Poll - Englands Best Riot Cops

[Dedworth]

Vote for who you consider deals with rioters & looters most effectively

I don't know much about the West Mids Force. GMP get stuck in with stick and boot whereas The Met seem to observe the carnage whilst considering Health & Safety and Human Rights implications.

[Tawi2]

I voted southern softies because they are the under-dog they were totally inefectual BUT i think they have better male grooming than those rough northern types

[bornatbirth]

do you want this to be deleted?

[Englishman2010]

The boys and girls in blue from Leicestershire get my vote, they prevented any serious damage in my city and provided regular updates on Facebook about how many scumbags they had arrested A job well done, and a good use of my Council Tax

[Dedworth]

do you want this to be deleted?

Why it's a valid survey concerning 3 of the most heavily populated areas of England which happened to be hit by rioting - I suppose I should have put Merseyside on there

[bornatbirth]

whats the point of it?, just another unless thread which is no help to any one

[grahamw48]

I voted Manchester because my nephew was sent there to help out.

[Dedworth]

whats the point of it?, just another unless thread which is no help to any one

I'm actually intending to sell the results to a national housebuilder as they will be able to use it in their marketing activities

- along the lines of "4 bed executive style detached house on gated brown field inner city development, huge nearby sink estate but our survey shows city is covered by Englands most effective Riot Squad. No need to cower inside when the bricks are flying on a balmy Saturday night, enjoy sitting on your decking safe in the knowledge that any would be petrol bombers are getting a taste of the nightstick"

[grahamw48]

Nice one Dedworth.

[Tawi2]

I voted Manchester because my nephew was sent there to help out.

Favouritism I vote your vote be struck off and added to the southern softies (Wont anyone vote for the met?).

[Englishman2010]

- I suppose I should have put Merseyside on there

They don't count, they should be the country's most practiced at dealing with thieves, robbers and looters given that it's part of everyday life in Liverpool

[Englishman2010]

Favouritism I vote your vote be struck off and added to the southern softies (Wont anyone vote for the met?).

I think the distance should be split and the vote given to Leicestershire

[bornatbirth]

I'm actually intending to sell the results to a national housebuilder as they will be able to use it in their marketing activities

- along the lines of "4 bed executive style detached house on gated brown field inner city development, huge nearby sink estate but our survey shows city is covered by Englands most effective Riot Squad. No need to cower inside when the bricks are flying on a balmy Saturday night, enjoy sitting on your decking safe in the knowledge that any would be petrol bombers are getting a taste of the nightstick"

you already blew your chance to put the bat into the scum and hide behind your pc srceen and your mantra is getting very boring.

[Dedworth]

Favouritism I vote your vote be struck off and added to the southern softies (Wont anyone vote for the met?).

The Softies are developing a negative image - almost as many Commissioners as Chelsea & QPR have had managers in the last 5 years, schmoozing with News International, auditioning for a new series of London's Burning etc. To cap it all their PR Supremo Dick Fedorcio (OBE no less) has been sent home on "extended leave" (read full pay plus ex's) to pen his defence. If you remember he squirmed recently before a Parliamentary Committee after smugly telling them he was responsible amongst a host of other vital tasks for "Marketing" the Met Police - one of the MP's retorted that he thought it was about time the Met got back to Policing rather than employing 50 PR characters - how prophetic that MP was

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...-16034886.html

[Dedworth]

you already blew your chance to put the bat into the scum and hide behind your pc srceen and your mantra is getting very boring.

The subject is filling about 90% of TV News broadcasts, Tawi's Tottenham thread has had nearly 5k views in 4 days. All fairly topical I'd have thought.

Off to watch Question Time now - you never know I might get wound up and put Slugger through my own (paid for) Flat Screen TV

[KeithD]

.... thieves, robbers and looters given that it's part of everyday life in Liverpool

You've just described the Liverpool police

[Dedworth]

You've just described the Liverpool police

5 of them are down at the Jolly Giro tonight

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...yside-14400790

Five officers from Merseyside Police's Matrix unit, which tackles gang crime, have been sacked for gross misconduct.

It comes after images of them "behaving inappropriately" during a search of a suspect's home came to light, a force spokeswoman said.

[les_taxi]

Manchester's over the southern softies everytime

[Arthur Little]

... results so far would seem to indicate GMP were quickest "on the draw" in quelling the riots on their patch, and I would venture to suggest that these are as good a reflection of public opinion as any.

[johncar54]

The Met has, to date, arrested around a thousand suspects now, out of 1,500 arrested UK wide.

To make an arrest at the scene of an incident takes at least two officers, who then are required to spend a couple hours processing the suspect. That means the police would need twice as many officers on duty as they had. Not practical in the real world.

Also to make an arrest after the event, usually means the evidence required to secure a conviction is more likely to be in place, it is considerably less confrontational and means less bystanders become involved.

[Englishman2010]

Also to make an arrest after the event, usually means the evidence required to secure a conviction is more likely to be in place, it is considerably less confrontational and means less bystanders become involved.

I can fully understand that John, and I'm sure there is some logic in it. However, in the meantime, peoples homes and livelihoods are destroyed as the Police watch. Quite rightly, they are very upset about this, and don't necessarily agree with that justification.

Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of stock has been looted from shops, most of which will never be recovered. Although it will be covered by insurance, ultimately, we all end up paying for it through higher insurance premiums in the future.

There is also the question of loss of earnings/profits for the businesses and employees who's shops have been destroyed while the police let the looters help themselves.

There isn't an easy answer to this, if the Met had gone in heavy handed to begin with, would it have made the situation worse? Hopefully lessons have been learned and the public will support the Police if they are more robust in future. Whatever comments others make, I have always supported our Police and always will, the Bobby on the street has a thankless and often dangerous job. The majority of Police I have met, are very good people and deserve full support and co-operation from the public, and we have to accept that sometimes they get it wrong. None of us are perfect

[johncar54]

I can fully understand that John, and I'm sure there is some logic in it. However, in the meantime, peoples homes and livelihoods are destroyed as the Police watch. Quite rightly, they are very upset about this, and don't necessarily agree with that justification.

Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of stock has been looted from shops, most of which will never be recovered. Although it will be covered by insurance, ultimately, we all end up paying for it through higher insurance premiums in the future.

There is also the question of loss of earnings/profits for the businesses and employees who's shops have been destroyed while the police let the looters help themselves.

There isn't an easy answer to this, if the Met had gone in heavy handed to begin with, would it have made the situation worse? Hopefully lessons have been learned and the public will support the Police if they are more robust in future. Whatever comments others make, I have always supported our Police and always will, the Bobby on the street has a thankless and often dangerous job. The majority of Police I have met, are very good people and deserve full support and co-operation from the public, and we have to accept that sometimes they get it wrong. None of us are perfect

Its a fair point of view, but the problem with suggesting what might have been done, if one has no personal professional knowledge of policing, can never be more than gut reactions, usually based on often unreliable press/media reports. TV footage, which as been edited carefully, can give the impression the editor wants, rather than the true picture.

And, e.g. saying the public might/would support the police if they were heavy-handed. If the police overstep the legal mark they will end up in court, or at the least disciplined, public support will not affect that. Only a change in the law.

And most police officer do not want the legal power to beat people up. Just as most do not want to be armed.

Traditionally UK police, police by consent, thus they want and need public support and understanding, being heavy.handed does not promote that as inevitably innocent people will get caught up in it..

[Dedworth]

I can fully understand that John, and I'm sure there is some logic in it. However, in the meantime, peoples homes and livelihoods are destroyed as the Police watch. Quite rightly, they are very upset about this, and don't necessarily agree with that justification.

Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of stock has been looted from shops, most of which will never be recovered. Although it will be covered by insurance, ultimately, we all end up paying for it through higher insurance premiums in the future.

There is also the question of loss of earnings/profits for the businesses and employees who's shops have been destroyed while the police let the looters help themselves.

There isn't an easy answer to this, if the Met had gone in heavy handed to begin with, would it have made the situation worse? Hopefully lessons have been learned and the public will support the Police if they are more robust in future. Whatever comments others make, I have always supported our Police and always will, the Bobby on the street has a thankless and often dangerous job. The majority of Police I have met, are very good people and deserve full support and co-operation from the public, and we have to accept that sometimes they get it wrong. None of us are perfect

As was said on Question Time last night by former senior officer B Paddick the Met is rudderless at the top at present and senior officers made the catastrophic error of treating the whole thing as a Public Order matter rather than hordes of rampaging criminals.

Since 1997 when Labour took office the Met's higher echelons have been riddled with politically correct, time serving apparatchiks who instead of maintaining law and order are solely concerned with statistics/targets, their image, human rights, health and safety along with where the next free lunch is coming from.

For the ordinary copper who wants to do his job, catch criminals and protect the public it must be a frustrating organisation to work for. I still think the job for life, early retirement and fat taxpayer funded pension aspects need reviewing

[johncar54]

As was said on Question Time last night by former senior officer B Paddick the Met is rudderless at the top at present and senior officers made the catastrophic error of treating the whole thing as a Public Order matter rather than hordes of rampaging criminals.

Since 1997 when Labour took office the Met's higher echelons have been riddled with politically correct, time serving apparatchiks who instead of maintaining law and order are solely concerned with statistics/targets, their image, human rights, health and safety along with where the next free lunch is coming from.

For the ordinary copper who wants to do his job, catch criminals and protect the public it must be a frustrating organisation to work for. I still think the job for life, early retirement and fat taxpayer funded pension aspects need reviewing

Brian Leonard Paddick (born 24 April 1958) is a British politician, and was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the London mayoral election, 2008, coming third behind Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone. He was, until his retirement in May 2007, Deputy Assistant Commissioner in London's Metropolitan Police Service and the United Kingdom's most senior openly gay police office


I didn't know Paddick as a colleague but from listening to his views I really don't see him as a typical copper, even if may have been at some time in his service (and he did leave 'under a cloud' having said police should ignore people using canabis).

He is now a politician. (He came third behind Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone, with 9.8% of first preference votes).

Forgive me for believing that what he says is more likely to be aimed at potential supporters than to be his true thoughts.

[Dedworth]

Brian Leonard Paddick (born 24 April 1958) is a British politician, and was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the London mayoral election, 2008, coming third behind Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone. He was, until his retirement in May 2007, Deputy Assistant Commissioner in London's Metropolitan Police Service and the United Kingdom's most senior openly gay police office


I didn't know Paddick as a colleague but from listening to his views I really don't see him as a typical copper, even if may have been at some time in his service (and he did leave 'under a cloud' having said police should ignore people using canabis).

He is now a politician. (He came third behind Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone, with 9.8% of first preference votes).

Forgive me for believing that what he says is more likely to be aimed at potential supporters than to be his true thoughts.

You could be right - I thought he came over with some valid points last night. But having only left a few years ago he's of a similar ilk to a fair few seniors still at the school - remember their former Head Boy "Sir" Ian Blair who's stock reply when his namesake Headmaster said "jump" was "how high"

[johncar54]

An interesting thing (to me) : -

I have noticed they are treating, at least Tottenham High Street, as a Crime Scene. That was one of the things I pointed out following the riots on the Broadwater Farm in 1985.

On that occasion the uniform branch got the road sweepers and bin men in ASAP who very efficiently cleared up all the potential evidence which we, as detectives, would have preserved and would have resulted in more arrests than the just over 300, which we made in the days following the incident. Nice to know someone listened to something I said !

[Dedworth]

An interesting thing (to me) : -

I have noticed they are treating, at least Tottenham High Street, as a Crime Scene. That was one of the things I pointed out following the riots on the Broadwater Farm in 1985.

On that occasion the uniform branch got the road sweepers and bin men in ASAP who very efficiently cleared up all the potential evidence which we, as detectives, would have preserved and would have resulted in more arrests than the just over 300, which we made in the days following the incident. Nice to know someone listened to something I said !

It is interesting and after 25 years they've listened !. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that the reason (possible crime scene) why serious and fatal road crashes don't get cleared away quickly ?

[johncar54]

Yep, That's why every crime scene SHOULD be preserved, but not all cops, even if called CID are detectives. That is part of what is wrong with the police service. Too many jacks of all trades and very few professionals.

At bomb scenes for example, even the roof tops get swept up and forensically examined. Maybe 7 or more skip loads. Even the smallest clue can solve a crime, and missing it can foul it all up. (Poor little Maddie McCann is the proof of that)

[worthingmale]

we should have brought over the Polish police, they would have got stuck in and not taken any sh*t

[Englishman2010]

we should have brought over the Polish police, they would have got stuck in and not taken any sh*t

Most of them are here already......working as plumbers, electricians, plasterers and carpenters now