Police Union Whinging - Shock

The Police Federation, the militant Union for rank and file police officers is moaning again. It is of course the Union role and the PolFed are particularly keen to uphold tradition.

Due to continuing large scale cuts they now warn that the ordinary 'bobby on the beat' may soon disappear. There simply won't be the resources. Sounds scary and reasonable, since we are emerged in 'austerity' whilst trying to recover from having had a Labour government.

Except, whilst budgets have undoubtedly been squeezed it is not the government, but rather the senior police officers who decide where the cuts will take effect. Perks and plush offices may remain immune, but stuff you will notice and support their whining about very definitely will be cut.

So, their actual job and your safety matter not a jot when politics is in play. Curious is it not that the Union of the ordinary police does not blame the bosses?  They would in the corporate world. But generally, the Union and the Chief Constables are on the same page; government bashing.

When did you hear anything positive from the PolFed? When did you hear suggestions about how to police effectively, or models for reform? Never. If we sat down and said 'what pressures do the police currently face?' how do modern criminals differ from the past? and what would be the most effective way to deter that, we could then go on to cost it.

It would also require the police to understand what they exist for (clue; it isn't social work and it isn't political correctness). Once that idea had been reinserted into the most senior ranks we could then quickly establish techniques and how technology may be able to assist. You get the idea; a big rolling programme to re-evaluate how we approach policing, to produce what results and at what cost.

Currently we have leadership that is ideologically adrift, muddle headed and inept. All planning starts with what size and style the new police headquarters should take, the colour of leather for the chairs, when would a new computer system be available and how many iPads does each officer above Superintendent need? With interruptions to consider a press release complaining about something.

Oh and planning the line to take at the latest enquiry into something they haven't been able to keep hidden any longer. It all makes the few police who still do a good job very expensive indeed.