The views expressed in this blog are mine, all mine and don't necessarily reflect those of the Police Service!
I hope that you wont be offended by anything I say, because no offence was intended.

Friday 24 October 2008

Reassurance

First of all apologies for the lack of posts over the last few months. Unfortunately, my personal life has been through a lot of turmoil and I had more important things to concentrate on. However, I'm back now!!!

The latest buzz word amongst ACPO ranks is reassurance. According to them, the public's fear of crime is far greater than the reality of crime and they therefore need reassuring that everything is wonderful and safe.

How do they go about doing this? Well, for starters, we have thousands of PCSO's patrolling the streets reassuring people. The public see them and therefore know they are safe, apparently. The only problem is, that every member of the public I've spoken to, does not feel re-assured when they see a group of yobs giving the PCSO's a verbal battering, only to see that the PCSO can't do anything about it.

The other way of reassuring the public is through crime figures. Now, most sensible people know the saying, lies, damned lies and statistics. So they are not fooled by crime statistics.

So what is the only other option. Getting more Police Officer's out of their offices and out onto the streets. Old fashioned I know, but a proven way of reassuring.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Firstly, nice to see you back. Hope all is now calm.

I do not wish to be rude to those PCSOs who do their best to do a good job in difficult circumstances, but I have to say that their inception has badly damaged the police service.

PCSOs are toothless tigers - evryone knows it, it has always been a PR con and those who at first didn't realise it are now only too aware. This transcends into policing - the public have little or no confidence in the police as an institution. I know that if I deal with a police officer of coalface rank, I am likely to deal with someone sensible who is trying to do his or her best.

What I also know is that the faceless bureaucrats and incompetent brown-nosers are the ones who decide policy, which is why the statistics are a pack of lies ('twas ever thus), I'd be very lucky if anyone ever investigated my crime, and why I now make a conscious decision as to whether to intervene in a crime or public disorder - I know full well I'm on my own, so is it worth it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

It saddens me to say it, after many years in the Job, but I have almost no confidence in the police - in individuals, yes, but not in the organisation. And BTW - what do I actually get for my police precept payments?

I would call on rank and file officers to just keep going; to senior management to sort out the rubbish that packs the middle ranks (generally Inspector to Ch Supt) and give us what we both want and need. Be assured that most people are very pro-police, they are just very anti the ill-considered nonsense that regularly rears its ugly head.

Area Trace No Search said...

Good to see you're back posting mate.