Firstly, we are not a paramilitary force. Never have been and I comfortably say we never will be.
There are, I suppose, two responses to this. The first is
this link whilst at the same time pointing out the various police ranks and their cooperation with the military. The second is to point to the seemingly continuing increase in authorised firearm officers as well as 'shoot to kill' policies.
There was also the best part of 20 years between police not wearing capes and the introduction of the first body armours.
True, my point was one of a gradual slide and decline in the public relationship with police officers.
In other words, they moved with the times they moved with the times and the threats they faced. Are you advocating we move back to capes ? I dare say it will be successful as a crazed knifeman will likely laught his **** off before shanking someone when he sees a caped cop.
I'm sorry, are you suggesting that police officers shouldn't be wearing body armour?
I am saying that when officers walk the street looking like militaryesque forces, carrying MP5s and wearing body armor then it is inevitable that the close relationship of community that the public once had with the public will diminish. There is a reason that the British army tends to wear berets when peace-keeping rather than helmets (where possible).
Considering the increase in knife crime and the numbers of people now carrying offensive wepaons, I think that is just downright ridiculous.
Violent crime generally has fallen by up to 45% in the last 15 years. That's based on the British Crime Survey - one of the most accurate measures. Gun crime figures remain pretty flat nationwide and, whilst knife crime figures are more difficult to obtain on their own the instance of knife crime is so low as to leave a rather large question over whether it represents something that the average bobby really needs to worry about on a day-to-day basis.
And government manipulation of crime figures is at an all time high.
The government manipulate crime figures to get the results that they want, but then what government hasn't? As such, even if we agree that the figures are artificially low they will have always been artificially low as it is in every government's interest to minimise the figures. Have we any evidence that the latest figures have been significantly manipulated? The concept that the figures are being manipulated also do not make sense when you start looking at OECD data unless you think that all governments in the OECD are working in league - in which case one would have to ask why those with the worst figures would be willing to play ball?
We are now seeing every force having to make swingeing cuts and efficiency savings and that will inevitably affect front line police numbers when they are not replaced through retirements etc.
My understanding, certainly within my area, is that most losses will be at the more senior levels and thus red tape will disappear at the same time. Either way there are more police than ever and less crimes than there once was so, in theory at least, the force are well placed to absorb some losses.
As for complaints, please do not forget that many, in fact most, are spurious.
Indeed, but from the evidence that I can see, the amount of complaints that are upheld has also stayed static over the last 30 years.
I will be dining with a Chief Super and a Detective (husband and wife) tonight and I speak to police officers very often as several of my close friends (amazingly) are in the force and I spend a lot of time within Police HQ's through my work.
I have no idea what relevance any of this has unless you were somehow trying to set up an appeal to authority based argument?
They gained body armour due to the more difficult times we live in today, it's not a debate that can be argued by statistics sadly, you need to speak to the people who walk in the shoes to get the reality.
Ah so we're relying on the individual experience of specific individuals rather than collating the figures together to get a broader more accurate look at the situation? There is such a thing as being too close to a situation.
As I said, speak to people who live in the world and don't quote figures from the media and your views will have more substance to them.
I'm not sure where you believe I live? I quote figures from highly respected surveys comparing trends over many years, you seem more content trusting in quips from your mates. Is it any wonder that our views diverge?
such as quoting meaningless statistics to demonstrate insight.
You have provided absolutely no evidence to back up this meaningless assertion.
Just mentioning there are way too many old people around (talking into 60s) that seem to think they can get away with "murder" because they are old. 