Z

EDL March Banned

2011-08-27T09:14:00.000Z

I see that May has agreed with an application from the Met to ban the forthcoming EDL march. I agree that this is the right course of action. The last thing London needs is a bunch of violent racists marching through our streets.

What amuses me is the lack of articles in the Guardian protesting about this ban. There were hundreds and hundreds following the student protests, claiming the police were denying the right to protest. An entire march has now been banned at the request of the police. Will the Guardian side with the EDL? No. How would they have reacted had the Met tried to ban the Notting Hill Carnival?

That is the issue. Those from the left and the right bang on about fighting for rights but only the rights of those they support. Responsibility has been replaced by blame. Have the recent riots changed the political landscape? Not at all. There are far too many people who exist purely to maintain the confrontational nature of politics and society to allow this to happen.

Where is the party of unity? The centre ground? The party that stands for everyone in England, not just the rich and powerful or the minority groups they feel most threatened by?

Wow! What an Opportunity!

2011-08-26T10:16:00.001Z

Due to the fact that I can't blog as often as I'd like, and that, to be honest, I'm getting stale, I'd like to offer my wonderful readers the opportunity to write a guest post for the blog. Go on, put your money where your mouth is! Your thoughtful piece may be read by at least ten people and a dog.

I would be interested in opinion (obviously) around police and crime matters, but can't really print anything that relates to ongoing court proceedings.

Contact me via my profile page...

The IPCC - Boo! Hiss!

2011-08-25T11:46:00.000Z

It appears that the IPPC have decided that the police did in fact use excessive force against Jody McIntyre during the student riots / demonstrations / kettling of innocent children last December. This is the same group who will be investigating the shooting by police of Mark Duggan the drug dealing armed gangster / man who only kept his gun in a sock and would never ever shoot / caring family man who somehow managed to be followed by armed police.

The IPCC has no credibility. But what to replace it with? I suggest a panel of citizens, randomly chosen as with jury service to examine more serious complaints. They would be instructed to act as the voice of common sense - to take account of the circumstances and decide did the police act in the manner in which we would want them to? The real voice of the community. Anyone who has ever commented on or written for the Guardian or Daily Mail would be banned, as would anyone who has ever been or claimed to be a 'community leader,' or has described themselves as an activist.

It would be nice if the police could make complaints against the public as well. Ah, but not that likely....

Oh, how QUEER!

2011-08-24T18:47:00.002Z

Two events are causing an impact on the ability of the police to support the 'community' in the next month. The Notting Hill Carnival is one. As written about. A fine community event that cannot be referenced by the 6000 riot police....sorry....let's all dance and ignore the attacks on police. Because they don't count.

After the riots, and the aftermath, the EDL are marching through Tower Hamlets.

There is something in common:

1) Any criticism of black culture is racism. Notting Hill Carnival is a black event therefore any criticism of it is racist.

2) The police are racist. Anything the police say is racist.

3) The EDL march through East London. This is a racist act.

4) Any attempts to stop them breaches their right to protest. This argument is ignored in the pages of The Guardian where protest rights only relate to causes they support.

FUCK THEM ALL

Meaningless Straw Poll

2011-08-24T14:48:00.001Z

Just interested to know what you think really:

Edinburgh Festival or Notting Hill Carnival? Why? I'm afraid neither is not an option!

On a side note, here are the search terms people have used to find this blog today:

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A New Dawn?

2011-08-18T16:11:00.000Z

I believe the only way forward, the only way to deal with the rioting, is a new direction, a way ahead that steps away from the old-style politics of aggression and division. We need a gathering of people who can claim pride in living in England, to take the country back from the extremists. Everyone, of all groups, must come together and stand in peace. The middle ground may not be fashionable, but is the only way. The far left and right, and their supporters in the press and 'community' are destroying us. From the EDL to the SWP our country has been taken away from us, left in the hands of scum.

I want to support a new England where everyone seeks to know everyone else. It must be recognised that divisions in society are kept in place to support those with power. 'Community leaders' and pressure groups need division to justify their continued existence. They need to be turned away from - the real problems need to be addressed by a combined approach, not laid at the door of racism. The extremism of certain Muslim groups must not be met with extremism. The decent, moderate Muslims of this country require our support and help.

The decent silent majority must take to the streets. Not to seek confrontation with the police, not to beat rape and destroy but to show pride in this wonderful country.

The police must be restructured and simplified. We cannot continue to take the blame for the failings of society, however with a deeply political senior management this cannot change. The police must be of the people and for the people. The decent people of England. My England, your England, our England.

Notting Hill Carnival - Freedom for Gangs!

2011-08-18T15:58:00.000Z

I wrote about this event last year. It will be exactly the same again, if not much worse. Attacks on police are ignored in the interests of senior officers claiming success. The Met alone are providing 50+ PSUs to the event. Each PSU comprises of three carrier loads of riot police. Other forces, including some from Scotland are also providing assistance.

I have racked my brains, but cannot think of any other community event that requires in excess of 6000 riot police to allow it to be judged a success.

What Remains but Hope

2011-08-17T08:48:00.000Z

These men were murdered. Their attackers await trial. What angers me is that their memory is becoming lost in an avalanche of blame and opinion of cause. I did hope that the unprecedented events recently may give cause for reflection. This may in turn have led to a better society, with everyone taking part. No. The divisions have become even deeper, with politicians making capital and blaming each other without offering constructive shared solutions, senior police officers blaming politicians, angling for the top job at the Met, and conspiring against Bill Bratton. Media commentators and 'community leaders' spouting corrosive and separatist rhetoric whilst absolving rioters and murderers of blame. Who does this help? Nobody.

The bottom of society is infested with sociopaths with the top run by psychopaths. Think about it.

In the real world, the streets are still policed with dedicated hard working response officers. I have had to manage their tiredness after extended hours with little rest. Local senior managers decline to provide support, demanding performance indicators are still met. They do have their promotion to chase after all. I and my fellow Inspectors have been taking control, making sure officers rest, in store rooms and on floors, rather than risking their safety. The urgent calls are still dealt with.

When we do go onto the streets, people have been thanking us, clapping and cheering us as we pass. Decent people from all races, religions and 'communities.' This shows that despite the best efforts of divisive elements, the vast majority of society is made up of good people. These are the people I work for. They are England.

Humble

2011-08-11T13:04:00.002Z

If there is anything to be taken away from recent events, it's the dignity of this man. He has managed his anger, worked with others to stop further violence, and become an icon of decency. He had it in his power to start a race war but didn't, despite losing his son in the most dreadful of circumstances. Peace.

"Today we stand here to plead with all the youth to remain calm, for our communities to stand united. This is not a race issue. The family has received messages of sympathy and support from all parts of society … I lost my son. Blacks, Asians, whites – we all live in the same community. Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this? Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise, calm down and go home – please."

Gotcha!

2011-08-11T09:29:00.000Z

EMBED-Rioter Gets Blindsided - Watch more free videos

Why I am Proud

2011-08-10T08:13:00.001Z

Overnight, London has once again become at peace. The people have taken to the streets to protect their property and that of their neighbours, to clean up the destruction, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with the police to protect our city and our society.

Where to from here? Robust policing of the cause of the riots - the section of our community with it's so called 'community leaders' of whom the police and politicians have been in thrall to for far too long. This group have bred a generation of welfare expectant violent, misogynistic and homophobic young men who have no social or moral boundaries. They have been taught that the police and wider society are the enemy, that entitlement does not sit alongside responsibility and that any criticism is racism. This situation has been supported and excused by liberal commentators, and ignored by others.

This is not an issue of race or immigration - look at the photos above - this is an issue of young British men refusing to be a part of civic society. This is a matter for society to decide on.

Taking Our City Back

2011-08-09T07:15:00.000Z

Recent events have exposed the diversity agenda and the fact that police leaders and politicians have been in thrall to it for many years. The rioters have grown up under New Labour, have suckled from the state teat from a young age, and have had their every crime explained and excused as the fault of a racist society. They have never known boundaries. They live in a world ruled by violence and theft, a lack of personal responsibility demonstrated by baby mothers scattered across estates.

Every action has a consequence. The far right will rise. The rioters, often left to their own devises by police in fear of allegations in The Guardian, will be met with groups of vigilantes.

Notting Hill Carnival must be cancelled. The risk to police, public and property is too high. Racist? Fuck that.

Blind Faith in Your Leaders Will Get You Killed - Again

2011-08-08T07:21:00.000Z

Imagine there is a greater being, a God Head or aliens looking down on us. Ever since they built the Pyramids and pointed us towards enlightenment they have watched and waited for us to take the true path. Instead, we continue to descend into violence and destruction. The celestial television set has been turned off.

A simple rule of the make-up of a basic society is that each must contribute and take responsibility. Every sentient being must share the load. Our society has become fractured because of the actions of those who do not accept this model.

We must recognise the role of 'leaders' in the recent events in London. Community leaders, politicians and senior police officers. Community leaders and other such 'experts' have no democratic mandate. They claim to speak for a mythical 'community' which is usually based on the idea that skin colour or religion binds people in shared experience. Such leaders claim oppression on behalf of their imagined constituents, seek academic support for complex theories of social deprivation to excuse behaviour which undermines shared society. The notion of personal responsiblity for actions is bypassed and excused by historical examples of racism. The notion of family is passed to the state. Base criminality and violence has become acceptable and expected. Any attempts to counter such activity on behalf of the genuine community, ie the people who actually live and work in the areas concerned, are spun as the actions of the enemy.

Community leaders and their associated experts require this situation to continue. They feed on controversy to justify their existence. Separatism and conflict is their life-blood. Any transgressions by their followers are offered justification and blame given to others.

Politicians are presented to us as a genuine choice. Middle class liberals are sent to deprived areas to 'represent' the people, and prolong the myth of democracy. The House of Commons represents nothing but itself. Political activists seek political capital from every tragedy, seeking to undermine the position of the other rather than offering genuine ideas to promote social cohesion. Political groups once again thrive on difference and separation.

Senior police officers seek out opportunities to promote themselves and further their careers. They sacrifice their juniors and have long ago forgotten the principle of impartiality. Each seeks to see their competitors fail, and does nothing that will upset their superiors who hold the key to promotion. Senior officers fall under the spell of 'community leaders' for fear of being labelled racist and therefore having their career aspirations destroyed.

Society can only progress when the barriers are removed. Law needs to become simple and clearly understood. A line must be drawn for which the police have responsibility to maintain. This and nothing else. Any police officer of rank found to have acted otherwise will be dismissed. Attempts to politically influence the police must be treated in a similar fashion. Division and diversity must be ended - it is hard to hate those you know. A political centre ground is the only way, based on a shared vision and compromise not conflict. People must understand that to take part in society requires contribution and responsibility. It is the only way. London will continue to burn if those in a position of power continue to feed from the same trough.

The Difference

2011-08-07T06:42:00.000Z

In 1966, three police officers were shot dead trying to apprehend armed criminals. This incident led to the formation of the armed branch of the Met Police. Following the shootings, public revulsion led to hundreds of people lining the streets outside Shepherds Bush Police Station to offer support.

In 2011, an armed criminal shoots a police officer and is shot dead in return. The 'community' react by setting fire to police cars and looting shops.

Fuck Them All

2011-07-20T20:59:00.003Z

Since I joined the police, it has always felt that we'll get over the latest scandal. The public love us after all. The corruption of the 1970s was dealt with. Everything carried on until all of a sudden we were all institutionally racist. This caused some consternation, but it was clear that this judgement was clearly political. The then Commissioner capitulated and eased his way into the House of Lords.

At the time I remember wondering why the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service did not stand up for his officers and staff. He was the most senior police officer in Britain. What did he have to fear? I had become fully aware of the insular determination of senior officers to achieve the next rank at all costs by that stage of my career, so I wondered why the one at the top had no bottle. Why did he not simply tell his critics where to go?

After that, I remained astounded by the way the media ruled the policing agenda. I don't see any issues with serious crime being reported and investigated accordingly, but it started to concern me when I became involved in murder investigations. Some terrible and horrific cases were categorised differently because there was little media interest. Rewards offered were lower because the press were disinterested. Those in a position of power within the police made decisions based only on their own career progression which became intimately linked to their public profile as defined by the media. Each senior officer knew that they would not be supported by more senior officers should the media decide otherwise. In my naivety I believed that my more senior colleagues would set aside their personal ambitions to bring the bringers of death to justice. No. Merely a performance indicator for which they competed with other like individuals to seek the shilling of the one who sits higher in the tree. It is only with hindsight that I realise that.

After the racism, the old allegation of violence came to the fore. Left-wing double-think justified middle-class students rioting. A violent TSG officer battered a passer-by and has thankfully been put on trial. That is right. I remained secure.

Now.

The Met Police remain deeply corrupt. Those at a senior level become blinded by the offer of power and status, they rub shoulders with people of influence and sup willingly from the same trough. A £12,000 freebie is apparently normal and does not impact on police integrity apparently.

I say we are corrupt. No. Not everyone. As I write, police officers of junior rank are doing the job they are paid to do. We are becoming more and more of a minority. Fuck them all.

Is Sir Paul Stephenson mental?

2011-07-19T17:19:00.000Z

Following his appearance before the Home Office Select Committee, it appears that the ex-top cop disguised himself as a fat comedian and twatted Rupert Murdoch with a custard pie...

Urgent Vacancies at the Met

2011-07-18T16:19:00.000Z

It seems that everyone more senior than me in the Met has resigned. I appear to have become Commissioner by default. Stephenson and Yates have joined the exalted ranks of senior officers who have either resigned early or been sacked from the Met in the last few years. A number of these fucking arseholes continue to appear on TV and radio offering us the benefit of their 'expertise'. The hunt is now on for yet another self-serving arrogant prick to pretend that they 'put the people of London first'.

I was at work when it was announced that Stephenson had resigned. Made no difference whatsoever. While our senior fuckwhitery continue to descend into farce, the people taxpayers actually pay to do the job will still be there answering 999 calls and dealing with the simple human dramas that entails.

Oh the Irony!

2011-07-15T16:17:00.000Z

From the London Evening Standard:

Former mayor Ken Livingstone said Sir Paul was guilty of "an appalling lack of judgment. I find it breathtaking that the Met could employ someone who held such a senior position when the News of the World was allegedly involved in criminal activity."

Can anyone see what I see?

Reporting of Alfie Meadows incident

2011-07-13T09:52:00.000Z

I complained to the BBC when they stated Alfie Meadows was struck with a police baton. My complaint was that this remains merely an allegation made only by his mother, and should therefore be reported as such. This is the response I have received:

Dear Mr Brackenridge

Reference CAS-730657-B7RKCF

Thanks for contacting the BBC.

We apologise for the delay in reply. We realise that our correspondents appreciate a quick response and we’re sorry that you had to wait on this occasion.

I understand you were unhappy with comments made by a reporter on BBC Radio 5 live, with regard to Alfie Meadows, as you felt they could’ve been inaccurate.

We forwarded your concerns to the programme Editor who has seen and is aware of your complaint and acknowledged that we should have been clearer with our language on this occasion, for which we offer our apologies.

I appreciate you feel that we should’ve been more careful with the language used and so I've registered your comment on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.

Please again accept our apologies for the unfortunate delay and thanks for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

Joseph O'Brien
BBC Complaints

Causing Division by Diversity

2011-06-27T08:59:00.001Z

I recently heard a radio interview with the 'chair' (not chairman, chairwoman or chairperson) of the Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners. I think I may finally have tracked down the elusive elite who decide what causes offence to 'communities' what terminology is no longer acceptable, and what terms they are to be replaced with. It also made me realise that the world of diversity and equality has become such a huge monolithic industry that it relies on division and inequality for its very existence. There are thousands and thousands of people in this country, both public and private sector, who seek to find bias and discrimination in every area of life. It is their life blood. They are the thought police. They decide whether you are racist or sexist. You must be. Otherwise we wouldn't need diversity and equality practitioners. And that would never do.

Previously Convicted Killer Convicted of Killing Young White Girl

2011-06-24T15:25:00.002Z

I have read this but can't seem to find the evidence. Maybe I'm just being cynical, but aren't a jury much more likely to convict someone they find unappealing? It must have helped that in nearly every news report reference was made to his previous convictions for murdering young white women.

Make a Complaint

2011-06-11T10:40:00.000Z

As part of my role, I make first contact with people who have called in to make a complaint about police. I am expected to establish what the complaint is, and try and deal with it before formally recording it. Some are not actually complaints, just a misunderstanding by the person who took the initial call. A number are made by people who believe they can avoid criminal prosecution by making allegations against the officer who dealt with them. Some are genuine, and these are recorded and submitted for further investigation.

Another group are those people who have a total inability to accept the views or opinions of others. Such people can never accept that they may have been in the wrong, and will argue against the most compelling of evidence. Such people spend their lives in battle with various authorities, neighbours and anyone else who challenges them. They are an expert in every field.

I find such people fascinating. Something within them causes them to genuinely believe they are in the right - any argument to the contrary is rebuffed, and police, courts and witnesses are all accused of error. It is not that these people are lying, they really do believe their own account of events. It is as though their brain has some kind of defensive mechanism that prevents feelings of being guilty or wrong. They are totally unable to empathise or see things for the point of view of others.

One of my officers is like this. She is one of the worst performing officers I have ever experienced, and has taken a significant portion of her career off sick. All challenges to her are rebuffed - she genuinely believes herself to be very good at her job, despite the lack of any evidence to that effect. All efforts to help her improve are met with contradictory arguments and allegations of bullying. She cannot accept that she is bad at her job, and believes that her needs must always come first. Unfortunately, it is incredibly hard to be sacked from the police for poor performance. She will see her career out in some pointless office job, making constant allegations requiring investigation to be found to be baseless. Much as the deluded members of the public who insist on making complaints to cover for their own failures. They all take up valuable time and tax payers money that could be better used elsewhere.

Sometimes it's good to have a break...

2011-06-10T12:50:00.001Z

Isn't it?

Ian Tomlinson Unlawfully Killed

2011-05-03T17:38:00.000Z

The inquest jury has found that Ian Tomlinson was unlawfully killed. The CPS have stated they are reviewing the case. I would argue they have no choice but to prosecute. A jury in a criminal trial need to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt, but this case should be for a jury to decide, and not the CPS.

A Common Faith in Humanity

2011-04-30T14:45:00.000Z

Night comes, and the world turns. There is something profoundly different about the inner city. The nocturnal emerge, the moral compass switches, police and thieves mingle with the drunk and drugged. Street lights illuminate the swaggering hoards pouring from the buses and trains into the pubs and clubs as the hooded stare from the shadows. Those in the care of the community scuttle between traffic, watched by the sexual predators muttering 'mincab? minicab?' to groups of tottering teenage girls.

A row of shops off the high street, graffiti stained shutters reflecting the glow of escape from the late-licence drink emporium. He came from the doorway, an easy pace covering a drunken sway. Crossing the road, he stepped carefully towards Alfie sitting in the shadows of the housing offices. Alfie was a smackhead, topped up with the drink. He lived on the street. The man saw that Alfie wasn't moving, and called across to the others. Gradually they started to come over, frightened, looking around them, spreading across the road.

Alfie wasn't moving.

The group gathered together as the man reached forward and shook Alfie by the shoulder. Alfie slid forwards, his head cracking off the wall. The man pulled a mobile out of the hand of the woman they called Shaheen and dialled 999.

And so they came, the flashing of blue lights bringing the people in the flats to the cracks in their curtains, the road blocked as police pushed back the crowd eager to gawp and gaze at the paramedic astride Alfie, pumping at his chest as another forced oxygen into his mouth. A doctor arrived and took over, Alfie lifted onto a stretcher and into the ambulance out of sight, the saviours summonsed by 999 working and working.

The summonsed police stood with the gathering, taking details, checking accounts, asking about Alfie, who he was and where he came from, who would miss him and what did they know. No-one knew about Alfie, or if they did they wouldn't say, until one policeman did a check on his radio, and another somewhere else recognised the name, and Alfie was a rapist of children who had only just been released from prison for raping an eight year old girl. The policeman made a note, and whispered to a colleague as the back door of the ambulance opened and Alfie was dead.

The blue lights were switched off, the fluttering tape removed, the road was opened and the liveried vehicles drove away, off to the next case of human tragedy, until the next night when it would start all over again.

The man joined the group back on the bench and they laughed together, pooling their money for the next round of beers from the off-licence as the world turned and the night went on in the inner city.

Which Side Are YOU On?

2011-04-29T09:47:00.001Z

Regular followers of current affairs may have felt inspired by the recent growth in street protest. Many will have thrilled to the exciting images on rolling news channels, cheered as one group cunningly outsmarts another, and marvelled at the use of modern technology. Some will feel it is their turn to step up to the plate, to take part in history, and to play some small part in changing it. But then the big question arises: Which side should you join? For those reaching for the balaclava, I present a quiz - take this and find which side you are really on!

Question 1

Your sixteen year old daughter brings her first boyfriend home to meet you. He is mixed race. You notice he appears to be deaf. Your daughter confides that his last relationship was with another man. Do you:

a) Phone the police and inform them that your daughter has been raped. Tell them the bastard is in your house, and they'd better get to him before you do.

b) Embrace your daughter, mouthing OMG! OMG! (in a strictly non-denominational way) update Twitter, then faint. Once recovered, earnestly inform boyfriend using sign language that you will support his fight to reclaim his history. Remind him that he is in fact dual heritage - the term 'mixed race' is a social construct of imperialist fascist state designed to repress him and his people.

c) Search the fucker. 'Discover' one of your kitchen knives hidden in his jeans. Place him under citizens arrest, then beat the crap out of him when he 'resists.'

d) Invite a member of your extended family to confirm your daughter's hymen remains intact. Beat her soundly for her insolence. Force her to marry her cousin.

Question 2

An area of green-belt land near your house is earmarked for redevelopment as a bypass. A group of environmental activists have set up camp, and have organised a range of peaceful workshops to highlight the environmental damage that could be caused. How do you react?

a) Spend the afternoon in the pub watching football on Sky. Yell racist abuse at the non-white players. Call the foreign players 'fucking queers.' Gather some like minded souls together and stand outside the pub with your shirts off. Walk to protest area singing songs suggesting that the occupants are 'not singing anymore' and will be making use of the local paramedic service to travel to their home addresses. Fall out with other members of the group whilst on route, engage in mass brawl, get nicked.

b) Immediately resign from your job and join protesters. Change your name to 'Earth Mother'. built a Yurt, smoke copious amounts of skunk cannabis, develop paranoid schizophrenia.

c) Grow beard. Join group and have sex with numerous women. Persuade previously peaceful protesters to occupy nuclear weapons factory then start World War 3. Flee to another country and sell story.

d) Seek out most vulnerable members of group, mainly those troubled by mental health or drugs issues, and bang on about Jesus until they surrender.

Question 3

Your local sixth form college organises a march through the town centre to protest against the removal of free milk. As they pass the council offices some force their way in. One throws a fire extinguisher from the roof, narrowly missing fellow protesters and a line of police officers. You are passing by. How do you react?

a) Leave a pig's head outside the local mosque.

b) Call the student's mother - tell her that her son has not done anything, that he is not the person that may appear in the press, and that he was in class at the time. Suggest to her that under no circumstances whatsoever must she take him by the ear and march him to the police station. If challenged, blame the police.

c) Ignore everything. Send slightly podgy friend in a luminous jacket and comedy hat to stand in front of a window that several students are attempting to break. Ensure friend sustains 'injury'. Wait until next demo, find 2000 extra-hard mates and batter fuck out of the students.

d) Assume student is homosexual due to having long unkempt hair. Issue fatwa.

Question 4

You find yourself on a protest march. All is peaceful until you notice elements sporting balaclavas, and making efforts to conceal their identity. What are your thoughts?

a) Hope they get them on the right way up - It's hard to breath through the eye holes.

b) Refer to Comment is Free on The Guardian website. Establish whether protest is supported by posters using left-wing monikers. If so, inform balaclava wearers that you will fight to the death for their right to take part in 'direct action.' Otherwise, hurl threatening insults at balaclava wearers, informing them that they are 'fascists'. Ensure that there is a line of police officers between you before embarking on this course of action. This is important.

c) Wait until the group start smashing up shops, take photographs for circulation in the local paper, then place the local Womens Institute under citizens arrest whilst they enjoy their weekly tea and muffins at a posh cafe.

d) Ensure that any females in your group are suitably covered. Lecture them on their moral failings, then go and have sex with an eastern European prostitute whilst drinking whisky.

Question 5

A mate phones you. He tells you he thinks his neighbour is a suicide bomber. He thinks he's gone out, but isn't sure because he's been in the toilet. State your actions.

a) Beat up the bloke in a turban who owns the local newsagents. Firebomb the mosque.

b) *sigh* Instruct your 'mate' that he clearly doesn't understand that the oppressed are driven to such acts due to American support for Israel. Demand that he seek re-education and offer support inshala.

c) Get your SAS mates to blow his head off.

d) Great!

Question 6

You hear a commotion from next door. You see the police, and hear shouting from the kitchen. You look through the window and see your reggae singer neighbour prostate on the floor with a knife in his chest. What do you do?

a) Petition Parliament to insist summary execution of blacks is placed on a statutory footing.

b) Contact the Socialist Workers Party emergency number and request urgent supplies of placards.

c) Immediately usher officers into your house and allow them privacy to 'refresh their memories'. Remove knife from chest and put through washing machine.

d) Stand outside neighbours house chanting about divine retribution against lovers of Satan.

How did you do?

Mostly 'a': You are on the side of the English Defence League. Ensure you check your mothers birth certificate. She may be your sister.

Mostly 'b': You are a left-wing agitator. Grassroots acitivism and diversity are your watchwords. You are never wrong. Remember: Whatever it is, you're against it!

Mostly 'c': You are a prospective member of the Metropolitan Police Service Territorial Support Group. Continue to bang your head on a wall until the voices stop.

Mostly 'd': You are a religious fundamentalist. You are a nutter. Get help.

Blind Faith in Your Leaders Will Get You Killed

2011-04-28T10:30:00.000Z

The following is an extract from an article by the late Professor Fred Halliday.

The true and the false

This melancholy history must be supplemented by attention to what is actually happening in countries, or parts of countries, where Islamists are influential and gaining ground. The reactionary (the word is used advisedly) nature of much of their programme on women, free speech, the rights of gays and other minorities is evident.

There is also a mindset of anti-Jewish prejudice that is riven with racism and religious obscurantism. Only a few in the west noted what many in the Islamic world will have at once understood, that one of the most destructive missiles fired by Hizbollah into Israel bore the name “Khaibar” - not a benign reference to the pass between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the name of a victorious battle fought against the Jews by the Prophet Mohammad in the 7th century. Here it is worth recalling the saying of the German socialist leader Bebel, that anti-semitism is “the socialism of fools”. How many on the left are tolerant if not actively complicit in this foolery today is a painful question to ask.

The habit of categorising radical Islamist groups and their ideology as “fascist” is unnecessary as well as careless, since the many differences with that European model make the comparison redundant. It does not need slogans to understand that the Islamist programme, ideology and record are diametrically opposed to the left – that is, the left that has existed on the principles founded on and descended from classical socialism, the Enlightenment, the values of the revolutions of 1798 and 1848, and generations of experience. The modern embodiments of this left have no need of the “false consciousness” that drives so many so-called leftists into the arms of jihadis

Clare Solomon - Ex-Student Leader

2011-04-28T08:36:00.002Z

It appears that Clare Solomon, the radical student leader in her late-thirties, has lost an election.

Alfie Meadows - Is it all a cover-up?

2011-04-27T09:57:00.003Z

Alfie Meadows has been charged with violent disorder. This is the young man whose mother claimed he was hit over the head with a police baton on 9th December 2010, and was then prevented from receiving medical attention by the police. The latter allegation has been shown to be false. Alfie's mother, in an opinion piece in the Guardian, now describes him as receiving life threatening injuries, but no longer seems to allege he was hit by a baton. I have been unsuccessful in finding an account from Alfie himself. Must be my poor internet skills.

The positive thing about a charge is that this will be properly tested in a court of law, with Mr Meadows receiving advice from a legal team, and the Crown's case being examined. The whole incident will exposed to public scrutiny. This must be preferable to allegations being made across the internet and media without proper examination of the facts. Hopefully a proper debate can rise. If Mr Meadows was struck across the head by a police baton, this will surely be raised in his trial, and officers will be expected to be brought to account. If he met his injuries in some other fashion, this will also become clear.

I strongly believe that people should stand up for their beliefs, and protest against what they believe to be wrong. Many young people do so. The power of influence is a strange thing, the rule of the mob and the incitement of the trusted adult whispering in the ear. This often causes people to act in ways they wouldn't normally, and lose sight of the need to take responsibility for their own actions. I include the police in this assessment. I have no doubt that some officers act in an unacceptable way sometimes, and they should rightly be brought to account. A conviction for violent disorder does little for your life chances, student or police officer. Blindly blaming the 'other side' for events does nothing to solve this problem.

WWD Radio - The Royal Wedding

2011-04-20T17:29:00.000Z

'Good morning, and welcome to today's show. Today we discuss the Royal Wedding. Is it worth it? The cost to the public purse, the risk of disruption from various groups, the cost to business of yet another bank holiday. I am joined in the studio by a good friend of this station, ex-Commander Andy Hymen who took early retirement from the capital's police service. On the phone we have Tommy, the South-East co-ordinator of the English Defence League. Good morning to you both. I'll start with you Andy - Can the police cope with the threat?'

'In a word Steve, no I don't believe that they can. And I don't make statements like that lightly. I am getting paid to be here.'

'Andy, you spent many years in the police service. Before you chose to leave early without making Commissioner, you had the lead on terrorism in the capital. Is terrorism a serious threat to the Royal couple?'

'As your listeners will know, particularly those who are as obsessed with me as I am, I never intended to become Commissioner. I know my detractors will point to my thirty years of back-stabbing and so-called self-promotion, but I urge them to read my new book, £12.99 in all good bookshops.'

'What about the terrorist threat? Domestic extremism? Surely this must cause concern to the police?'

'Steve, in my day, what I said went. Without meaning to blow my own trumpet, or expect my staff officer to blow it for me, I wish the Met Police would come to me and say, 'Andy, please help us. We really don't know what to do.' I would offer them preferential consultancy rates, and the problem would go away. It's all in my book Steve.'

'Andy, are you saying the police are not fit for purpose?'

'Steve, as your listeners will appreciate, I am the truth, the power and the light. Praise me.'

'Andy, please stay with us, while I move onto our phone guest. Tommy, press reports show that the EDL intend to mount a counter-protest against Muslims Against Crusades. What does that actually mean?'

'Urmff'

'Tommy, can you hear me?'

'Umgg'

'Tommy, you're live on the radio. What do the EDL intend to do on the day of the Royal Wedding?'

'Sorry about that. Got the balaclava caught in my teeth.'

'You're wearing a balaclava?'

'Your producer sounded like a darkie. Can't be too careful.'

'Tommy, you're on the radio. No-one can see your face.'

'We are not a racist organisation, what we are is this - against them lot who come over here and burn plastic poppies. This country needs to stand against a government that allows them to ride around on motorbikes wearing turbans.'

'Sikhs? Is this a new development? I always believed the EDL professed to stand against violent Islamists?'

'We're organising a ring of steel around her highness. The EDL will do the job the police don't want to.'

'How will you be able to tell who to target? Who will you be stopping from approaching the Royal party?'

'Steve, without revealing our tactics, we'll be looking for Muslims and giving them a kicking. I can't say too much, because I know they listen to the radio, except on Passover.'

'Tommy, how on earth can you differentiate someone who follows Islam from anyone else in London? Particularly on a day of national celebration in one of the most diverse cities on earth!'

'Beards.'

'Beards?'

'Yes beards. That's the briefing our soldiers have.'

'Your soldiers? Are your organisation not merely a bunch of thugs?'

'I've retired. It's not my organisation.'

'Sorry Andy, the last comment was to Tommy.'

'You call us a bunch of thugs? What about those lot that come over here, arranged marriages, leeching of the state!'

'I thought the EDL supported the Royal Family? Andy, how will the police deal with the EDL? Seems like there is potential for disorder'

'As I said to Ian Blair once, everyone has the right to peacefully protest, in the same way I have the right to expenses.'

'Is it right for the police to protect what some claim is an inherently racist organisation?'

'Well Steve, that's the age old question - who polices the police?'

'I meant the EDL.'

'The use of containment, or as the press insist on calling it, 'kettling' is a legitimate tactic. My advice to the Met would be force the crowd into a tube station and shoot them dead. Did my career no harm.'

'Would that really be appropriate on a Royal wedding day?'

'Ian Blair kissed me once.'

'And it's over to Will for the travel.'

'

Ali's Mate

2011-04-20T14:01:00.000Z

Hopefully not this time

Middle Class Revolutionary

2011-04-19T17:30:00.000Z

Once again, the white middle-class revolutionaries have infiltrated a protest march for their own ends. Feeding from someone's else's pain, ignoring any evidence or factually based analysis, the activists hand out SWP signs and allege murder.

The fact that Mr Culture was on bail for drugs offences is ignored. Not convicted, I appreciate, but this may have had some bearing over the events? Is the reason the police were at his house in the first place, armed with a warrant issued by a magistrate not a key issue?

The only amusing thing about this article is the author's painful attempts to be so right on it's untrue. His miraculous ability to identify people's nationality by examining the make-up of the crowd is astounding. He also makes a hilarious generalisation by suggesting the crowd are mainly Christian because they shout and holler. Do you think he really means because they were West Indian? Bit of a slip up there!

People like the author of this piece need conflict. It justifies their existence. Whatever it is, they're against it. They offer hostility not constructive debate and solutions. They take advantage of other people at their most vulnerable to spread disgusting rumour and incite discontent. They will leech from the family for as long as they can, only abandoning them when a more suitable cause comes along. These people are vermin.

Brixton's Burnin'

2011-04-14T12:51:00.001Z

This week sees the thirtieth anniversary of the 1981 Brixton riots. To some, this was an uprising. What sets this disorder from latter examples was that the police were the target as opposed to protecting some other institution. It can be argued that there was open drug dealing on the streets of Brixton that certain groups sought to protect from police intervention, however this was countered by overt racism. Young black men were routinely beaten and fitted up by an overwhelmingly white police force.

The legacy of the Brixton riots is that the police can no longer claim victim status with any degree of credence. The police cannot claim mistake or error without being accused of racism or violence. Mainstream broadsheet newspapers still run columns accusing the police service in general of horrendous bigotry and discrimination. I would imagine that if such articles were presented to editors in the 1970s, the journalist would be laughed out of the newsroom. Without the Brixton riots, the Macpherson Report would never have come into existence with it's allegations of institutional racism within the Met Police. This conclusion was eagerly devoured by police leaders seeking promotion from their political masters, and the definition of a racist incident became 'if anyone says it is, it is.'

I am institutionalised. I will admit that. I recognise my influences. I have been in the police service for nearly twenty years, and understand that many of my views are shaped by this experience. I try hard to engage with the many different people I meet on a daily basis, to socialise with friends outside the police, and to read widely, often from sources I would normally avoid. We remain shaped by our environment. I am certain that the racism of the police force is in terminal decline, and has been since the riots. The police officers of today grew up in a multicultural society, they schooled alongside black and Asian children. It is hard to hate those you know personally.

Summary beatings have gone. People are no longer battered in cells and police vans. Whether this is a cultural change, or the result of increased CCTV and the fact that victims of police brutality are more likely to be believed is a moot point. Although Friday and Saturday nights are awash with violence across the country, general violence has lessened in the last 20 years throughout society. People no longer beat their children, nor do teachers.

The police will always be viewed in some quarters as violent racists. There are too many vested interests to allow for this situation to change, too many pressure groups, radical lawyers and crusading journalists to allow for their cash cow to be taken away.

I intend to leave the police in the next couple of years and go into teaching. I imagine my world view will change, and I may question some of my old viewpoints, but I still believe that the police service is in better shape than it was in 1981. It remains a political football, with senior managers who are not fit for purpose, but I believe that the majority of the general public support the police. If I didn't believe that, I'd leave tomorrow.

More on the Racism Stuff...

2011-04-13T19:29:00.002Z

Following my post re the Met Police Diversity Internship Scheme, I have had a lengthy comment added which I feel requires it's own posting to allow for further discussion. I am grateful to the author taking the time to comment. I have copied the comment here, with my own comments added in italics. I would be interested in the author's response, or any other comments...

'While scouring the net for internship opportunities, I stumbled upon the Met Diversity Internship scheme and eventually this blog post. I do not like to make assumptions, but from the tone of authorship and general negative attitude towards schemes giving opportunities to ethnic minorities, I would assume that you are Caucasian. If this is indeed the case, it is understandable why you would find it difficult to understand the benefits of such opportunities to those not of Caucasian descent –

I understand that you do not like to make assumptions, but you clearly have. Thank you for understanding that 'Caucasians' may find it difficult to understand this scheme. I understand full well that this scheme may benefit those not of Caucasian descent, however I struggle to understand how it can be justified when people who are already being employed by the Met are being made redundant. I have lost a station reception officer this way. Not that it should make any difference, but she is a black female. I think what appeals to you is that this scheme gives you an advantage over others.

and contrary to what your article says Eastern Europeans are not considered an ethnic minority, by the way.

Eastern Europeans can obviously be broken down into groups. Lets take Poles. The largest immigrant group into the UK after Pakistanis in the last year. Poles are an ethnic group. They are not an majority, therefore they are a minority. I will fully accept that terminology may be against this assertion, but please understand that the latest immigrant groups always suffer racism: 'No Irish, no blacks, no dogs'? My point is this: Why are the latest immigrant groups excluded?

Before you think I am actually being racist, I would clarify that I am of mixed descent – Eastern European AND African (so you can imagine the ignorant comments that I have to listen to on a daily basis!)

No I can't. And I would suggest that if you are subjected to racial abuse on a daily basis you report this to the police and / or your work supervisor or teacher. I mean this.

Being young, (visibly) black AND female I am struggling to find a job with the police, despite the fact that I have two degrees and several years’ experience working in crime detection for a UK police force.

The police currently have a recruitment block. This is across the board. Although I am not part of recruitment, I think it is fairly safe to say that they are not intentionally excluding young, black females. Please understand that as qualified as you clearly are, if there is not the vacancy we cannot advertise the job. It is not a conspiracy.

The police is notoriously difficult to break into, and this is not just because of the current economic situation, but something you may be familiar with called the ‘Old Boys’ Network’ which is very much alive and kicking.

No it isn't. The Met Police is a huge organisation. We employ 35,000 police officers. At one point, we needed to recruit so many people that criminal records checks weren't being done. Civilian roles, such as HR for example, pay considerably less than like roles in the private sector. It is not difficult to break into. As above, the economic situation does have a relevance. The Old Boy's Network? What role are you applying for?

If not for schemes such as that run by the Met, people like me, who value but are not necessarily interested in front line positions would never be able to obtain specialist crime detection/prevention roles despite having the necessary qualifications and experience.

So you are saying that if it wasn't for positive discrimination, you would never by employed by the police service? Really?

It may not seem like a very important factor to you, but proportionally, ethnic minorities are severely underrepresented within the police force, due to disinterest, bias and lack of recruitment promotion in this area. While I realise, I represent a very minor part of this group who are in fact interested in such roles, I still would like to have the opportunity to be included in the selection process and this would give me and many other candidates of similar calibre the encouragement to do so'

Yes, ethnic minorities are under represented, and I have never claimed otherwise. Does the use of positive discrimination do anything to change this? Do people really want to take advantage of what others may perceive to be unfair advantage to obtain roles not open to all? I would argue that decent candidates prefer to compete on a level playing field, and in fact would be put off applying for the police if given such patronising opportunities.

It seems the author of this comment claims racial discrimination on a regular basis, and the linked inability to obtain work with the police service (despite having two degrees) to justify her support for the racist Diversity Internment Scheme. Is this a success against racism, or merely another example of the race industry creating advantage under the auspices of positive action? Not far off the old-boys club really.

I have worked with many black and Asian officers. The vast majority wish to be appreciated for the work they do, not for the colour of their skin. I may not understand the issues, but I hope that they do.

Class not race?

2011-04-13T17:34:00.000Z

Is the Labour Party finally realising what it should be doing?

Read this....

England

2011-04-13T14:39:00.000Z

I live and die through England
Through England
It leaves a sadness
Remedies never were within my reach
I cannot go on as I am
Withered vine reaching from the country
That I love
England
You leave a taste
A bitter one

I have searched for your springs
But people, they stagnate with time
Like water, like air
To you, England, I cling
Undaunted, never failing love for you
England

England - PJ Harvery

No ifs, no buts, no public sector cuts!

2011-04-10T16:08:00.001Z

And here's why! Can you not see how our society would crumble without such essential roles? Sport the balaclavas and man the barricades...

Policeman Raped

2011-04-06T15:39:00.000Z

The Guardian are currently running this story. Please take the time to read it.

It appears that a police officer has concerns about the way police treat rape victims having apparently been the victim of rape himself. Despite being the victim of a traumatic experience, the author manages to approach The Guardian and relay his story. He is critical of the police for acting in the way they did when he disclosed what happened to his boss.

The police have a duty to protect the public. If it is brought to our attention that there is a stranger rapist at large, the police have a duty to act. This includes arrest, even if that goes against the victim's wishes. A prosecution may not result if the victim does not wish to support this course of action, however the police must be seen to do everything possible to reduce the future risk to the public. If the victim reported that an identifiable person had raped them, the police did nothing, and the rape suspect went on to commit further rapes and even murder, serious criticism would be levelled. The victim in this case must surely realise this?

This account is of one person. The investigating officers will obviously not comment. The account of the man arrested is not included. The needs of the victim are clearly important, however someone was arrested in this case. The account he gave seems to have been missed from the newspaper article. Did he refuse to answer questions? Did he provide 'no comment' responses? Or did he provide an account at variance to the police officer who has alleged rape against him?

People arrested remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This person will not be charged based on the account in the newspaper article, however appears to have been accused of male rape in a national newspaper by a police officer. Although all parties remain anonymous, anyone who knows any of the parties involved will have no difficulty in working out that this article relates to them.

Is this good journalism, pointing out failings in the police handling of rape victims, or is this an example of something else?

Death Destroys Us

2011-04-03T20:16:00.001Z

This is Police Constable Ronan Kerr. He was murdered.

What happened to Ronan has really hit me. I don't know why. I have known four colleagues die, three by their own hand, and one in a car accident. One of these had the same level of service as PC Kerr. Weeks in the job.

I expect death. I imagine what it would be like to deal with the death of one of my PCs, the questions I would ask of myself at the time - would I do the death message myself? Would I be able to deal with the fallout, the blame, the inability to help my team move on and more or less forget their fallen colleague. I stop myself there. It doesn't happen. I work in the Met Police. In London. The death of a police officer is so rare it doesn't trouble statisticians. Then I remember the RUC, or the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

The RUC officers, men and women, used to look under their cars before driving to work. The 'PSNI' officers no doubt still do. Imagine that. Imagine checking your car for explosives. Imagine.

I was brought up Catholic. I define myself as Irish. I believe in Irish unification. I cheer on the players in the green and white hoops in the Glasgow derby. I detest the Orangemen who used to march through the town I grew up in, being made to hide by my grandmother as those men in bowler hats and sashes marched past our window.

I am by definition anti-RUC/PSNI. But I'm not. I am a police officer. I imagine that PC Kerr joined the police for the same reasons I did. I've got an uncle that doesn't speak to me because I joined the police. PC Kerr was murdered because he joined the police . He was twenty-five years old, and had been a policeman for less than a year. He had no political influence, he was not part of the old troubles. How is it right to kill him? He was a FUCKING YOUNG MAN DOING A JOB.

If whoever did this, or whoever supports the fact that this happens reads this blog, watch this. I come from the same place as you. I have the same beliefs as you, but I would never cause this pain. I know that. I'm a senior officer, I've worked with the anti-terrorist branch. I am (in your world) a legitimate target. I am more of a traitor than POLICE CONSTABLE KERR ever was. Come after me. But you won't. Because you are cowards.

Well, it made me laugh!

2011-03-31T16:53:00.000Z

Police Diversity Internship Scheme - Racism

2011-03-30T10:52:00.000Z

Further to my blog entry, the Daily Mail have run an article on the Met Police Diversity Internship Scheme. I am quoted as a Met Inspector. The Met have provided the following quote: 'This scheme assists us to understand the needs of the diverse communities we serve.' How? How does a racist discriminatory recruitment policy for back-room positions assist 'us' in understanding the communities we serve? What amazing insights does a university graduate from a visible ethnic minority background bring?

The Met are making people redundant. Many of these are working class people, often from visible ethnic minorities. Most of these were in front facing positions, such as Station Reception Officers. They met the 'communities we serve' on a daily basis. With the money saved the Met are paying £3000 per head to recruit VEM graduates. This is diversity. This is managers within the Met slavishly following an agenda to promote themselves at the expense of other peoples livelihoods.

I have been in the police for many years. I have never known anyone call 999 and demand a police officer from their own ethnic background. 'There's a man in my house with a knife! I need cultural reassurance on the hurry up!'

Vote Labour!

2011-03-29T22:11:00.000Z

Winning While Appearing to Lose

2011-03-29T10:27:00.000Z

Apart from a couple of hilarious columns on The Guardian from middle-class revolutionaries, the police response to the TUC march has been praised. Officers were noted as being friendly and polite. I think this shows that we do not 'kettle' large crowds for fun.

Two groups broke away from the main march - One occupied a department store and were all arrested. The second group, hooded and masked 'anarchists' caused significant levels of destruction and put a number of members of the public in fear for their safety. This included tourists who are essential for our economy.

The arrests have had a muted level of complaint, but I feel that the majority of the public associate these protesters with the violence, and they have lost a lot of support as a result. The police have received some criticism for allowing the 'anarchists' such apparent free rein.

During the first student protest, Millbank was occupied and damage was caused. The police were subject to severe criticism. The following protests were policed with much greater numbers, culminating in 9th December when most of the crowd were contained in Parliament Square. Despite the fact that this took place after violent activity from sections of the crowd, the police were condemned for this tactic. This was followed by several allegations against the police including a man being pulled from his wheelchair and another being struck across the head with a baton causing serious injury. Despite the fact that we have heard nothing of these incidents since, not even an account from the alleged victim of the baton strike, both events remain real in the public imagination.

On Saturday, the police response swung back. As a result, public support is with us again. Although not lost following the student demonstrations, elements of the media were feeding on the accounts of protesters who relayed accounts of police aggression. They have been unable to find similar accounts from the TUC march.

This situation puts the police in a strong position. On the 26th March, had the police contained the 'anarchists' as they approached the main march, removed their head coverings, searched and photographed them, there would have been public outrage. This would have spread to the main body of the march, and could easily have incited disorder. This would all have been laid at the feet of the police, and we would have suffered a major public relations disaster. Following Saturday, I would doubt there would be any complaint should such tactics be used in the future. The public are sick of the sixth form agitators, white middle-class revolutionaries causing fear and distress on the streets of our capital city. The police are of the public, and should work for the public. This is why on Saturday the police won whilst appearing to lose.

You Know You're Getting Old When...

2011-03-28T10:27:00.000Z

Do I Win a Prize?

2011-03-27T18:56:00.001Z

I think I do! The first article claiming yesterday's violence was all the fault of the police: HERE

For those of you who haven't experienced Laurie Penny, she is a columnist for the Guardian and New Statesman. She is a comedy leftie. She is also white, middle-class and public school educated.

It is refreshing to see the positive comments made about the police yesterday from the genuine protesters, and the almost universal condemnation of the violence by the small minority. The anarchists - I would place money on the fact that they also are white, middle-class and many will be from private schools. Just a feeling I have...

TUC March - Here we go again....

2011-03-21T15:46:00.000Z

This Saturday, 26th March, will see further demonstrations in central London. The protest is organised by the TUC, and around 200,000 are expected. The Police Federation have stated that many police officers will be in sympathy with the marchers. This is because the police are, like many many other areas of the public sector, facing cuts to their budgets, pay and allowances. Whether or not individual officers support a particular cause, or disagree with a certain government policy, they should never vent in public. It is a key part of our society that the police remain impartial and non-political. By the Police Federation making such statements, we are breaching this long standing expectation.

As would be expected, various groups of differing left-wing persuasion are expected to attend the protest, each armed with their own agenda. A number will attend with the intention of causing disorder.

The above paragraph will have caused a reaction to everyone who reads it. Protest polarises. People develop a world view, through upbringing, education, and socialisation. We nurture this world view by associating with people who share our views, and seeking information from sources that do likewise. We are inclined to accept views which match our expectations without question, and dismiss arguments which counter our beliefs without thought.

The most recent contentious protest was the student march of 9th December last year. Everyone has formed an opinion about this. I would think the majority of memories relate to the interaction between police and protesters. Memory is notoriously unreliable. Eye-witness evidence is often the least useful in proving or disproving an assertion in a court. We interpret what we see. This is again influenced by our world view, our political beliefs, and the sources of our information. Words on a page can be interpreted differently by different readers, leading to completely different reactions.

Many people genuinely believe that the police approach all protest marches as an opportunity to violently attack protesters and attempt to kill them by striking them across the head with batons. They refuse to accept that anyone other than the police may be responsible for violence. Alternatively, some police officers believe that all people who attend protest marchers are violent revolutionaries who wish to kill the police. They believe that all methods are legitimate to stop this. Most people find some balance between these views.

Consider these names: Ian Tomlinson and Edward Woollard. I would imagine you have a view on each. Some people believe that Ian Tomlinson was murdered by the police. Some people believe Edward Woollard attempted to murder police officers. I doubt many people believe both these assertions. They come from opposing world views.

People like to find support for their views. The idea of a Conservative government using violent repression which requires resistance suits those who like to believe they are suppressed and must fight the state. Whatever it is, they are against it. It is a lot easier to shout NO and offer violence and destruction than offer valid debate and alternative solutions.

The vast majority of police officers who will be working on Saturday want a peaceful protest, and to go home without injury at the end of the day. That is my world view.

The Big Society - Get Stuck In!

2011-03-15T16:49:00.000Z

As part of the 'Big Society' idea, it will be expected that the public take more responsibility for keeping the streets safe. This will inevitably lead to groups being formed with the express intention of stalking the streets in cheap uniforms and no doubt causing many more problems than they solve. Does anyone remember the Guardian Angels? They had a presence in London in the mid 1990s, but haven't been seen since. When the Metropolitan Police was formed, officers were often attacked by a public who took exception to being ordered around. Hence the notion of policing by consent. Any formal attempt to 'empower' the public will only attract the sort of person you don't want doing the job in the first place.

I do have great admiration for members of the public who risk their safety to help others. I have written about them previously. As a police officer, I am expected to act even when off duty having completed a 'dynamic risk assessment'. This basically means can I do something without getting my head kicked in or making matters worse. I would be interested to know whether my readers would take matters into their own hands. If not, why not? For those who would act, I would like you to consider the following scenario, and consider at what point you feel it would be time to do something, and conversely, when it would be an inappropriate intrusion on someone else's privacy.

You are on a train. The only other passenger on the carriage is a woman in her thirties. Two male teenagers get on. The next stop is ten minutes away. There is no guard on the train, however there is an emergency stop system to alert the driver.

The youths are well-built. They sit together opposite the woman. One of the youths begins playing loud music on his mobile phone. This goes on for a few minutes. The woman glances at them, but says nothing. She looks at the sign on the window showing that you are all in the quiet coach.

One of the youths puts his feet on the seat opposite. He then lights a cigarette, and shares it with the other one. The woman starts to cough. She says, "Do you mind?" to the youths. They laugh, and carry on smoking. The woman informs them that they can't smoke on the train. One of the youths calls her a 'bitch' and tells her to 'fuck off.'

One of the youths goes and sits next to the woman. He starts to talk to her. You can see she is uncomfortable. She stands up and moves up the carriage towards you and sits down. They follow her, and sit each side of her. You notice one of them is drinking lager. One of them puts his arm around her shoulder. She shrugs him off, and tries to get up, but is pushed back down. He tries to kiss her, but she manages to fight him off. She breaks free, and runs down the train chased by the youths and out of your sight.

The train stops at the next station. You see the teenagers get off and run towards a nearby estate. You see the woman being led of the train by a man in a suit. He is using his mobile phone. She looks distressed. The train pulls away, and you go back to your paper.

EDL video

2011-03-14T10:02:00.001Z

The below video was found on Pickled Politics. The EDL, as can be seen here and on other parts of the internet, are clearly violent, racist scum. They are a disgrace to this country. They, like anyone else, have the right to protest. When the protest turns violent, the police are expected to act. That is the key when debating freedom in this country. The police must act when violence begins to protect the Queen's peace, ie the right of all people to go about their lawful business without fear or impediment from those with extreme political views.

Is this Racism? I think it is!

2011-03-11T11:08:00.000Z

Thanks to Mitchell-images for pointing out an internship opportunity the Met Police are currently advertising. I have copied the full advert in italics below. Please note that the Met is currently not recruiting officers for at least three years, and is facing severe financial cuts. I run a response team. Month by month, my team numbers are getting less and less. This used to be dealt with by new probationers coming through from training school, however this is not the case at the moment. We miss 999 call targets on a regular basis. It is luck rather than judgement that nothing has gone seriously wrong because of this, however it is only a matter of time. When something does go wrong, it will be my fault.

I accept that the Met, like every other public service organisation is facing budget cuts. Front line services will be feeling the pain. What I do not accept is the idea that scarce financial resources should be diverted to instigate the Diversity Internship Scheme. This is a scheme for graduates who are from visible ethnic minorities. They will be given a dedicated mentor, and a choice of roles and projects. Apparently this is not discrimination because it is called positive action.

How much does this scheme cost? How many officer hours an I losing to allow this to take place? Have the public been consulted? I am told that our only performance indicator of note is public satisfaction. Will the tax paying public of London agree this is a good use of their money?

The largest recent minority groups to London are from eastern and central Europe. Why are they excluded from this scheme? The old poster, 'No Irish, no blacks, no dogs,' has been replaced. But only slightly.

I had hoped that the Met's obsession with positive discrimination had died with the sacking of Ian Blair and the end of New Labour. Sadly it appears that the diversity empire remains leeching from the underbelly of the community the rest of us actually try and serve. Such blatant discrimination only fuels the far right, and will cause more division than it solves. The government must stop this insanity - Big Society is for all, indigenous or immigrant, old or new.

Are you interested in working for the largest employer in the South East? Do you want to find out more about how the MPS operates and learn from business experts? Do you have an interest in policing? Are you enthusiastic, self-motivated? If you answered yes to these questions then read on…

During the summer of 2011 the MPS is offering final year university students who received a minimum of a 2:2 in their second year exams or recent graduates with a minimum of an awarded (within the last year) 2:2 degree, from a black & minority ethnic background, the opportunity to undertake one of our 12-week placements.

This programme complies with section 158 Equality Act 2010. In order to offer this as a Positive Action Programme, we define BME as those groups which are currently under-represented in the organisation, namely:

Black Caribbean, Black African, Black Other, Black British, Black Asian, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Asian Other, Any other Ethnic group not specified, Mixed: White and Black Caribbean, Mixed: White and Black African, Mixed: White and Asian, Mixed: Any Other Mixed Ethnic Background, Greek and Greek Cypriot and Turkish and Turkish Cypriot.

We offer internships within the following directorates:

Human Resources
Territorial Policing
Specialist Crime
Directorate of Resources
Department of Public Affairs
Whichever directorate you join, you’ll receive support and guidance, working on real and valuable projects. You’ll learn from professionals in the field and take ownership of delivering project work that will bolster your CV and reference your abilities as a talented graduate. To make sure you experience the varied and diverse opportunities available within the MPS dedicated mentors will also support you throughout your placements.

Participation in the Diversity internship scheme does not entitle intern/s to employment or consideration for employment but during the placement you will be paid under an internship/training contract the London Living Wage, and details of interns successful through the programme will be shared with partner organisations within the Greater London Authority. Applicants are also advised that they need to have been a UK resident for the last 3 years due to vetting restrictions.

These placements offer the opportunity to enhance your development, as individuals, through meaningful and rewarding projects, and offer you the opportunity to support the organisation’s drive to continue to learn about the needs and views of the diverse communities we serve.

Money for Old Rope - Police Pay Review

2011-03-08T11:26:00.001Z

Like everyone else, the police are having their pay and conditions reviewed. It is also suggested that 28,000 jobs may be lost. I would suggest that these will come from natural wastage - the latter part of the 1970s saw a large recruitment drive, the majority of the officers who joined then will be retiring shortly. Their roles may not be replaced, but very few of them will still be in front-line positions. There are thousands of desk jockeys in the police in a variety of performance / diversity / pointless roles who have not engaged with a member of the public for many many years. Any warranted officer who does not directly prevent or detect crime or maintain the Queen's peace is an un-necessary waste of a good salary. The job loses can easily be met from such individuals whilst maintaining front line numbers. They can be offered a return to response duties, but I would imagine GP surgeries suddenly being overwhelmed with 'officers' suddenly suffering from stress.

In the Met, their has been a recruitment freeze which is likely to continue for the next three years. The most recent recruits are already on a different contract to those of us who have been around slightly longer. They are expected to serve for 35 years instead of 30, and their pension is less attractive. They are not eligible for Special Priority Payments until they have four years service and work in an eligible role. SPP was significantly reduced this year anyway, and it's loss will not cause any significant issues. Met officers are also entitled to free travel within a 70 mile radius of London. This is being curtailed.

Overtime payments will always be necessary due to the nature of police work. If we could predict demand, there would be no crime. The four hour claim for taking a call off-duty is a myth. Officers are entitled to a minimum of four hours at time 1/3 if they work into a rest day. This should end. People should be paid for the hours they actually work, nothing more.

The Police Federation claim that officers will be unable to pay their mortgages or heat their homes. I have no sympathy - overtime is not guaranteed, so if you financial management is so bad you can't house yourself without regular overtime, I would suggest some personal responsibility needs to be taken. Such officers are also leaving themselves open to corrupt approaches - financial vulnerability is a key indicator of potential corruption.

Senior officers at New Scotland Yard all retain personal drivers. Most of these drivers merely drive them home and back, with the rest of the time spent sitting around in the office. Senior officers also have staff officers, of at least Chief Inspector rank, and PA and a second civilian staff officer. ACPO ranks need to use the train like the rest of us, work out how to log on and read e-mails, and simply get over themselves. This would save a fortune. The Met employ Alisa Beaton. She earns £189,896 per year. Alisa is not a police officer. She is the Director of Information. It costs around £23,000 to employ a new PC.

There are massive savings that can easily be made in the police service. My only concern is that those making the decisions will jealously guard their own perks and performance units whilst expecting the front line to take the bit hits. I have no faith in senior officers, and cannot imagine them acting with the best of motives when the axe falls.

Getting Pissed and Fighting

2011-03-07T12:09:00.000Z

On a Friday and Saturday night, I would estimate that 90% of incidents dealt with by police across the country are alcohol related. My area has a fairly strong night-time economy which translates as hundreds of people going out to get drunk. Unfortunately they all seem to spill onto the streets at the same time with the booze-addled intention of fighting each other.

I detest violent people. With alcohol added, they are even more of a problem, however their fighting skills are often impaired, making them easier to arrest. They often try and headbutt their way out of the caged van, then try and kick down the cell door on arrival at the police station. Why? I have no idea. Most are in no fit state to enter into a rational debate.

This country suffers particularly from alcohol related violence. Other countries manage to consume alcohol without the related violence levels. I believe this is based on historical reasons. Religious based temperance and moral superiority imposes a feeling of guilt in those who consume alcohol. This is exasperated by the depressive properties of alcohol, and creates a self-fulfilling rotation of abuse. Although the majority of drinkers in this country are not religious, the social stigma remains. Public drunkenness is looked down upon, and becomes a right of passage for the young. Due to the stigma, most young people, who will naturally explore drunkenness as part of growing up, are forced into the parks and common areas to consume cheap and potent alcohol without the guiding hand of a responsible adult. This leads to excessive consumption, and the related problems this causes.

Public drunkenness is also a class issue. The middle-classes predominantly drink out of public view, and their violence is of a domestic nature. The working-classes are provided with upright drinking establishments, and are offered cheap drink at the supermarkets to lube themselves up prior to going out. The lower orders are expected to accept their lot in life, and are socially conditioned to treat their social time as drinking time. This is enforced by social networks and the media. It becomes expected that people can act in a different and often socially unacceptable manner once drunk. This includes committing criminal offences. A criminal record significantly impairs life chances. Police resources are deployed to deal with the fallout, meaning arrests are more likely to be made - most drunk related offences come to notice by being discovered by a police officer on patrol. The working class are more likely to be arrested as a result.

Dealing with this country's problems around alcohol would reduce policing costs substantially. This is not an easy option. Health campaigns make the dangers clear, however this often has to opposite effect. Enforcement by police will not stop the problem, only criminalise more people. Good education is the key - impress a sense of self worth on the lower classes, and they will have more pride than to go out fighting on a Saturday night. There remain people in this country who leave the education system unable to read and write. They must become a priority, not the middle-class obsession of having higher education paid for by the government.

The Easy Way Out?

2011-03-07T00:02:00.000Z

Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes. Sometimes, I sit at home all alone, and remember dead colleagues. Not many people get that one. Some (and I hope a minority, but no breath holding) think the only good cop is a dead cop. Good luck to them. Don't get burgled.

Others, ie,not me.

Who mourns dead friends? All of us? Most of us?

Probably.

It really is the military. At the moment. Well, by that we mean the army. It is the working classes that are dying in foreign fields. In army uniforms. Still, I have a good friend who is an army officer. He's sent people to their death since Bosnia.

I've been in the police for 20 years. I've never sent people to their certain deaths. People have died though. Work that one out. It's different. But I've known four people who have killed themselves. For the job they do. I won't glorify myself by telling their story here. Not yet. Probably will. Because I can.

Which Colour Are You?

2011-03-04T11:20:00.000Z

Having had doubts about my political persuasions, I took this test. Turns out I share the views of Gandhi! Try it - I'd be interested in knowing the views of my wonderful readers.

Another test I took told me I was BNP, so it's all in the interpretation...

Daydream Nation

2011-03-03T12:25:00.000Z

This is post number 201. I thought I'd mark the occasion with some Sonic Youth related art work.

Time for a pay cut....

2011-03-02T14:59:00.000Z

Seems that the police won't be avoiding the cuts. Good. The police are part of the public sector, and should not be excluded from the necessary cost saving measures. The police, like the NHS, are overwhelmed with managers and back-room staff who are responsible for spreadsheet management. They are all paid the same if not more than those employees who actually do the job.

The police, like some other public sector employees, are paid double-time to work on a bank holiday. Why? Notting Hill Carnival is a force working day in the Met, which means that all uniformed officers are expected to be on duty. Around 5000 'police' the main event, all those below the rank of Inspector being paid double. The Royal Wedding will also cost the public purse similar amounts for the same reason. There can be no justification for this in today's financial climate.

Police managers have responsibility for budgets. I have one. It is overspent. I can do nothing about this. I only authorise overtime for officers to stay on at the end of their tour of duty and complete paperwork that is required by law / policy following an arrest. If the police actually had computer systems that spoke to each other, a lot of this time would not be required, and the incredible amount of duplication would be avoided.

The CID also have a budget. Every six months, they go through the usual routine of stopping all overtime, then spend spend spending near the end of the financial year to make sure their budgets are not reduced the following year. Remove the threat of reduced budgets for those who underspend, and this ridiculous situation would end, saving money and time.

Bonus payments exist in the police. Senior officers are often rewarded for achieving targets. This can only encourage corruption. End all bonuses.

There you have it - cost savings made easy.

Born, Bred or just plain Bad?

2011-02-22T15:58:00.000Z

Some years ago there was a man who lived alone in part of a city. It had been decided that he had 'mental health' issues, but was capable of living in society. He clearly wasn't a threat to others - it was the others who were a threat to him. His name was James.

Most crime is committed by members of the underclass against members of the underclass. An alternate reality exists in the sprawling estates, a world occupied by the weakest and most vulnerable, a world a long way from the opinion formers and pressure groups, a world that exists in the darkness of our nightmares. No-one represents the people of this world, and very few care.

James had a flat that was taken over by the crack dealers. Users came there to buy a few rocks then crash on the floorboards while the drug took hold. The dealers sent their runners to keep up the supply, meeting the users with their armfulls of stolen loot, looking to exchange electrical goods and cash for drugs.

James lived in the midst of this, a blurring reality tempered by his medication, his weekly visit to the chemist his only meaningful direction in life.

Until they decided to rob him.

James had a cashcard. He was never given money directly, he wasn't trusted not to lose it or give it away, so his money was paid into a bank account.

James didn't give up his PIN the first time. They had to come back again, and handcuff him to the radiator to administer his beating. He gave it up then. They never came back. James was left cuffed to the radiator in his front room. Some crack users came and went, looking for the dealers. The dealers didn't come back - the turf was tainted. Gradually less and less people went through James' flat. By the time the last few passed by, James was dead.

Not one person helped James. Not one.

Because society doesn't have to. Does James have a voice or any influence? No. Do his problems come to our door? No. Don't we have enough to do? After all.

February 1981

2011-02-22T15:38:00.000Z

Early on the morning of 11th February 1981, a cleaner at work in St Mary's church, in Thorpe, Surrey, was surprised to find a smartly dressed woman kneeling in a pew. Not wishing to disturb her, the cleaner went about her work quietly until, sometime later, she realised the woman hadn't moved. She told the vicar, who called an ambulance. A closer inspection found that the woman was dead. She had no identification, was not known locally and her identity - as well as the cause of death - remained unknown.

(FT39:24)

Multiculturalism and Race

2011-02-07T14:58:00.000Z

The Prime Minister has recently made a speech about multiculturalism. This has been covered in depth in many other places. The policing of ethnic minorities and racial bias has been the obsession of the higher ranks of the police service for many years. They have got it wrong in so many ways.

Many point to a lack of integration from certain minority groups. Integration into what? What is Englishness? Are we expecting Muslims to join us in a weekend binge drinking session followed by a good old fight? Do we want them to attend the Anglican churches most of us don't? Are they expected to swear allegiance to the Queen when some of us claim republican views?

Look at who does the poorest paid work in this country - the cleaners, the binmen, the factory workers. It's the most recent immigrant groups. Are they taking jobs from the 'indiginous population' or are they merely doing something others refuse to do?

Of course we should be targeting ideological extremism in all its forms, from Islamist suicide bombers, to far-right and far-left thugs. All represent a danger to the state. If they are not targeted, they will spread fear and undermine democracy. This is not limited to a certain religious or ethnic group, and cannot be solved by deportation or tighter border controls.

The control of society by the middle and upper classes has survived through racism. Everyone likes to feel superior to someone else. We need someone to blame for our situation. The ruling classes avoid the hostility of the working classes by causing them to turn in on themselves. The newest immigrants live in the poorest areas, and have little if any financial power. Their presence is met with hostility by some, using them as the scapegoats for perceived wrongs. The far right prosper in these situations, with the left having abandoned the working class. The left have become the middle-class radicals, more concerned with having their children's degree courses paid for than the plight of the working class.

Where do the police fit into this picture? The majority of police officers are working class. The majority of the people we actively police are working class. People at the fringes of society are significantly more likely to be both the victims and perpetrators of crime. Recent immigrants fall into this trap. They become part of the dispossessed, with some taking part in crime. This is significant - they are viewed not merely as criminals, but as foreign criminals. Others taking part in crime therefore have someone else they can feel superior to, and the cycle of racism continues. The press enjoy a story of someone from another country who is convicted of a crime but cannot be deported due to human rights concerns. This works the other way as well. A murdered immigrant does not get the same press coverage as an attractive white woman.

The vast majority of police officers police their communities without prejudice. This was not the case in the past, but I believe it is now. A new breed of officers have emerged, ones who have been brought up in a world where racism is not acceptable, and have taken on those values. Our senior officers refuse to accept this however. We are told that racism remains, and that anything is racist when someone says it is, despite any evidence to the contrary. The waters become so muddied that the truth is lost. This is the legacy of Ian Blair.

I was sent on a course about two years ago. This was for supervisors who complete Personal Development Reviews (appraisals) of their officers. This document is around 25 pages long, and is completed twice a year. I was instructed that a new form would be introduced - a totally separate diversity PDR. This would mean that each officer would be expected to hit 25 separate targets, and provide evidence that they had done so, all around the area of respecting diversity. If an officer did not hit every point, they would be shown as failing in the area of diversity. This would mean re-training, no promotion, and no lateral career development. You would be tarred a racist basically.

One of the points they had to hit was challenging and reporting unacceptable behaviour by a colleague. You also had to show evidence of supporting another colleague who did the same. Therefore, for every officer in the Met Police to pass this new PDR, each would have to identify and report potentially racist behaviour by another officer. This would require 35,000 incidents. This would mean that they would each be reporting each other, and supporting each other to report each other to pass this PDR. This has not seen the light of day since Blair left.

Multiculturalism is a wonderful thing. It IS Englishness. It always has been through history. Extremism in all forms is the enemy of Englishness. That is what makes this country. Class is the issue - when the working class recognise this, and someone represents their interests properly, racism will decline.

The police should work with all communities - protect the vulnerable and target the criminal. As simple as that.

In Fear of the Fear of Crime

2011-02-02T15:28:00.000Z

The news of a new website where the public can access crime statistics has provoked debate. Mainly that it doesn't work. It appears that you will be able to enter your postcode and discover the number of crimes reported in your street and area. Is this an important tool in a free country, or does it merely increase the fear of crime?

Firstly, statistics gathered by the police are not a true reflection of the crime that takes place. Crime is recorded once reported to police, or discovered by police. Many crimes take place, particularly in deprived areas, that do not come to the attention of the police. This is for a number of reasons: Distrust of the police, fear of retribution, or a feeling that it's simply not worth it. Some people exist in worlds where abuse and suffering become almost a way of life. Other people come from countries where it is simply not a usual course of events to seek help from the police.

Any data is only as reliable as the person inputting it. The police work under the Home Office Counting Rules, which dictate how an incident is recorded, and what it is recorded as. This is a complex area. How the Home Office define a crime may not agree with the views of the general public.

The first argument against the reliability of the data on the new website is that it is simply not a reliable reflection of crime in your area. There is no way that I can think of to accurately portray reality.

You may examine the data for your street, and discover an apparent crime wave. This does not mean that you should feel more at risk. Every crime is unique - Was the household down the road targeted, or was in an opportunist burglary through a window left open? What about the burglary two doors down? Was this the same, or was it an elderly occupier targeted by people pretending to be from the waterboard? If you keep your house secure, and are not elderly, you are not very likely to be targeted by the burglars in your street. The whole problem is, the new website will not give you this level of detail.

Issues of privacy come in here. Do you want your neighbours knowing that you've had criminals trick their way into your house? Even if it makes your neighbours feel more secure? Do the public have a right to know that the woman at number 30 is the victim of repeated domestic violence? Could this lead to vigilante action against her husband? Or do we need to know this in case the husband decides to attack us in the street?

I feel that the new statistics are worthless. If anything, they may increase fear of crime because the reader is not told the full facts. It is a matter of balancing fear of crime against privacy for victims of crime - a balancing act that cannot be done with any measure of validity.

WWD Radio Exclusive - Sebastian in Cairo

2011-02-02T10:01:00.003Z

"Good morning. Some of you may remember Sebastian, the young man who is a member of the Guildford Revolutionary Students Movement. He took part in our recent debate on student protests on this station. Sebastian joins us now on the phone. Sebastian, where are you?"

"I'm in Cairo! Cairo Tunisia!"

"Sebastian, Cairo is in Egypt."

"No borders! I've just managed to get a cab and I'm heading downtown to join with my ethnic comrades!"

"Sebastian, the Foreign Office has advised against all non-essential travel to the region. How did you get there?"

"Father has business interests in the Middle East, so we chartered a plane. The crew were from Egypt. I spent the flight learning useful phrases on my I-Pad. The steward was telling me how his brother and father were taken by the secret police and have never been heard of since. He was in tears. I felt his pain - I told him how Justin and I had been asked for ID in Guildford Weatherspoons, then moved on from the no-drinking area by the British police. I felt the connection between us as he hit me over the head with his shoe!"

"Sebastian, tell us what you see now."

"I'm in a taxi. There's lots of people running around with flags. I've got my Guildford Socialist Workers Party flag wrapped around my shoulders. The driver is looking at me in the mirror. I can see the bonding! I'll try and talk to him: 'Ich bin ein Guildforder!' Yes! Yes! He's still staring!"

"Can you see any police or army in the area?"

"The police here have had their Millbank moment. They've all left the streets to the people. It is because of the bravery of British students that the Arab people have risen up! They have been inspired! I can see that the fear of tuition fees being abolished has sent shock waves across the globe! This is only the beginning!"

"Sebastian, are you serious?"

"The Tunisian Police have fled the streets of Cairo! The people have been saved from kettling! We are one world now! The revolutionary left is rising all across Asia! That is why I am here! To show solidarity. I'm getting out now! The driver has supported the cause by taking all my imperialist American dollars. He will be burning $500 to feed his family tonight!"

"Are you in the centre of the city? Describe to our listeners what is happening now."

"I'm outside some kind of government building. There are millions of people here. It's the 9th December in London all over again! I've just spray painted a cock on a mosque! The crowd are chanting and waving their fists at the building!"

"What are they saying? Are they demanding the president leaves office?"

"I'm holding up my I-Phone - I've got the translation App open. Yes! They have a new leader! They are chanting his name over and over again!"

"Are you sure? None of the news sources here make any mention of that. This is an exclusive listeners!"

"Yes! I'm with you! MUBARAK! MUBARAK! MUBARAK! They hear me! The crowd are turning towards me! Yes my comrades! The Guildford Revolutionary Student Front is here! Join with us! NO IFS NO BUTS NO EDUCATION CUTS!"

"Mubarak? Sebastian I think you may be mistaken!"

"The revolutionary left are never mistaken. This is the future! The crowd is surging towards me! They see I am a leader of a leaderless organisation! We are running! I'm at the head of the crowd! Missiles are flying past my head! They must have seen police! I've fallen.....Wait! No! This is what the Tories want! Don't!"

"Sebastian? Are you okay?"

"They must have undercover police here, copying the London police! They might rape me! Get hold of James and tell him Code Red!"

Line goes dead.

"And now, over to the traffic with Will."

Nick Cohen

2011-02-01T15:40:00.001Z

I am a big fan of the Guardian columnist Nick Cohen. This article is spot on.

His book is excellent.