UK Police

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runboy

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I just wanted the opinion of a good bunch of guys with no doubt a broad range of experience of life.

Last Saturday night an illegal rave (illegal in the eyes of the law) took place in my city. An empty warehouse on a occupied trading estate was broken into and a large number of people turned up to dance etc. The police were called and decided to break up the rave as:

1. They had to as it was breaking the law (ok, didn’t have to, but you can’t really allow them to get away with it again)
2. They were concerned for the safety as two large generators had been running in an unventilated room for many hours and there was a health/safety/fire issue

So the police enter the building to be met by a mixture of ‘sorry old chap, I will leave now’ through to ‘have some of this copper, I will barricade myself in and start problems’

The police on meeting this violence and disorder resort to CS spray and batons to break up the rave and prevent harm to themselves.

Our local newspaper has an active forum and this incident has met with 99.9% hatred towards the local police. One or two people claiming to have been at the rave, doing nothing wrong of course, have said there was no struggle or violence shown by the ravers and only aggression by the police. Some of the postings have been very negative towards the police.

There are lots and lots of things that can go into the melting pot in a scenario like this, but does everyone stop sending their kids to school because a few teachers have been convicted of bad things, or do we stop going to any health practice because a surgeon messed up?

What are peoples honest opinions of the police in the UK (or Europe as well).

Cheers guys.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
I agree, great job in difficult circumstances - but I am biased, my father retired in 1983 as an inspector with 32 years service.

On the rave, what would have happened if there had been a fire, no marked fire exits (most probably locked), no fire extinguishers, no poper lighting etc etc. All the measures put in place at licenced premises (you need a license for music) to protect the public have been omitted.

Remember that these are not impromptu gatherings but organised events where someone makes a great deal of money with none of the "taxes" society has deemed appropriate for these events being paid. i.e. they are sponging off the rest of us!

Ian

2002 1.4 Petrol SE, silver with climate control.
Why are NEARLY all the A2s in Lichfield silver ? ? ?
 
Erm, a catch 22 situ I feel. If the police leave them to continue, the local community complain, attack the police for not doing anything, and as mentioned above, leave a massive list of safety issues to raise and cause further problems.

Despite this, if so many people want to take part in raves I myself cant see a problem with organised 'dance events', and cant understand why they dont keep it legal and make a fortune at the same time even with paying the relevant taxes. Of course, as long as the locals are happy. (they are the ones who would have to put up with it)

The 'violence' used by officers would have been very interesting to have seen. Why would they put their jobs on the line to break up a group of people 'innocently dancing?' I know these days with CCTV everywhere, independant witnesses prepared to stand up in court against me, I would NEVER consider assaulting someone without full jusification for my actions and would honestly try to restrain an offender before using CS or batons. CS is nasty stuff (I should know). We have all heard stories from yester-year where the local bobby has clipped someone round the ear for a but of cheek. But those days have definatley gone.

Can you guess my day job yet? ;)

Neil Howells
A2 1.4 SE - Atlantic Blue
Symphony Radio, Electronic A/C
 
It is a difficult call. The forum I am refering to stands at 111 posts in a few days and the vast mojority are coming out on the side of the ravers. In a nutshell, a few of the attendees have posted saying they were victims, done nothing wrong and the police treated them like animals. Of course the police are not going to enter into posting on a forum to defend themselves so I do feel people are jumping on a bandwagon. But I am amazed at how quickly people have turned against the police.

In this day and age, a police officer has to be solely responsible for their actions. If a sargent tells an officer to take the cuffs off a prisoner, the officer can quite rightly say no. The officer is has just dealt with the prisoner so knows what he is like. There were many, many police at this rave, plus TV cameras. There is no way an inspector would have just shouted 'in you go' and the officers would have run in like a mob hell bent on harm. They are all entitled to say no if a plan is dangerous-it is their lives on the line too.

Hours of training goes into defence tactics for the police, with lots of theory which you have to be able to demonstrate in court. As Neil says it is not like the good old days of a clip round the ear.

And I'm with Neil, but I only do his job part-time!

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Same here - side with the police.

Sure I winge about them when my shed gets broken into or my car gets nicked and I just KNOW that there isn't the faintest chance that anything will come of it. But that is down to the admin & paperwork involved. I blame the governments - this one even more so than the last lot.

I admire police on the streets for the job they do and the cr@p they have to put up with most nights of the week. Most town centres are like war-zones on a Friday or Saturday night nowadays and I wouldn't want to be the one to wade in there to break up a fight.
When you see the adverts on the TV - with Lennox Lewis, Patsy Palmer etc - asking 'Could You', I don't think I could.

That is where the police force started to go down - when they lost the right to dish out a clip round the ear & nip young arrogance in the bud.

Don't drink drive! Not only is it socially unaceptable, it also harms A2's.
Was a 1.4SE petrol. http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk14.htm http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/safety.htm
New A2 - Ebony Black, Red Leather, CC, Symphony + all the previous options we had.
 
quote:Originally posted by Rob Earl

When you see the adverts on the TV - with Lennox Lewis, Patsy Palmer etc - asking 'Could You', I don't think I could.
Click to expand...

Same here Rob - I couldn't either; hence full respect to the police for their patience

Kaine

P.S. Before anyone replies, yes I know there always some bad apples in every basket, but as a whole I believe the police should be applauded for their patience approach to the Fri/Sat night drunken fools
 
My father was police inspector, he would not have a word said against the police--until his house was broken into!! Absolutely no action or interest taken. He was not amused.
Please remind me what a policeman looks like 'cos I don't go ravin' or rioting on Saturday nights.
Yes I'm 100% behind the police, in spite of considerable indifference shown on any problem I have raised. I'm still a member of the Met Police Sports and Social club, so they can't be that bad.
 
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