Police, you’re doing it wrong

In the aftermath of the London riots, many people are questioning the Metropolitan Police Services handling of the riots. Most seem to feel that the police were too timid and should of been more proactive in their dealing with the rioters. This is just the latest incident where arm chair critics are judging the police's actions, in situations they themselves have never experienced. The lambasting of the police can be traced back to the Macpherson report of 1999 which dubbed the police as "institutionally racist". Along with this damning verdict we had 10 years of the "soft on crime" Labour government, who routinely allowed judges to give even the most serious criminals, light sentences. As if that wasn't enough we have the Human Rights Act which every criminal and morally dubious lawyer in the land uses for the benefit of the criminal. For years because of this the police were terrified that no matter what they did, they would get sued.

Another example of arm chair critics getting involved is one which many British readers who follow the news will of at least heard of, that of the travellers at Dale Farm. For those unfamiliar with this, a quick recap is in order. A group of some 80 traveller families moved into Dale Farm about 10 years ago. This is a Metropolitan Green Belt area, which by UK law, has strict planning procedures regarding its development. After years of legal wrangling the case finally came before the High Court, with one resident seeking an injunction against the eviction on medical grounds. Long story short they lost the case and the eviction has been given the go ahead. Some still cling to the hope of a peaceful resolution, but most are saying that if Basildon Council and the police try to forcibly evict them, they will "put up a fight". Supporters of the travellers are making claims that "lives will be ruined" and a "whole community will be destroyed". Okay let me first off be absolutely clear, I respect the travellers right to choose a nomadic lifestyle, I personally do not hold any prejudice against the traveller community, but I have to ask, are they insane? They chose to live in this country; basic common decency dictates that if they want to live in this country, they must obey its laws. They move into Dale Farm illegally, it is the largest unauthorised traveller’s site in the country. They appealed to an appointed state court against their eviction, they lost the appeal, and they can't now choose to ignore the court's ruling simply because it wasn't the one they wanted. Why should they be given special dispensation to flout this country's laws, especially when, as the local law-abiding residents all agree their presence is a nightmare, causing all kinds of petty crime and anti-social behaviour. Perhaps worst of all, their misguided defiance is acting as a beacon to every anarchist, troublemaker and thug in the country, they are essentially saying "if you want to fight the police, come here". I can absolutely guarantee that if it comes to a pitched confrontation where they have to be forcibly evicted by the police. If even one of them, likely after hurling bricks, petrol bombs and generally resisting in every way possible, is even slightly injured, they cry out in the loudest voice possible to all and sundry about "police brutality". If the "victim" happens to be a member of an ethnic minority all the better, they can then play the racism card, branding the police as racist thugs in uniform.

Here's an additional recent example of people forcing the authorities hand, then decrying the outcome. The incident in question occurred in Barrow in Furness, after about an hour of hearing shouting, screaming, and allegedly items being smashed, police were called to a disturbance at an , allegedly, steroid using body builders bedsit. The suspect was arrested but became increasingly agitated and refused to calm down, naturally in the presence of a heavily muscled angry individual the police would have been concerned for their safety so they pepper sprayed and tasered the individual. This however seemed to only further anger the individual who got right back up, so the police tasered him twice more, before rushing him to the hospital where he unfortunately passed away. The death of an individual is almost always a tragic event, where the stupidity lies is in people's reaction to his death. Most people seem to be depicting the individual as a gentle saint who would never have harmed a hair on anyone's body, who was brutally murdered by trigger happy police. It seems the police just can't win, on this occasion they've been labelled as too heavy handed and trigger happy, yet shortly before, during the London riots, they were labelled as too timid and soft. People don't seem to grasp that officers don't go into work expecting to be severely injured or god forbid even killed. It is not possible for officers to peruse an individual's complete medical history and psychological profile before deciding whether or not to use force. They have to evaluate the situation and make a decision there and then. They often don't have the luxury of considering every possibility before making a decision. I bet if the bodybuilder had injured several of the officers, those same people decrying the police as to heavy handed, would be lambasting the police as being too soft and saying they should have acted sooner.

It would appear whatever the police do is wrong. However they act in a situation, there will always be some critics, likely individuals who never have or will be in a similar situation, who criticise them. Despite what the media and critics would have us believe, not all police are racist thugs who delight in taking every opportunity possible to harm people. Nor are they timid little cowards who are too afraid to intervene and stop criminal behaviour. They are ordinary men and women, mothers, fathers, aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters just trying to do a job to the best of their ability in often extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I'm not saying the police should be left completely without oversight, as with any organisation there will be some exceptions to the norm and they need to be dealt with appropriately. But maybe it's time we stopped using hindsight to tell the police what they should have done and just let them get on with their jobs?