"Hello. Is that partner check dot com?"
"Yes, how can we help you?"
"Well, what it is right, is I met this bloke down the club last week and he's said I can move in wiv him. I wanna know if he's gonna beat me up?"
"Right, what's his name?"
"Steve Hughes"
"Just hold the line a second, while I check our database.................right, I've found him. He was arrested last year for throwing a cushion at his girlfriend."
"Right thanks. I wont see him no more."
Sounds silly, but that's what Jacqui SMITH's latest barmpot idea is.
Don't get me wrong. I think men that beat women up, are despicable cowards, who should receive long custodial sentances. The trouble is, the present definition of domestic violence, in no way matches what the general public would call domestic violence. Nowaday's people (usually men) are being arrested for the most trivial of matters, from cushion throwing to shouting too loud!
I've no idea who is going to run this database, but I will stick my neck out and say that there will be an awful lot of people on it, who shouldn't be. The problem is, some offenders who are always 'getting away with it' wont appear on the list if it is only for convicted persons. However, if everyone arrested for so-called domestic violence ends up on it, it will be worthless.
In the meantime, behind closed doors, some women will continue to get a good kicking and no one will ever know. Let's stop wasting time on silly gimmicks. What would be useful, are special DV courts, which are held as quickly as possible, before the offender has time to 'change' the victims mind!
Monday 9 March 2009
Friday 6 March 2009
Children's Homes
I would guess, most Police Officers have a Local Authority Children’s Home on their patch. If they’re anything like me, they probably spend a lot of time at them.
These homes house children usually from the ages of 12-16. The kids are usually placed into the homes, because their parents can either no longer control them or have abandoned them. Some have had tough lives, where they have been physically or sexually abused. Others, have drug addicted parents, incapable of looking after them.
I attended our local home recently, after one of the residents had kept the two members of staff awake all night, threatening them that she would ‘do’ them. The girl didn’t cause any damage or assault anyone, but was angry, because she had been picked up by staff (free taxi) an hour earlier than she wanted.
Quite why I had been called is anyone’s guess. The two staff were adamant that they wanted to make a complaint of threats to kill. I asked them what the discipline policy of the home was. They stared at me blankly and said they didn’t think they had one. After a lot of digging, we managed to find a ‘behaviour policy’. It turned out, the behaviour policy does not have any sanctions to impose, if behaviour falls outside acceptable standards.
I had to bite my tongue. What a load of old bollox. Life is all about sometimes having to do things we don’t want to do. If these kids don’t learn the word ‘NO’, then they’ll forever be in trouble. If they don’t listen to reason, they need to realise that they can’t just continue misbehaving. The only way of doing that, is to have sanctions to impose. How many times were you grounded by your parents, when you were young? You soon learnt to behave.
Apparently, because of Human Rights Legislation, staff can do nothing, other than try to reason with the kids. They can’t withhold pocket money, ‘ground’ them, make them do extra chores etc.
Whilst no one wants to go back to the days of child abuse inside care homes, we are heading for anarchy if the present system continues. It is not the job of the Police to discipline children.
These homes house children usually from the ages of 12-16. The kids are usually placed into the homes, because their parents can either no longer control them or have abandoned them. Some have had tough lives, where they have been physically or sexually abused. Others, have drug addicted parents, incapable of looking after them.
I attended our local home recently, after one of the residents had kept the two members of staff awake all night, threatening them that she would ‘do’ them. The girl didn’t cause any damage or assault anyone, but was angry, because she had been picked up by staff (free taxi) an hour earlier than she wanted.
Quite why I had been called is anyone’s guess. The two staff were adamant that they wanted to make a complaint of threats to kill. I asked them what the discipline policy of the home was. They stared at me blankly and said they didn’t think they had one. After a lot of digging, we managed to find a ‘behaviour policy’. It turned out, the behaviour policy does not have any sanctions to impose, if behaviour falls outside acceptable standards.
I had to bite my tongue. What a load of old bollox. Life is all about sometimes having to do things we don’t want to do. If these kids don’t learn the word ‘NO’, then they’ll forever be in trouble. If they don’t listen to reason, they need to realise that they can’t just continue misbehaving. The only way of doing that, is to have sanctions to impose. How many times were you grounded by your parents, when you were young? You soon learnt to behave.
Apparently, because of Human Rights Legislation, staff can do nothing, other than try to reason with the kids. They can’t withhold pocket money, ‘ground’ them, make them do extra chores etc.
Whilst no one wants to go back to the days of child abuse inside care homes, we are heading for anarchy if the present system continues. It is not the job of the Police to discipline children.
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