Looks like you just whacked the biggest piñata yet on your own - let's see what your target audience go for 'cos they are spoilt for choice with all the goodies you have provided. Has the phone started ringing?
The level of insight and the quality of writing never ceases to amaze. Every Chief Constable and senior officer in the country along with every PCC, the College of Policing, etc should consider Dominic Alder to be essential reading. They don’t have to agree with him but they should try to understand what he is saying. Policing would be in a better place if they did.
A couple of random observations about where things went wrong.
Replacing training schools with degree courses.
Replacing fear of the chief super with fear of HR (who were also feared by the chief super)
Replacing the unquantifiable with the quantifiable. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” William Bruce Cameron.
The notion for the first time in law that anyone could determine whether a crime had occurred anywhere based on their feelings or even the perceived feelings of a person who might not even exist. Or, more accurately, based upon lying about those feelings to,pursue a political agenda.
A couple of random observations about where things went wrong.
Replacing training schools with degree courses.
Replacing fear of the chief super with fear of HR (who were also feared by the chief super)
Replacing the unquantifiable with the quantifiable. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” William Bruce Cameron.
The notion for the first time in law that anyone could determine whether a crime had occurred anywhere based on their feelings or even the perceived feelings of a person who might not even exist. Or, more accurately, based upon lying about those feelings to,pursue a political agenda.
We are still trying to police the UK with a structure that was unfit for the 1950’s let alone the second quarter of the 21st century.
I’d argue for large scale amalgamation of forces to provide economies of scale, most of Europe operate their policing services on a National/Regional/Local basis. There is no reason why this should not be the case in the UK. Properly structured you would strengthen community policing. You could also get rid of PCC’s who have added very little to policing.
Many of the problems regarding UK policing started with the obsession with chasing PI’s. you couldn’t get promoted unless you could show a good set of figures, the fact a lot of things that mattered but weren’t easily quantifiable were dropped is by the by.
Few journalists seem to want to probe and find out the ‘why’ behind why things as are they are, is this because many journalists are writing in support of a particular viewpoint or for an employer who has a particular viewpoint? Lets face it, police bashing is easy and the organisation does not help itself. Policing is not and has never been monolithic, yet the press considers the police to be the Borg. A lot of reporting is lazy, i.e. craft an FOIA and write an outrage story, most papers recycle stories about policing on a regular cycle, ‘fat police, cars filled with wrong fuel, etc’ and you can see why I regard the press sceptically. Anyhow the police will continue to provide the press with an inexhaustible supply of dead cats to throw.
It won’t get better and May et al have shown it’s easy to smash something up, not so easy to rebuild. Did May really have a desired end point for UK policing? I’m not sure she did but the problems she caused will long endure.
Absolutely spot on, as usual. You have a knack of crystallising the thoughts that those of who know also have. You should definitely be a SpAd on police matters. It all makes me very sad.
In my short and inglorious career with the police, the Duty Inspector used to prosecute minor offences in the Magistrates Court; quick, sometimes dirty, and superb training for all concerned.
I'd suggest that giving everything to the CPS was/is an error that led to less justice and intolerable delays.
The 43 Force structure- and the non Home Office forces- exists to further the promotion of senior officers. A brave Home Secretary would cut the 43 by half and create a National Infrastructure Police that would incorporate MDP, CNC, BTP and the ports police.
We would lose some chief constables but nothing worth a damn.
Looks like you just whacked the biggest piñata yet on your own - let's see what your target audience go for 'cos they are spoilt for choice with all the goodies you have provided. Has the phone started ringing?
No. I suspected it wouldn't.
Maybe all still in a lock-in the pub all asking each other if it’s a trap! About time you had a broadsheet column I say.
I write for UnHerd, who are happy to publish my stuff. Still, I'm open to offers.
The level of insight and the quality of writing never ceases to amaze. Every Chief Constable and senior officer in the country along with every PCC, the College of Policing, etc should consider Dominic Alder to be essential reading. They don’t have to agree with him but they should try to understand what he is saying. Policing would be in a better place if they did.
A couple of random observations about where things went wrong.
Replacing training schools with degree courses.
Replacing fear of the chief super with fear of HR (who were also feared by the chief super)
Replacing the unquantifiable with the quantifiable. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” William Bruce Cameron.
The notion for the first time in law that anyone could determine whether a crime had occurred anywhere based on their feelings or even the perceived feelings of a person who might not even exist. Or, more accurately, based upon lying about those feelings to,pursue a political agenda.
A couple of random observations about where things went wrong.
Replacing training schools with degree courses.
Replacing fear of the chief super with fear of HR (who were also feared by the chief super)
Replacing the unquantifiable with the quantifiable. “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” William Bruce Cameron.
The notion for the first time in law that anyone could determine whether a crime had occurred anywhere based on their feelings or even the perceived feelings of a person who might not even exist. Or, more accurately, based upon lying about those feelings to,pursue a political agenda.
We are still trying to police the UK with a structure that was unfit for the 1950’s let alone the second quarter of the 21st century.
I’d argue for large scale amalgamation of forces to provide economies of scale, most of Europe operate their policing services on a National/Regional/Local basis. There is no reason why this should not be the case in the UK. Properly structured you would strengthen community policing. You could also get rid of PCC’s who have added very little to policing.
Many of the problems regarding UK policing started with the obsession with chasing PI’s. you couldn’t get promoted unless you could show a good set of figures, the fact a lot of things that mattered but weren’t easily quantifiable were dropped is by the by.
Few journalists seem to want to probe and find out the ‘why’ behind why things as are they are, is this because many journalists are writing in support of a particular viewpoint or for an employer who has a particular viewpoint? Lets face it, police bashing is easy and the organisation does not help itself. Policing is not and has never been monolithic, yet the press considers the police to be the Borg. A lot of reporting is lazy, i.e. craft an FOIA and write an outrage story, most papers recycle stories about policing on a regular cycle, ‘fat police, cars filled with wrong fuel, etc’ and you can see why I regard the press sceptically. Anyhow the police will continue to provide the press with an inexhaustible supply of dead cats to throw.
It won’t get better and May et al have shown it’s easy to smash something up, not so easy to rebuild. Did May really have a desired end point for UK policing? I’m not sure she did but the problems she caused will long endure.
Absolutely spot on, as usual. You have a knack of crystallising the thoughts that those of who know also have. You should definitely be a SpAd on police matters. It all makes me very sad.
Yep✔️
Spot on again Dom 👍
Once again, another insightful and accurate piece, Dom. Keep 'em coming!
In my short and inglorious career with the police, the Duty Inspector used to prosecute minor offences in the Magistrates Court; quick, sometimes dirty, and superb training for all concerned.
I'd suggest that giving everything to the CPS was/is an error that led to less justice and intolerable delays.
The 43 Force structure- and the non Home Office forces- exists to further the promotion of senior officers. A brave Home Secretary would cut the 43 by half and create a National Infrastructure Police that would incorporate MDP, CNC, BTP and the ports police.
We would lose some chief constables but nothing worth a damn.
To be fair, it's been posited but of course the blob fixed bayonets.
TJF!