Tuesday 14 September 2010

Police on TV

I have watched a couple of programmes following police, on BBC1 recently. Fantastic! I got bored of the genre a while back and the old repeats only make it worse, but these rekindled my interest. The first one I saw was instructive and the second was hilarious, what more can you ask for in television entertainment?

So, a couple of weeks ago I came across the first of these two whilst channel hopping. I wasn't really paying attention but was then drawn into focusing on it more. A black officer was on foot (with others) walking amongst people filling the streets outside pubs and clubs. It seemed fairly quiet. Someone it seems made an ill-considered comment, as I believe the inebriated are prone to do. The black officer leaped into action pinning a man to the wall. He had heard a racist comment and as the voiceover helpfully said 'if there is one thing the police won't tolerate it is racist comments'. The man's girlfriend, a few feet away noticed what was going on on and started questioning the officers in a fairly direct and robust manner. I got the impression she had been drinking. The black officer confronted her to 'explain' about her boyfriend's actions and 'advise' her on hers. He did this by standing very close to her, leaning into her and pointing his finger at her. Strangely, she objected to this invasion of her personal space and put her hand onto the officers chest to keep his distance. Naturally, this led him to grab her and inform her she was under arrest, 'section 5 public order' or it may even have been assault on police. Either way, a situation he created had led to her arrest.

Later, in the same programme, another officer, white, saw a man arguing with a girl as they drove past. They stopped to check she was OK. The girl confirmed it was just a stupid argument. She seemed fine, the lad, sitting on an anti-crash barrier around a supermarket, was obviously fairly pissed. As the officers turned to go, the lad said something. The officer thought he had told him to go away, but using more colourful language. The girl immediately said he had been talking to her but the officer wasn't having it. The lad then objected to being filmed, 'you haven't obtained my permission' he said. Interestingly, the officer said that as the man was in a public place, they didn't have to. Now why do the police keep taking cameras off photographers in the street? Anyway, the lad is now acting up and swearing and (Mr voiceover again) 'if there is one thing the police won't tolerate, it is bad language'. At one point in this episode, the other officer had tried to get his colleague to walk away, but was unsuccessful. The man was arrested. Cue smug grin from the arresting officer. By the time the lad gets to the nick, he is passive and acting confused, which brings a patronising comment from the narration. Once in a cell awaiting processing the lad is in tears saying he will lose his job, as he is a doctor. The voiceover jumps in here to say, 'it is extremely unlikely that the man will lose his job'. Perhaps this was said with a hint of embarrassment as well it might, as again the situation had been inflamed by the actions of the officer. It was played as important to get him off the streets and yet now it has to be played down as not a serious crime.

These two incidents are representative of the arrogant and authoritarian nature of British police today. Police officers who appear to be completely ignorant of what their role in society actually is. And remember, the police were happy to have these incidents shown!

Last night we were in Wales, on board with a traffic officer of many years experience and a genial fellow he was too. Firstly we were treated to a car theft. A fellow officer had seen a stolen car and requested our man's help. Only a qualified officer can give pursuit you see and Control checked that the traffic officer was so certified. 'Yes, yes' he said, as they do and he took over the pursuit. It would at this juncture be pertinent to point out that the offender was being 'followed' not 'pursued' by the original police vehicle at 20mph. Lucky a traffic officer was available is all I can say. The stolen car then bizarrely mounted the pavement and crashed into a lamppost. What the hell, was all you could think. The dozy pillock who had stolen the car could barely form words, but he wasn't drunk. And the reason for his speed and the strange crash, was that the steering lock was still on!

Next our intrepid officer was shown pursuing a disqualified driver who had run off when seen driving. He was thought to be in his partners house, so with one kick of substantial plod's boot the door went flying. It really was impressive. Coming back to update the viewers the officer explained that the offender wasn't in there, but the back door was 'insecure'. He had probably dashed out that way. So, being round the back may a) have caught him and/or b) saved the front door. Obvious embarrassment was saved when a passing carpenter offered to put the door back up, what a piece of luck! Doors seem to feature large in the programme when 5 officers attend a house with a burglar believed inside. Three of them try kicking down the front door, having no effect. Out comes the official battering ram and that only leaves dents. So the police climb up to the upstairs window that the burglar probably used and get him that way. But then they can't open any doors and have to lower him out the window. Are they sure they were protecting the Health and Safety of a man in their custody, properly?!

Another house another door. A collection of officers in plain clothes spend ten minutes kicking a door before it gives way and then can't find their man. He must be in the loft. One officer bends over whilst a large colleague stands on his back to get up to the roof, through the loft hatch on the landing. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to realise you have to stay on the beams and puts a foot through the ceiling of a bedroom. Voiceover man then tells us that the other officers have now found 'the ladder the offender obviously used to get into the loft.' What and then somehow put it in a bedroom, afterwards? The ineptitude of the criminals seemed to be closely matched by that of the police, with the TV people joining in.

Joking aside though, these officers at least seemed to know and be known in the communities they policed and that was good to see. People were happy to give them information and it almost appeared we were in another era. The TV people were amused at the strange relationship and method of policing they saw. They seemed to think this was because it was a backward, rural Welsh police force.

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