On the whole I think they have an extremely hard job to do, with so much red-tape etc going on, their hands are tied most of the time.

For example - recently we have been having a group of around 20 or so youths hanging around in our vicinity. They are a mixed group of boys and girls and are probably in the age-range of say about 14/15. There are 3 or 4 of them who ride their cycles without any lights or helmets. They occassionally have a football that they kick off the cars as they go up our street. They have bent car ariels, taken off car wing mirrors, thrown stones at the windows in the flats, peed in doorways and have tried to gain access to some of the flats. On some occassions they have bottles of alcohol that they swig as they go along.

On Saturday night we were returning from a party around 9ish and as we turned into the street, we saw this crowd hanging on the corner, standing in the middle of the road, in fact one of them on the bike appeared from nowhere and Mr B had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him. As it was late we didn't get parked outside the house. We parked at the top of our street and walked down, all the time these young guys were shouting to each other usually every second word being effing or bluddy or B&***&^. There was mention of rolling joints and kicking someone's head in.

I phoned the police when we got in and was put through to a police officer. As I was put through to him a police car did appear in the street and attended to one of the main-door flats across the road where the youths had been hanging out. My conversation with the policeman went along the lines of "what do you want us to do"? He asked me if I there was a neighbourhood watch scheme set up, to which I replied we had received and sent off forms but had nothing back from the police. He basically told me that a police car was there and that was all they were going to do about it. I made the point that we almost run over the guy on the bike and dreaded to think what would have happened if we had, that there was alcohol involved and use of drugs & voilence had been mentioned and that they were underage. Also in our stair alone 2 bikes had been stolen and some other flats had their properties broken into. He seemed very unconcerned and told me that the switchboard was lighting up like a Christmas Tree and that some calls were more urgent and more important than a few youths hanging around. I was made to feel guilty for phoning, but when the policeman came round when Katie's bike was stolen we were told to report every kind of incident as that way a patrol car would be deemed necessary. Now, I like to think that I like in a fairly nice, well sought-after area but these situtations are becoming a nightly occurance.

Are we supposed to just let it happen? I understand that yes, there are more incidents that are more important, is it down to not enough coppers on the beat or is it a case of well, what can they do anyway? I mean these kids are only 14/15 and they are not concerned about the police at all!

I think they have a thankless task that is not aided by the amount of red tape they now have to cope with as a result of current government legislation.

I know a lot of Police and ex-Police through work and also socially, and I have to say that most of them are absolutely USELESS. The older ones that have been in the job a long time and want to do it properly are all just waiting for the day they can hang up their handcuffs and leave. They are hacked off with ridiculous policies concerning so called discrimination, strangulating red tape, the general atmosphere, the erosion of their powers, and most of all the new recruits. I hate to say it but these days getting in to the Police force is not an achievement - they'll take on virtually anybody. The training is nothing compared with what it used to be. From what I am told, the new recruits spend most of their time shagging each other and getting drunk, and generally are doing the job for all the wrong reasons.

I find when I work with them, I end up telling them how to report someone and how to write a statement. They also tend to be very unnecessarily aggressive with suspects and not terribly observant. It is absolutely ridiculous.

I don't really know any policemen, but I'm inclined to think that the Police probably do the best job they can in circumstances which often make it impossible for them to do anything at all. As others have mentioned, they often have their hand tied with massess of red tape, they are undermined by political correctness and are hampered by PR policies which are aimed not at good policing, but at the image of good policing,

They are understaffed, under funded, and are expected to take flak from the people they are trying to help on a daily basis. To top it all, their job is becoming increasingly dangerous - in some inner cities areas these days, a policeman's job is sometimes akin to that of a soldiers.

No wonder some of them are feeling disullisioned.

They do a necessary job which, if I'm honest, I wouldn't be prepared to do in a million years. I'm loathe to criticise them and sometimes get a bit peed off with people slagging off the police because its seen to be "trendy" to do so.

They do a necessary job which, if I'm honest, I wouldn't be prepared to do in a million years. I'm loathe to criticise them and sometimes get a bit peed off with people slagging off the police because its seen to be "trendy" to do so.

I'd agree with this totally Karen.

I'd agree with this totally Karen.

I wasn't slagging the police off personally, what I was getting at was the fact that there is so much red tape and when......or if a case comes to trial it usually falls apart because of a silly, minor detail! I agree I would not want to their job and if I am totally honest I do admire and respect them. Yes, there maybe some hanging around waiting for their pension not doing much, but isn't that the same in most jobs!

I think what is wrong is that we do expect the police to do something, I know I did on Saturday night, however I know deep down that there is not much they can do. Most kids who break the law, know exactly how to play it and know that they are "untouchable".

I do think it is sad that in most cases if the police were invovled and these kids taken home by them, then no doubt the police would get a mouthful from their parents. One occassion on a few streets from me, the young lads who were breaking the wing mirrors off phoned their parents on their mobiles phones to get them to come. A couple of the neighbours had grabbed the boys and were holding them until the police came. And instead of the parents being angry with the boys for wrecking the cars, they were effing and blinding at the men and the police for mishandling their "precious" children!

We do often see cases where the Police are seen in bad light, but the same could be said of Social workers. Both groups of workers do an excellent job but it is only the cases where it all goes horribly wrong that is highlighted.

I do feel that more should be done against the youth of today who show no respect to other people's property, but then has already been said the Police can't do much with current policies that are in place.

As I'm married to one I'd have to say they do a great job!

The trouble is that the police do their job but the rest of the justice system often lets the public down by reducing charges and handing out pathetic sentences that are just no deterrent. But I think the biggest problems are the lack of manpower and the overwhelming amount of form filling, red tape, beaurocracy, bah, blah bah. There are also too many do gooders around who are doing too much for the perpetrators and not even for the victims.

And I know what you mean about yobbery (or the baseball hat brigade!) Bella, it really is the scourge of modern day society and a problem that really needs tackling.

I think that from the age of 13 people should be shoved on an island somewhere until the age of about 21. 'Kevin Island' they could call it! (That's a joke btw)

I think that from the age of 13 people should be shoved on an island somewhere until the age of about 21. 'Kevin Island' they could call it! (That's a joke btw)

It might be a joke, but i think its a blummin good idea :ninja:

I hate the yobs of today. My car has recently been vandalised due to some scrote putting a screw driver in the tyre, and up the paintwork. Why ???? Just for kicks im sure.

There are two baseball capheaded boys who walk down our road, and i inveriably see them with a bottle of vodka swigging out of it. They then chuck their empy bottle in the street for dogs and cats to walk in. Why ????

Get them off the street for gowds sake before they do any real damage.

I think that from the age of 13 people should be shoved on an island somewhere until the age of about 21. 'Kevin Island' they could call it! (That's a joke btw)

Yeah, Max but it just might work!! :laugh: I think the young people today just expect too much. My nephew has gone back to school for 5th year and he is entitled to something like £30 a week! Anyway 3 days into the week he has spent the lot and then asks his mum for dinner money, she quite rightly refused! He had spent the money on CD's, DVD's and general rubbish. He was appalled that his mother was going to let him "starve", but I would have done the same!

Let's bring back boot camps but the thing is as well more & more girls are being involved with the yob culture. If I had been brought home by the police, my parents would have hung me out to dry!! :ohmy:

Btw Max, hats off to your hubby!

If I had been brought home by the police, my parents would have hung me out to dry!! :ohmy:

Btw Max, hats off to your hubby!

Me too, they would of dis-owned me :huh: I do wish sometimes that i lived in the 50's where men were couteous (sp) to women, and people respected one another.

Maybe i watch too many films, but it always seemed nicer, and gentler in the 50's.

I think on the whole they do a good job, sometimes in very difficult circumstances and it is not something I would like to do (although I did want to be a policewoman as a child).


I was brought up to respect the police and have brought my children up to do the same...... There are children in our road who have no respect for anything and are forever being brought home by the police, they don't care and their parents don't seem to either and I think is a big part of the problem.

Having been there myself and married one - I know that most do work their socks off and try to serve the public in the best way they can.

But I know from personal experience that the beaurocracy started soon after I joined - and it just escalated to beyond any managable control. Although neither are of us are serving officers, we have tons of very close friends who still are - and certainly up here the moral is lower than rock bottom. Yes, a lot are just moseying along till pension is up - and quite honestly I do not blame them one little bit.

They get absolutely no thanks for the job they do, they get ridiculed at street level, by the full spectrum of society, they constantly have to watch their backs from management level - there is nothing more unattactive than an overzealous backstabbing copper, and they get grief from Joe Public because they a] don't turn up in time [too much ground level work] or b] their hands are tied as far as dealing with street crime. [new initiatives ie beat crime {that doesn't actually get recorded}]. It is all pants - blame the Labour Government!!!!

So although I desperately want ot say they do a good job, I am not sure that they do. And this is not anything to do with the rank and file officer - no way hose - it is purely a management complaint. Give the rank and file the powers they used to have, give them the freedom to deal with scrotes like we used to, give them their honour back - and then I will answer YES they do a fabulous job. And while we are on the subject - give the sentances they used to, real and proper sentances, not your namby pamby community orders or suspended or conditional binding overs.

And yes whilst I am on a soap box - do bring back National Service or Boot Camps - teach these little scumbags some respect, manners and the meaning of hard work. Why should we all work hard for a living and then have some ignorant little bottom wipe come along and either damage it or steal it?? It just is not on - Blunkett tries so hard to be the hard man of crime - but IMO he is targetting the wrong people. HE is so keen to do down the prison and police services - why doesn't he get tough on sentances - why should someone get life and then serve 13 years - God I had acne that long - hardly a life sentance!!!

OOO I am as mad as pants now!!!!:mad: :ranting:

I wasn't slagging the police off personally, what I was getting at was the fact that there is so much red tape and when......or if a case comes to trial it usually falls apart because of a silly, minor detail!

Bella - I should have pointed out in my earlier post that I wasn't actually referring to anyone here when I said I get peed off with people slagging off the police because its "trendy". So I wasn't getting at you - or Ceridwen for that matter, who also criticised the police.

I was more referring to the people who have not personally had any bad experiences with our Police Force, but who will refer to them as "pigs" and slag them off for every little oversight because it is seen as "street" to do it.

Maybe i watch too many films, but it always seemed nicer, and gentler in the 50's.

I'm not so sure that things were better in the 'good old days'. Going back even further, my dad lived in Islington in the 1930s, then it was a far cry from the upmarket place it is today, he tells me policemen always patrolled in twos because it wasn't safe for them to go out alone, there was one incident where a lone policeman was coshed over the head and pushed down a manhole.

They get absolutely no thanks for the job they do, they get ridiculed at street level, by the full spectrum of society, they constantly have to watch their backs from management level - ...
(insert relevant 'without wishing to cause offence' type comment here)...sorry, but that's exactly the "worthy" attitude that I find really annoying amongst police officers - that feeling that they are deserving of some special position and honour in society for doing the job that they applied for, and get paid for.

Do street cleaners and bin men have an easy time? Do they feel that society owes them a debt of thanks?

I do think the our police force does a good job on the whole, but is poorly managed. I dont, however. feel any more respect for a police officer than I do for anyone else who works hard at a job they chose, and who gets rewarded financially for doing that job.

Tell me someone who doesnt have to watch their backs at management level, to be fair ?

Tell me someone who doesnt have to watch their backs at management level, to be fair ?
Well I would like to think a great majority of occupations do not have to 'cover their backs' at every given opportunity.

My husband was a Det Sgt for 25 years, he took less than 10 days sick in that time, he worked countless unpaid overtime - because he was aloyal and extremely conciensious officer. He gave more of himself to his colleagues, management and the people he served than he ever did to his family. The minute he was traumatised and severely injured 'on-duty' - he was forgotten, ill treated by management and left to fend for himself.

He is just one of thousands who have been in similar positions.

So no - they get no thanks!!

But what profession does? I'm sure that situations similar to your husband's have happened in many other walks of life, with the same lack of care from their employers.

My point was that why would police officers be any more worthy of gratitude than any other community-based profession?

My point was that why would police officers be any more worthy of gratitude than any other community-based profession?
Well I dont' think they have to be thanked or appreciated more than any other job, career or profession. But they get slagged off by every spectrum of society and they still get it from the people they work for.

Now on the other hand look at Nurses or Firemen or Teachers or Doctors - they have targets to keep, they have to put up with cack at work from punters or management - BUT THE PUBLIC LOVE THEM. Universally - nurses, doctors or teachers cannot do wrong - they are deemed loving and caring and the public love them. SAdly the police do not fall into that catagory.

I think that may be down to salary Flip, the commonly held comception is that teachers, nurses and firemen are all poorly paid in relation to the ****-factor of their jobs (not including doctors here deliberately - I think doctors are regarded as god-like in most cultures, possibly stemming from the witch-doctor mentality - totally different topic for discussion).


Police officers, on the other hand, are believed to be reasonably rewarded financially, with good career propsects and lucrative overtime opportunites. I've no idea if that still is the case, but that's how I read popular opinion.