Comments on: This policeman offends my common sense — make a law to stop him! http://notsaussure.wordpress.com/2006/11/27/this-policeman-offends-my-common-sense-make-a-law-to-stop-him/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:25:04 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ARCH RIGHTS: First they came for the children « Not Saussure http://notsaussure.wordpress.com/2006/11/27/this-policeman-offends-my-common-sense-make-a-law-to-stop-him/#comment-1090 ARCH RIGHTS: First they came for the children « Not Saussure Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:50:52 +0000 http://notsaussure.wordpress.com/2006/11/27/this-policeman-offends-my-common-sense-make-a-law-to-stop-him/#comment-1090 [...] Further proof for my suggestion either that bloggers have some magical power inadvertantly to cause government to go out and do something stupid just by speculating about it or HMG trawls the internet looking for dodgy ideas to go its dodgy policy dossiers. [...] [...] Further proof for my suggestion either that bloggers have some magical power inadvertantly to cause government to go out and do something stupid just by speculating about it or HMG trawls the internet looking for dodgy ideas to go its dodgy policy dossiers. [...]

]]> By: notsaussure http://notsaussure.wordpress.com/2006/11/27/this-policeman-offends-my-common-sense-make-a-law-to-stop-him/#comment-1075 notsaussure Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:47:16 +0000 http://notsaussure.wordpress.com/2006/11/27/this-policeman-offends-my-common-sense-make-a-law-to-stop-him/#comment-1075 The cops with whom I come into contact aren't anything like so high-ranking as Assistant Commissioners in the Met, of course. In my experience, and it's just my view, they mostly view their top ranking officers as, in general, political animals who're as interested in telling HMG what they think it wants to hear as they are in policing. In general, I find police officers' views and personalities as varied as those of any other group of people -- certainly some come over as mad fascists, but so, I'm sure, do some physiotherapists or computer programmers or whatever. Certainly few of the officers I know seem any more keen on many of these bright ideas than is anyone else. They're certainly not, by and large, begging to be given still more power (less paperwork, certainly, but not more power). Most of them, I think, would primarily like to be left alone by government to get on with their jobs. The cops with whom I come into contact aren’t anything like so high-ranking as Assistant Commissioners in the Met, of course.

In my experience, and it’s just my view, they mostly view their top ranking officers as, in general, political animals who’re as interested in telling HMG what they think it wants to hear as they are in policing. In general, I find police officers’ views and personalities as varied as those of any other group of people — certainly some come over as mad fascists, but so, I’m sure, do some physiotherapists or computer programmers or whatever.

Certainly few of the officers I know seem any more keen on many of these bright ideas than is anyone else. They’re certainly not, by and large, begging to be given still more power (less paperwork, certainly, but not more power). Most of them, I think, would primarily like to be left alone by government to get on with their jobs.

]]> By: alabastercodify http://notsaussure.wordpress.com/2006/11/27/this-policeman-offends-my-common-sense-make-a-law-to-stop-him/#comment-1074 alabastercodify Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:15:15 +0000 http://notsaussure.wordpress.com/2006/11/27/this-policeman-offends-my-common-sense-make-a-law-to-stop-him/#comment-1074 It seems that your work involves law; if you have a lot of experience of the police, or anyone reading this does, WHY do so many high ranking police officers seem to be pushing ludicrous proposals like this one? Is it that they are politicised, and are acting as proxys for the government? Is it that the cliche is true, and policemen tend to be authoritarian? Or that the authoritarian minority are more vocal - in which case where are the others? Is it that they know that society is in a much worse state than anyone realises? Or that they are constitutionally naive and genuinely can't see the dangers of such moves? Is it simply a case of professions always pushing for more powers? Have they always been desperate for things like this and see an opening now? Has something subtely gone wrong with the fundamental training of the police? It seems that your work involves law; if you have a lot of experience of the police, or anyone reading this does, WHY do so many high ranking police officers seem to be pushing ludicrous proposals like this one?

Is it that they are politicised, and are acting as proxys for the government? Is it that the cliche is true, and policemen tend to be authoritarian? Or that the authoritarian minority are more vocal – in which case where are the others? Is it that they know that society is in a much worse state than anyone realises? Or that they are constitutionally naive and genuinely can’t see the dangers of such moves? Is it simply a case of professions always pushing for more powers? Have they always been desperate for things like this and see an opening now? Has something subtely gone wrong with the fundamental training of the police?

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