Bigpower

I am trying to be objective about this report, looking beyond the headlines and hype. If you're willing to read the LONG text below, you might want to get a brew first!
I am deeply saddened by this, as some will support it not knowing of the details or the consequences. Some will think it is long overdue, and that the Police enjoy an over-inflated pension at an early age.
There will be reasons for and against both sides of the argument, and while I would never hope to sway anyone, it would be nice to have a fair open debate on it, and not be subject of mis-leading type in the press.
I've been lucky compared to some. I enjoy what I do largely, focusing on supporting victims and those intimidated by threats and fear of violence.
I have never forgotten why I joined 21 years ago. I go to work to make a difference to the people affected by those in the community who don't play nicely with others.
I will concede my pay is reasonable, some would say generous. The pension seems very good too. There is a flip side though.
I take physical risks every time I deal with those subject of our attention. Gone are the days of a code, whereby most people would nt hit a copper.
I've been bitten on more than one occassion, had people attack me with knives on three occassions, been threatened with a firearm, hit by cars whilst drivers tried to get away, been pushed off walls. I've had bricks and bottles thrown at me, been told that in the event of deploying to a chemical incident that I will be poisoned but medicine will be available at the scene, and had more people die in my hands than I care to remember. I've been to admitted to hospital four times for bite injuries, stitches, smoke poisoning and head injuries after assault. I have to declare HIV tests (due to the bites) to health insurance and suffer increased premiums because of it.

I have to be careful who we tell about my job (Nothing kills a conversation like admitting to being 5-0 )
My children are exposed to bullying and rejection because "Daddies a pig"
I have been followed home more than once by those intending me and mine harm.

My career is subjected to decreased wages, and increased pension contributions (I now pay around

It is worth adding, for clarity if nothing else, that the proposal is that at the stroke of a pen, even though my thirty years are up when I'm forty eight, I won't get a bean till I'm sixty. Moving the goalposts twelve years overnight. That's why people are pissed, and because we cannot impose any action like Ambulance, Brigade etc, we have to accept it or leave. What the government call a win win situation!

The police have a bad enough rep by the public about there not being enough, not doing enough etc etc.
If this leads to a further reduction then surely it will make things worse, there weren't enough to deal with the rioting last year and I fear it won't take a lot for that to get kick started all over again. I would guess that the older coppers are the more experienced ones anyway so losing that knowledge/experience can only be a bad thing.
Sorry to hear this mate and I can understand your frustration.

Also I experienced something ludicrous a few weeks ago with the ambulance / hospital staff. Basically when the ambulance brings someone in they take them to the A&E assessment place whereby they wait for someone in the hospital to assess them and book them in. They cannot leave until this happens. Our ambulance driver was there for over 2 hours waiting for the hospital to book my dad in, the hospital staff seemed to spend more time wandering round talking to each other than actually assessing people. Plus I counted another 7 (yep 7) ambulance crews waiting too for similar lengths of time. Imagine the amount of calls they haven't responded to because they were sitting around in the hospital waiting for the patients to be booked in. Astonishing really and now when I hear the 'ambulance crews don't respond quick enough' I know it isn't the fault of them but the hospitals.

I heard about the fitness testing and thought half arsed idea. Yes i feel that front line officers need to have a certain level of fitness but it needs to be something started with new recruits and not someone 12+ years into their service. Even then you can't expect a 40 yr old to be as fit as a 20 yr old.
If this is going to form a part of their terms and conditions then surely they must provide the time and access to facilities to do this.

My brother has been in the job for 25 years and in all that time you never get use to it fully and as time has passed it's worse. Everytime i hear about an officer getting stabbed or shot my ears prick up. So don't tell me they are over paid.

We live in a P.C. society where the police are damned if they do and damned if they don't. The recent riots, for example. All you hear is the police were slow to respond, the police didn't have enough officers, the police just stood there and did nothing.

Solution........Cut back the number of officers......Am I missing something here!!
They take the other option and wade into the crowd to break them up and get accused of police brutality and heavy handed tactics.

You send 50 officers to an area of public dissorder but they cant make any arrest, why? They're undermanned and any arrests will tie up the officers with bullshit paperwork for the next 4hrs.

I really do feel your frustration.

The problem is the people who make the decisions either have never experienced a 'normal' life or remember what it's actually like to have to balance your income against your future position plus if they're a bit short, they just fiddle their expense's .. move some drug dealing thugs into the house next door and see how quickly they invest in the police force .... I don't think they get much trouble living in their 400 acre homes or gated communities ... damn Cameron gets 3 body guards on his little morning job, like he's going to be mugged by a cracked up junkie.

Rob, I can sympathise and empathise with your position having recently retired on health grounds from a senior management position in Local Government I fear for the younger element of my ex-colleagues who whilst not expected to demonstrate a standard of fitness do face an uncertain future a vastly increased work load and ever upward spiralling responsibilities much of which is statutory.

Our roles may have been somewhat different but I was often called upon as Major Incident Manager to work with the Police Force during Major Incidents both at street level and with senior officers, this freed me from getting involved with individuals who were often very hostile to the incident and enabled me and my colleagues to focus on making safe and resolving the incident.

More than that I cant say but I think that in both cases we have a situation being forced upon a section of society that has become the brunt of anti-public opinion for all the wrong reason based on ill informed political whim.

Both our industries need a comprehensive review they are costly to operate, maintain and provide a future for it`s peoples but that review must be meaningful based on reason, appropriate risk assessment and predicted outcome across all factions of the services, something this current Government seem incapable of understanding.

My fear for the future is that we will have more and more of these “Knee Jerk” reviews coupled to misinformation to project the administrations view to a public that is ill informed and largely apathetic to the real situation.

I don’t think it unreasonable for anyone to be fit to carry out the duties for which they are employed but that is not to say that they should be summarily dismissed because they are not, according to a fitness test that may not be at all relevant this needs to be tempered with what are they employed to do as you point out.

Sadly the police do not always enjoy the best press, they are often perceived by the public to be officious, non human and even non existent.

Chief Constables need to be more aware of meeting local needs and if this means being rid of County Borders/responsibility then it should be considered.

Go on the offensive lobby hard fight to refresh the force not just let the political classes destroy a first class organisation by inappropriate directives and targets

Enough said

Now stop fucking about and scrap all speed cameras and deceitful camera vans and get back to meaningful policing

A truly horrendous position to be in Rob and I found your report/thoughts very interesting to say the least. I won't go into some of the similarities between our 'trades'; suffice to say that I feel some of your pain.

The bottle good Police show in their day to day jobs is incredible. Knowingly walking into dangerous situations undermanned, often unsupported and with all of the contractually agreed things being 'moved'? In the private sector that would be tantamount to breach of contract.

Chin up............time you went into private security, doubled your wage and get your employer to pay the

LOL, if it was nt for the wife and kids I'd be in Somalia earning

Group 4 (G4S)? More likely to be Serco It's exactly the same in the prison service. Harry's point about the increasingly typical 'knee-jerk' reactions to a whipped up public, stirred by a biased press (largely The Mail or The Guardian readers) is spot on. You think you have problems Rob; you try working for A4e

I was going to rant but this subject could fill a book , but as you mentioned Rob that less time spent in cars would mean more time on the beat and that must be a good thing . I remember a copper telling me that when he was in his patrol car it was like being in a crime free bubble and only relying on the radio and what was in his field of view . The police must be able to spend more time doing their job at street level and the government stop trying to micro manage everything , look how political interference has ruined the education system . Pete:Chevy_anim: