At first I thought you’d lost the plot and were resorting to the American MAGA style conspiracy of everything. BUT you go on to draw all of the disparate pieces together. Well written and extremely credible piece. From my vantage point as an ex Met DS, retiring after 31 yrs in 2012, to now working within a small force, I see the Blob daily. The blob won’t be swayed from NPCC diktat. What’s worse is that they espouse evidence based policing as their rationale but can never actually produce the evidence to support this. Nor will they listen to anything that might conceivably challenge their norm. Keep up the great work Dominic.
The 'blob' just happened is my opinion. It grew organically over time. Lest we forget the Blair governments of the late 90's went big on 'New Public Management'. This basically held that everything could be measured, and if it could be measured it could be improved. Remember the madness around the drive to increase detection rates? The thing is a lot of people found they could have a nice career away from the inherently messy business of policing as well as meeting with like minded people across other sectors. My favourite piece of lunacy from my time on borough was when the police were asked to members of a group dealing with childhood obesity. We didn't participate but it shows how multi agency type work that has little to do with actual policing can take over whilst front line response, CID, neighbourhood policing etc suffers.
I'd also add force C to your comparative forces. This would have a character such as Hitchens or Mike Graham in charge, the rest of the command team would be radio commentators and newspaper columnists of all persuasions, this would add some 'creative tension' to the decision making process. The rest of the force would be provided by the BTL commentators from the Mail and the Guardian. They would have to operate under the same laws, policies and procedures that run in the real world. I can but dream.
Absolutely. I remember my ludicrously sinister 'Every Child Matters' training, which seemed designed to turn us into invasive, snitching, stasi every time we knocked on a member of the public's door. Some creature at Marsham Street probably got promoted twice for that one.
I am also going to add 24 hour style Big Brother / I'm a Celebrity style CCTV to Force 'C' because I think it would be the best telly ever.
Apt that you should use my old force Avon and Somerset in your example. It’s had its share of troubles as the scene of the first urban riot in 1980, repeated in Operation Delivery a few years later, a bad plan if I ever saw one.
But recently I have realised the rot has really set in. First the withdrawal from action when Colston the slaver’s statue was wrenched from its plinth and hurled into the Docks. Then the CC’s statement admitting institutional racism, followed by her decision to allow the documentary on the work of the PSD.
When the troops are being stabbed in the back by their own senior officers, is it any wonder that performance and morale are affected?
Hi Ray, to be honest I simply looked at the stats and saw that those forces have almost identical officer numbers (circa 3.5k each). And knowing both areas a little, they both have a good mix of people and policing environments. Lancs has more larger towns spread out than A&S though, but it's still not a terrible comparison.
The arrival of the "Blob" took awhile to reach beyond MPS in my opinion, whether it was driven from within the MPS is a moot point. Personally I suspect it was driven from a curious mixture of No.10 Downing Street, SPADs, Home Office ministers, HM Treasury and their acolytes spinning around them. With a good dose of media spin.
I do recall on one of very few visits to Bramshill revealed "something was afoot". A day conference on youth crime where the ACPO lead gave his presentation. Perhaps he thought everyone was in the police, in fact half were head teachers. The teachers promptly demolished the ACPO speaker, who did not have the "ground truth" they had every day in person. He left quite swiftly when the break came.
Sometime later back at Bramshill for an external speaker panel an ACPO member commented on their class:. They are all Home Office "clones", not an ounce of originality, determination or leadership amongst them. 'the Times' had just published an editorial on police reform, he suggested they all sign a letter he had drafted, no-one would sign up. No letter was sent from the 'future leaders of the police'.
Now probably two years ago on another police commentary blogsite a rather determined police leader, if ruthless, who did reach temporarily an ACPO rank, was interviewed and revealed his view on the changes from a crime and fighting force to a social service. One key point was the massive increase in mental health calls and resourcing. No-one had ever asked for this, it just happened and before you knew it was the No.1 call for resources.
The Home Office learnt the "way ahead" long before "The Blob" took power was to ensure any changes to policing meant more RECORDING, as the police would naturally obey.
As the changes went on and the public stood back wondering WTH where was the voice of dissent and informed comment from "outsiders" for example the Police Foundation? There were occasional reports and murmurs, I cannot recall any having an impact.
FM its all so deprezzing. Policing is imho irretrievably broken. The Huns have scaled the gates, taken the walls,the Legions have left and chaos has come to reign. Even if and when this awful government is consigned to the wrath of the electorate do i hold out any hope. Labour love EDI. They are inherently ideologically incapable of seeing any viable alternative. So dont expect the Stalinist like purges to cease, the Iopc is here to stay comradez. The moral certainity of ezpirit de corps is gone. Forever. Like the Connaught Regt or Bengal Horse. Lost in the oblivion of history. The Party is right. Once, forever and always. The Commissars hold Court now as the city burns outside their doors. PSD/DPS/IOPC will continue to ravage through policing like a virulent contagion, shredding its host as it goes, leaving just enough so it too doeznt die. Retention will worsen as more and more realise the futility of it all and recruitment plummet. Solutions exist but are like legalising incest and euthenasia. Unthinkable.
At first I thought you’d lost the plot and were resorting to the American MAGA style conspiracy of everything. BUT you go on to draw all of the disparate pieces together. Well written and extremely credible piece. From my vantage point as an ex Met DS, retiring after 31 yrs in 2012, to now working within a small force, I see the Blob daily. The blob won’t be swayed from NPCC diktat. What’s worse is that they espouse evidence based policing as their rationale but can never actually produce the evidence to support this. Nor will they listen to anything that might conceivably challenge their norm. Keep up the great work Dominic.
Nope, I'm not a big fan of conspiracies, unless they're in movies or books!
The truth is usually more mundane. The Blob, as I describe, is an anti-conspiracy if anything.
Nailed it again. Well done.
The 'blob' just happened is my opinion. It grew organically over time. Lest we forget the Blair governments of the late 90's went big on 'New Public Management'. This basically held that everything could be measured, and if it could be measured it could be improved. Remember the madness around the drive to increase detection rates? The thing is a lot of people found they could have a nice career away from the inherently messy business of policing as well as meeting with like minded people across other sectors. My favourite piece of lunacy from my time on borough was when the police were asked to members of a group dealing with childhood obesity. We didn't participate but it shows how multi agency type work that has little to do with actual policing can take over whilst front line response, CID, neighbourhood policing etc suffers.
I'd also add force C to your comparative forces. This would have a character such as Hitchens or Mike Graham in charge, the rest of the command team would be radio commentators and newspaper columnists of all persuasions, this would add some 'creative tension' to the decision making process. The rest of the force would be provided by the BTL commentators from the Mail and the Guardian. They would have to operate under the same laws, policies and procedures that run in the real world. I can but dream.
Absolutely. I remember my ludicrously sinister 'Every Child Matters' training, which seemed designed to turn us into invasive, snitching, stasi every time we knocked on a member of the public's door. Some creature at Marsham Street probably got promoted twice for that one.
I am also going to add 24 hour style Big Brother / I'm a Celebrity style CCTV to Force 'C' because I think it would be the best telly ever.
Force C Polly Toynbee ACC ops? I mean the options are endless. I wouldn't want to live there mind.
Wonderful Dom. Sad but true. Please keep going, and get well soon.
Apt that you should use my old force Avon and Somerset in your example. It’s had its share of troubles as the scene of the first urban riot in 1980, repeated in Operation Delivery a few years later, a bad plan if I ever saw one.
But recently I have realised the rot has really set in. First the withdrawal from action when Colston the slaver’s statue was wrenched from its plinth and hurled into the Docks. Then the CC’s statement admitting institutional racism, followed by her decision to allow the documentary on the work of the PSD.
When the troops are being stabbed in the back by their own senior officers, is it any wonder that performance and morale are affected?
The Blob is alive and well.
Hi Ray, to be honest I simply looked at the stats and saw that those forces have almost identical officer numbers (circa 3.5k each). And knowing both areas a little, they both have a good mix of people and policing environments. Lancs has more larger towns spread out than A&S though, but it's still not a terrible comparison.
Good analysis once more Dom.
The arrival of the "Blob" took awhile to reach beyond MPS in my opinion, whether it was driven from within the MPS is a moot point. Personally I suspect it was driven from a curious mixture of No.10 Downing Street, SPADs, Home Office ministers, HM Treasury and their acolytes spinning around them. With a good dose of media spin.
I do recall on one of very few visits to Bramshill revealed "something was afoot". A day conference on youth crime where the ACPO lead gave his presentation. Perhaps he thought everyone was in the police, in fact half were head teachers. The teachers promptly demolished the ACPO speaker, who did not have the "ground truth" they had every day in person. He left quite swiftly when the break came.
Sometime later back at Bramshill for an external speaker panel an ACPO member commented on their class:. They are all Home Office "clones", not an ounce of originality, determination or leadership amongst them. 'the Times' had just published an editorial on police reform, he suggested they all sign a letter he had drafted, no-one would sign up. No letter was sent from the 'future leaders of the police'.
Now probably two years ago on another police commentary blogsite a rather determined police leader, if ruthless, who did reach temporarily an ACPO rank, was interviewed and revealed his view on the changes from a crime and fighting force to a social service. One key point was the massive increase in mental health calls and resourcing. No-one had ever asked for this, it just happened and before you knew it was the No.1 call for resources.
The Home Office learnt the "way ahead" long before "The Blob" took power was to ensure any changes to policing meant more RECORDING, as the police would naturally obey.
As the changes went on and the public stood back wondering WTH where was the voice of dissent and informed comment from "outsiders" for example the Police Foundation? There were occasional reports and murmurs, I cannot recall any having an impact.
Sad.
FM its all so deprezzing. Policing is imho irretrievably broken. The Huns have scaled the gates, taken the walls,the Legions have left and chaos has come to reign. Even if and when this awful government is consigned to the wrath of the electorate do i hold out any hope. Labour love EDI. They are inherently ideologically incapable of seeing any viable alternative. So dont expect the Stalinist like purges to cease, the Iopc is here to stay comradez. The moral certainity of ezpirit de corps is gone. Forever. Like the Connaught Regt or Bengal Horse. Lost in the oblivion of history. The Party is right. Once, forever and always. The Commissars hold Court now as the city burns outside their doors. PSD/DPS/IOPC will continue to ravage through policing like a virulent contagion, shredding its host as it goes, leaving just enough so it too doeznt die. Retention will worsen as more and more realise the futility of it all and recruitment plummet. Solutions exist but are like legalising incest and euthenasia. Unthinkable.
Great piece Dom. Get well soon.