Substandard? Not just case files……

The HMIC has stated that most case files submitted for court are substandard.  They inspected 40 files and only 3 were adequately summarised.  Apparently officers ‘do not fully understand their role in taking cases to court’. The report is calling for an ‘urgent review’ of police training in legal procedures and that training would help ‘streamline’ … Continue reading

The final quarter review. Jan 13 – March 13.

The Met saw criticism for ‘massaging’ crime figures for sexual assault.  Crime Figures have always been a hot potato and you know as well as I do, that certain crimes can be deemed as priority, volume or whatever, and it has been a widespread practice to ‘massage’, but there is a big difference between massaging and falsifying … Continue reading

2nd Quarter – the low down on the year July 2012 – September 2012.

The second part of the low down of my year of blogs.  The first part was a mixed bag – and the second quarter is no different. Let the public see complaints against the Police looked at if we had to declare every single complaint of officers, including those that aren’t substantiated, then this would … Continue reading

The low down at the end of the year….. April 2012 – June 2012 the first quarter report.

I decided that I would have a look back at the blogs I have written in the past ‘year’ (financial of course!)  All the blogs written are linked, so if you want to read them again, feel free to click on the links. This is the first of four of my first quarter report. We … Continue reading

RIP – Detective Constable Adele Cashman.

Dc Adele Cashmam, a 30-year-old female police officer has collapsed and died while chasing a suspect, Scotland Yard has confirmed. DC Adele Cashman, collapsed in Belsize Park Gardens, Camden, at 9.45pm on Monday night. A response team officer based at Kentish Town police station, she was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead but … Continue reading

Special Constabulary – an enhancement or a replacement?

So forces are now increasing the amount of Special Police Officers….. Police Officer numbers are dropping and in order to deliver the same service we need to increase the number of Volunteers. Just how wrong is that? I started my career as a Special Constable, and I know the pressures of both Specials and Regulars. … Continue reading

Corporate sponsorship? are you really surprised

So the Met received 23million pounds in ‘Corporate Sponsorship over 5 years.  Is that a surprise?  Perhaps if we were given the resources to fund everything we needed we wouldn’t have to get ‘sponsored’.  I don’t know of one Police Force that doesn’t have ‘sponsorship’ of some kind.  Yes, we are talking bikes, cars, posters, … Continue reading

The psychic we call David Taylor-Smith

So much of the Police Service will be privatised within 5 years will it, Mr Taylor-Smith? Is that fact or just wishful thinking? The other issue is is this really going to save money, or just a way for security firms to get richer? Mr Taylor-Smith states that that he expects police forces across the … Continue reading

Privatisation of the Police Service – how would it work?

I was mooching round with a PC last night and we had a very interesting conversation. We were so short of officers that I crewed up and we dealt with several incidents. All were alcohol fuelled, and we were managing by the skin of our teeth. There were domestics, a stabbing, fights, an RTC and … Continue reading

‘You should be out catching criminals’

Why do we try to explain? I have had, as have many of my colleagues, many conversations with people we stop and deal with and it is difficult to get through to some about the career path that we choose. I guess the most favourite phrase they use is I pay your wages It’s a … Continue reading