I was recently asked by a local councillor what I thought about the level of police numbers and what benefit I thought would come from increasing them.
Having lived in my very quiet street for the past 23 years and only having ever seen four police constables there (two of which once came to arrest me!! – It was a case of someone having used my name/address from the electoral role – another post perhaps?) I can safely say that I would probably not notice any difference. That is not to say that I don’t think that there should be more police on the streets of the UK.
Clearly, more police are required to deal with the increasing number of violent attacks on innocent people, gun grime has got completely out of hand and drugs continue to be a seemingly unsolvable problem, just to name three problem areas.
However, more motorists are being prosecuted for various offences and more and more minor offences seem to be making the headlines.
Here, Simon Heffer of the Times reports on an incident in Kent, where it seems they do have more police officers and are very available to harass and arrest 81 year old pensioners for driving too slow at night!
Yes, I do want more police on the streets of the UK, but I think the people in charge (you know the ones that sit behind the desks) have to make sure that they new police recruits are properly trained and fit for the job, not just target achieving bully’s!
Perhaps it’s not all the Kent Polices fault; looking at this quote from from the presiding Magistrate Angela Howe..
“We believe Mr Gibson is a man of good character, but in finding himself in this unusual situation he let his temper get the better of him and acted out of character.”
I do hope that Magistrate Angela Howe never finds herself in a future unusual situation and manages to not get over heated!
Beasley's Place 