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Folks Show your support for this project. I have read a short sample of the book on Amazon and it looks like an extremely interesting storyline, which you may find appealing. Thanks The Book is called "Big Fish Little Pond" and is under my author name A J Daniels. Available on Amazon it has the ISBN 9781478356189 Project Summary Big Fish Little Pond: Brought together by a government Cell as a result of serious crime the characters are passionate about issues at the heart of British society. The debates are supported with true historical research. Emotion and tragedy intensify with an ironic twist Authored by Mr A J Daniels Here is the entire Description on Amazon: Big Fish Little Pond is a fiction based crime novel with supporting historical research. The story is centred on a serious criminal event which brings together 5 prominent characters carefully selected by a British governmental intelligence cell who rigorously debate current social and topical issues in a week long project called Operation Chestnut which is set in a small town in Southern England. The issues they debate relate to crime and disorder, human rights, race and immigration, religion and economics. The group are formed as a Mini Cabinet, and each character is tasked with a debating point and must conclude with a Motion to be carried forward into mainstream society. The theme behind the book is an explosion at industrial premises which initially implicates the main subject who is a British born, mixed race West Indian male called Paul Grimshaw. Grimshaw has lived with his grandfather since childhood, following a turbulent start to his family life. The grandfather is a proud and dignified West Indian immigrant, and the book also explores prejudice and attitude in British life leading to an emotional conclusion. This exposes a poignant relevance to the selection of the 5 prominent characters for the Operation. As the book develops, the debates deepen and the personalities expose themselves with a meaningful summary from an independent representative of the town where the Operation takes place. The book features fact based current and historical research to support the debates and will be informative to the reader. Elements of this research expose subtle irony in social attitudes, and also reveal some painful but relevant facts about certain beliefs, still prevalent today. The Book is currently priced at £8.99 for the actual hard copy and about £3.90 for Kindle Version. From The Author: "I have already had a good number of people read from manuscript and pre published 'Proof copies' it and I am really pleased to say that the feedback has been genuinely extremely positive. I have asked people to be entirely honest (and this had included people in different professions including 2 Solicitors) and one said that she read it on holiday and.... "Couldn't put it down." As you can imagine I was extremely flattered and humbled by this. I must stress that this book is not Aimed at Police Officers however the debates are certainly thought provoking and emotive ( certainly without being contentious) which is something that Police Officers would identify with. Equally, the book very sensitively tackles the current criminal climate and penalty with arguments from all sides and even more carefully discusses the tragedy around the killing of our colleague Sharon Beshenivsky and the ironies around how the offender Mustaf Jama was able to flee the country and seek asylum in a country he claimed to be 'Too scared' to return to prior to this vile act." Purchase the Book Version Here Purchase the Kindle Version Here

hey guys I have for sale my Arktis Avenger coat. Worn on a couple of occasions, bought new, no marks, tears, rips or STAINS! A fab coat which I no longer need. Currently for sale on a well known auction site However if it does not sell or if anyone wishes to buy it please let me know. ta Mike

Western Australia Police are coming to London to recruit UK and Irish Police http://www.stepforwa...ernational.html

New York Good Cop's Boots Gift Is Web HitThe moment a police officer buys a barefooted homeless man a pair of boots is captured on camera and becomes an internet hit. 2:14pm UK, Thursday 29 November 2012 <p> The image was posted on the NYPD's Facebook page Email On a cold night in early November a New York policeman came across a homeless man with nothing on his feet - and bought him a pair of boots. The moment of kindness would have gone quietly unnoticed had it not been snapped by a passing tourist who then posted the photograph to the NYPD's Facebook page. It has since been viewed almost two million times and attracted more than 20,000 comments. The hero officer was later named as Lawrence DePrimo, who told the New York Times: "It was freezing out and you could see the blisters on the man's feet. I had two pairs of socks and I was still cold." He found out the unidentified man's shoe size, went into a nearby store and emerged moments later with a pair of all-weather boots worth $100 (£62). The store gave him a discount of $25 (£15). The officer helped the man put the boots on and watched him go on his way. Mr DePrimo has kept the receipt in his jacket since then "to remind me that sometimes people have it worse". The photograph was taken by Jennifer Foster, who works in an Arizona sheriff's office. "I have been in law enforcement for 17 years. I was never so impressed in my life," she wrote on the social networking page. "It is important, I think, for all of us to remember the real reason we are in this line of work." Great Officer out there, highly impressive. BTW I need new TV :) Click here to view the article

You're going to think I'm a right grovelling git but my experiences of the force have always been positive even when I was once a tiny little bit naughty (while an apprentice I got fined for buying another apprentice a beer, I swear I didn't know he was 17) I got laughed at by my brother (a traffic officer) and most of his mates. A few years back we were having serious neighbour problems and every one of the Northumbria officers we came into contact with during what was quite a dark time was without fail helpful and supportive of us and the other recipients of the woman's bile (a lot of whom were children) especially when she was eventually dragged in front of a court. I could name names but I'd guess it could be frowned upon by admin/the men and women involved.

Hi folks, Just wondering what the requirements are to swim whilst on your 12 week training? I cant really swim so slightly worried about this part.... Thanks in advance G

Application pack sent off yesterday so fingers crossed I'll be okay this time! I applied a few years back when I was 17 and I didn't pass the interview which was pretty gutting but also understandable. Hopefully with a few years of working behind me and a bit more life experience I'll be okay this time! Anyone else out there applying to Wiltshire?

Police Scotland was established on April 1. It is neither a force nor a business – but a service rooted in our communities. I know it’s been a challenging time – but your dedication and professionalism has delivered the most significant police and, indeed, public sector reform in generations. Scotland will be a better place for it, and the Scottish Government and the communities we serve are truly grateful for all your efforts. We’ve got a 37 year low in recorded crime. A reduction in violent crime. Detection rates better than ever. And faith in the police high and rising. Policing in Scotland is going from strength to strength, but it seems there are some people who are still begrudging of the great job you do. Police have been getting some criticism recently, whether it’s the Miners’ Strike or football. Many police officers were brother or sisters of miners or are the sons and daughters of miners. Equally, many police officers are football fans. Indeed, the Chairman’s a former professional player and the General Secretary is an armchair radio pundit. I rest my case, M’Lord. Reform has happened, and I am truly grateful for your efforts. It was an incredibly smooth transition, and I suspect most people in Scotland don’t notice any difference. We all knew there wouldn’t be a Millennium Moment at midnight on April the 1st. Local policing will remain fundamental to the new service, shaped and delivered in communities – as we always said. But already we are seeing the benefits of a single service, with specialist expertise and equipment deployed whenever and wherever it is needed, including a national Trunk Roads Patrol Unit; the Specialist Crime Division; improved firearms cover; a national initiative to improve rape investigation and a new single non-emergency number. Many might legitimately question why we didn’t have them before: because we didn’t have a single service and we couldn’t reach agreement. We’re reforming from strong foundations. The reputation of our police service is excellent – world-renowned, and deservedly so. That’s how we intend to remain. It is, as you say, a job like no other. You face stresses and strains like no other occupation. You’re constrained and restricted in many ways like no other. And you’re responsible on or off duty like few others. But still you serve, and I thank you once again. The excellent performance of policing is supported by the 1000 extra officers this Government has delivered since 2007. We’ll maintain that strong police presence in communities – there is no doubt a visible police presence reassures good citizens and deter those who would do ill. When I addressed this conference last year, I agreed wholeheartedly with your Chairman that the number of assaults on officers is a disgrace. That is why I introduced the Victims and Witnesses Bill to Parliament in February. It contains proposals for a new financial penalty - the restitution order. This will allow the court to make those who assault police officers pay towards the specialist non-NHS services required, such as the excellent work carried out by victim treatment centres at Castlebrae, or the Police Benevolent Fund. I’m sorry your pay packets are lighter this month because of the UK Government pension grab. The problem wasn’t caused by you. Police pensions are fully funded – paid for from your pocket and those of your predecessors. And yet you and your families have to pay bills when the cost of living is rising and fuel bills are increasing. I don’t think that’s right or fair. But I’m constrained in what I can do about it until myself and my Cabinet colleagues are in charge of all the appropriate economic levers. This Government has protected Scottish officers from the ravages of the Winsor cuts imposed by Westminster – this means we will contribute at least £50,000 more to your career pension than your peers down South. But I appreciate the significant financial issues your members still face. I’m happy to enter into negotiations with your representatives on how we mitigate the harm. I can’t increase the budget I have. But we’ll work with the Federation, within the current budget constraints, to minimise disadvantage and maximise benefit. I recognise the importance of police officers being able to retire early without severe penalties for their pension. As I’ve said before – and I’ve said to fire fighters and prison officers – there are some jobs that are age restricted. Those who need to retire early should not be prejudiced by their age. That is what I can do at the moment. I am limited because of a budget set in London, and that is being cut year on year. If we were in control of the financial levers, it would not be without its challenges, but we know what needs to be done and who need to be protected. I said we would not implement Winsor. And we will not implement Winsor. This Scottish Government will not now – or ever – implement Winsor. We only need to look South of the Border to see why. Police Commissioners imposed. Police pay cut. Fast track promotion, but police numbers plummeting. A banker or a supermarket manager rather than an experienced officer to do the boss work, and fewer experienced officers to do the hard work. Winsor was wrong. Winsor was insulting. Winsor won’t happen here under my tenure or this Government’s. And we won’t cut starting salaries, which means a police officer here in Scotland will now earn more than £250,000 more over the course of their career than a colleague in England or Wales. Last week, the PNB agreed a pay rise for officers of one per cent. Police officers are not paid a King’s ransom and I’m grateful for your forbearance in recent years. It’s not been easy in these difficult financial times. Our room for manoeuvre is limited because we’re not in charge of our own budget. Indeed, the budget we have is being slashed. But, police officers need a pay rise. We set up the PNB Scotland Standing Committee to ensure important decisions for officers in Scotland could be discussed within Scotland and this is the right place for these decisions to be agreed. But the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy permits a basic pay rise of up to one per cent and I can’t see why the Scottish Standing Committee would not see this just as necessary but as appropriate. It will be on the agenda for formal agreement at next month’s Scotland Standing Committee meeting and I’ll be happy to sign it off. South of the Border, Teresa May is replacing the Police Negotiating Board with a Pay Review Body, removing collective pay bargaining for police in England and Wales. We will not do that in Scotland. I will bring forward proposals to establish a Police Negotiating Board for Scotland to maintain collective bargaining. I will consult fully with all interested parties – including the Federation and its members, of course – on the details and bring forward legislation as soon as possible. This isn’t about copying the UK PNB. I want to improve on it, and I genuinely believe we can create a PNB for Scotland where agreement and consensus are the norm. As I said earlier, there is good reason why we say this is a job like no other. You cannot withdraw your labour or take industrial action. I believe that is quite right. But there has to be some give to compensate those rights not being there. Where you do not have the right to strike, there has to be some mechanism available where consensus cannot be reached. We cannot allow a re-run of what played out South of the Border in 2007, when the PNB made a recommendation on pay and then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith refused to implement it for England and Wales. I said at the time that was morally wrong – and it remains my view. However, it should be more than a moral wrong – it should be legally wrong. That is why when we establish the Scottish PNB, it is my intention to make arbitration on pay legally binding on the Government I serve and any future administrations. We will work with your office bearers to devise this legislation. Arbitration should be used sparingly, preferably restricted to pay, and only used when all other options are exhausted . But we can work the details out together. There will be no poisoning of the well as there was down South under the old regime – the arbitration decided will be legally binding. I’ve highlighted the excellent performance of Scottish policing. From strong foundations – and thanks to the hard work of officers and staff – we have delivered a single police service. As well as sustaining local policing, it will deliver all the benefits of a single service. And it will also cut duplication to safeguard the service from Westminster cuts. We’ve demonstrated we can deliver with the powers we have. As you will be aware, we are working towards winning a referendum on independence next year. I can assure you an independent Scotland would continue the close cooperation between our police services, including mutual aid, we enjoy now. An independent Scotland will continue to co-operate across the border in tackling crime wherever it may be. Mutual aid will continue to be given by Scottish police as with supporting the Olympic Games or tackling rioting in English cities. Mutual aid will continue to be offered here by English and Welsh officers, including for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. In an independent Scotland, we will move away from the outdated and profoundly undemocratic Westminster system, which in addition regularly delivers governments with no popular mandate in Scotland. In doing so, we will make Scotland’s constitution an early signal of how the people of Scotland will use the powers of independence – to take our place as a good global citizen, to protect and affirm the values we hold dear, and to create a fairer and more prosperous nation. Thank you again to all of you for your dedication and professionalism, day in day out. Thank you for giving us a police service to be proud of – I value enormously the enormous contribution you may. Scottish policing is already world-class and cherished by communities – and I have no doubt you will ensure that continues in the future. Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Speeches/Police-Scotland

Rules Each poster adds one line to the limerick The poster that adds the last line of the limerick starts the first line of the next limerick Simple.... There was a young Copper named Dan

Help needed please… The facts/figures; My partner is 49….. He will retire when 55… I am guessing a final salary of say 45,000 At 55 it will also be 35 years service in the police… I keep finding all sorts of information on the web…..they make his annual pension at between 23,000 and 30,000… For examples sake…lets say 25,000 (but if anyone can help me work out the correct amount that would be great) What I cannot seem to find out is the lump sum amounts…. 1. If he commutes a quarter…what is the lump sum and what is the annual pension? 2. If he commutes half….what is the lump sum and what is the annual pension? 3. If he commutes 100%…what is the lump sum? Any help appreciated.. Thank you

Police Dog units are about to take a massive hit across the United Kingdom. Police dogs are one of the most important members of the policing family. Police Dogs are used to chase suspects, head in to violence situations, on the front line in riots and help in the fight against drugs, police dogs can clear a nightclub for drug dealers in seconds and now we are about to tell them to go away. The government budget has planned cuts for the police dog units that keep our streets safe 24 hours a day. West Yorkshire Police have seen around a 40% reduction in police dogs! South Yorkshire Police are looking to reduce very shortly by up to 50% with the reduction of 15-20 handlers. While North Wales Police further plan a 25% cut. Greater Manchester Police in recent years have lost dozens of handlers & dogs! Reduction! Avon and Somerset Police and Essex Police are looking to massively reduce & handlers forced to apply for own jobs. While Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire police have already seen 20 – 40% reductions. West Midlands Police recently lost 6 handlers this year, due to a recent merge. Many counties unable to provide 24 hr cover! Some handlers covering 2 counties! Handlers Who are single crewed driving 50-60 miles + to calls! Driving upwards of 200 miles on a night duty single crewed! Time for ACPO to step up. Within seconds of the clock striking 8pm #DontDitchTheDogs was trending on twitter and continues to trend over an hour later. Headed up by @Das_Beard @MikePannett @ConstableChaos @KatieMagnet @30onfrontline @kenworthy39 and of course @bnpolice we managed to raise awareness of the planned cuts to our front line policing. Now we need to lobby the media and gain a platform to air a debate and gain control of the policing cuts that David Cameron promised would never effect front line policing. http://bnpolice.co.uk/why-dontditchthedog-trended-on-twitter/ THE LAND SHARK – ENDANGERED SPECIES? Update: Number one UK trend #DontDitchTheDogs !!!!!! thanks to everyone who helped!!!!!! Across the spectrum of Police equipment there is one thing that’s effective in almost every situation; the fully deputised and functioning Police Dog unit. From the show and tell classroom experience, to the run after the suspect street chase, to the full on heady violence of a good old fashioned street riot, that dog unit will out perform anything you put next to it, first time, every time. Think of all the qualities that you admire in the greatest of humans; the bravery of Winston Churchill, the dedication of Ernest Shackleton, the grace of Mother Theresa, the loyalty of Paul Newman, the power of Mohammed Ali, and the physical presence of Richard The Lionheart. All of these things are present in only a few human beings, but are present in every police dog. Every dog dreams of being a police dog. That’s why they’re always sniffing each other’s butts. If you want to catch criminals, you’ve got to know what an arsehole smells like. So they practice from an early age, and let their friends practice on them. A police dog can find lost children when most men will be scratching their heads. A police dog can empty a nightclub of drug dealers just by standing next to the entrance. A police dog can shrink a man’s rubbish at 200 yards with just a flash of it’s teeth. A police dog can do the work of a forensic team, a riot serial, a custody cell, a helicopter pilot, and a badly intoxicated surgeon all on it’s own. Every dog wants to be a police dog. Unfortunately for every dog in the UK, that dream seems to becoming less and less of a possibility. The government budget cuts are beginning to ‘bite’ (I know) and as these links show, they’re hitting the dog units hard:- South Yorkshire may be going from 36 to 20 dog handlers click here Beds Police may have already lost a great number click here West Mids too click here North Wales may have lost 25% click here GMP take a 50% hit click here On Monday at 8pm (GMT), myself and a number of good eggs will be supporting the beleaguered dog teams with a Twitter trend attempt. If you want to help them, please watch our tweets from 8pm (GMT) on Monday night. We’ll be tweeting a hashtag to add to your tweets, and spread amongst the masses, in the hope that it will trend and bring attention to the huge loss of UK police dog units over the last few years. That’s it all you have to do is wait for our hashtag on Monday at 8pm, tweet it like crazy until it trends. Easy. Click on the Twitter profiles below, and mine to see the tweets:- Mike Pannett (TV personality and Police consultant) Constable Chaos (Police blogger) Sir Iain Blair (not the real one obviously, although do feel free to join in if you’re reading) Thanks in advance, The Beard. http://dasbeardsblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/the-land-shark-endangered-species/ Police Dog SurveyPosted by Constable Chaos - UK Police Blogger on November 23, 2013 Posted in: Inane Ramblings. 22 comments With Police Force’s around the country cutting costs wherever possible to save money, some have already reduced Police Dog and Handlers numbers by large amounts, and other forces are talking about further, even greater cuts to dog numbers. On Monday evening (25/11/13) on Twitter, there will be an attempt to highlight the risks associated with reducing dog numbers even further than they are at now (and many would say that’s already too few !!) – there’s talk in some areas of up to a 50% reduction, and forces where at night there is just ONE dog on duty to cover everything. What do you think; do we have enough police dogs ? not enough ? or too many ? – take the survey below and share your thoughts. http://constablechaos.wordpress.com/ Survey on web site above! https://twitter.com/search?q=%23DontDitchTheDogs&src=typd&f=realtime #dontditchthedogs trended at number one for about an hour, amazing support from the public! It then went on and trended and number 2 for around 40 minutes.

Alright fellas, I'm a serving Officer in a firearms unit. Iv been contemplating a return to a uniformed response only roll (we don't carry files) as iv become pretty disillusioned with the whole firearms side of things, most jobs are miles away and usually sorted by the time we arrive, spending days away from home and numerous rest days cancelled. Most people prob think I'm mad but I would be dropping my travelling distance from 100mile return journey to 6 miles and spending more time at home again. Just looking to know if anyone has went from a specialised post back to response and how they found it? Cheers, J

Firstly I'll start with Well Done and Congratulations in becoming a PC. It really is a great job, you'll do great things, experience things you never would in civvy St, make lifelong friends and sleep easy knowing you're doing something worthwhile with your life. When you goto Borough (in the case of The Met) you'll probably hear lots that The Job doesn't appreciate you, it's not as good as the old days and you don't get recognised for the work you do. Try to ignore this stuff. If The Job was that bad these people would have left. Things are getting better as numbers start to pick up again and Officers get used to the changes. Don't expect Management to be on their knees for doing your job. There will be times you'll love The Job, other times you'll hate it. Bottom line, is Civvy St any better? Doubtful. The most important thing that new recruits should be when they start is this;- ***BE HUMBLE*** I stress this. I wish you all the best when you leave training and go off to your Boroughs (or Counties) but don't shoot yourself in the foot by thinking you know it all (especially if you come from the MSC and you think you do) - YOU DON'T. Listen to what Officers tell you. Be willing to do everything asked of you. NEVER think you're above doing something. Trust your Senior PCs, remember they have been where you are. Make sure you're the first to volunteer for things. Offer to take that arrest, that crime report, make that cuppa. NEVER say no giving out a Traffic Ticket if you can evidence the Offence sufficiently. Have a NO DISCRETION. Always have a return of work - Every day. Why do I feel the need to emphasise this? Because most Senior PCs would have done this during their probation. I've dealt with Officers on Street Duties who've issued maybe a single Traffic ticket in 5 weeks. Not good enough. I've nicked people with a Probationer beside me because the Probationer stands beside me idly. I've heard probationers say NO to reasonable requests made by colleagues. I've seen Probationers be lazy and just sit around the Office. No. This is not about Senior PCs being lazy (it can be but this is rare), it's about YOU getting these experiences under your belt. It's about YOU earning respect from your colleagues, it's about YOUR development and future. Make sure you're the new Officer who gets stuck in, works hard and is popular and respected by your colleagues. Don't be that lazy know it all Probationer who delegates stuff to other Probationers with a few weeks less service (I've seen it happen) - Your career and your enjoyment of your career will be based on your Reputation. Hit the ground running; not on your face! Good Luck, Enjoy!

Hi, I have an interview for PCSO & TO in Merseyside. Just wondering if anyone has experience of the role and how it differs from just a normal PCSO role ie do you get involved with just issuing tickets? I don't want exact questions or anything but any tips would be useful Thanks in advance :-)

Hi I was wondering whether anyone knew how much the starting salary is including the shift allowances and London weighting? Just to get a final idea?

Any Geocachers out there? FYI, Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants in the activity.

Hi guys and gals! I stumbled across this forum purely by chance, and thought I would post my experiences with the police. When I was a kid, I grew up in an average home, mum dad, brother and sister, I was happy and well behaved. I got to 18, and fell in with the 'wrong crowd' as you say. I bought a car, even though I had no licence, and hid it from my mum and dad, using the money from my student grant and part time job to pay the petrol. Obviously I began being stopped by the police and getting tickets (I'm 33 now) which I binned and forgot about about. Eventually I was given a court date for non payment of fines, and like the idiot I was, I didn't turn up. A few days later, there was a knock on the door, a police officer had came to take me to court. My parents were mortified. I was chucked out to fend for myself. Bad went to worse, and I eventually stole my employers cars. In the space of 2 years (I was now 20) I had gone from a perfectly behaved lad, to a complete tosser, and been arrested half a dozen times. Im rather ashamed to admit the local beat officer and I were on first name terms for all the wrong reasons. It was this officer that arrested me each time. Eventually I ended up serving 3 months in prison for stealing my then employers car. I was 21 by that time, and spent 3 months of my life in prison, disgusted with myself. I had not seen any of my family for some 12 month by the time I was released from prison. On the day of my release I was met by my mother, and taken home. I promised her, on that day, that I would spend the rest of my life making up for my disgusting behaviour, and I'm pleased to say I still am. I have my own home, my own car, and a full time job, and I haven't broken the law since. A few weeks after my release from prison, I was having a beer in the local pub on a Sunday evening, and by chance I was nudged mistakenly by a guy at the bar. It turned out this guy was the Officer that had arrested me before hand. Any way he looked at me and walked to the other side of the bar. I said to the barman, give that guy over there a pint and tell him I said no hard feelings. I have seen him a few times in the street since then, and he always says hi. He was always firm with me, but always fair. Yes, he would give me a lecture, but it reminded me of my father if I'm honest. I will always remember him saying to me I was ruining my life, but he then said stuff your life, how about your family, how do you think they feel? And that stuck with me. I know I'm rambling, but the point I'm trying to make, is that in my experiance, I was always treated fairly by the police, no matter how big a tit I had been, and that really has earned my respect. The police get a lot of bad press, which I really do think is unfair. There are so many rules and regs in place, their hands are tied as to what then can effectively do. I know that a few hard words from the Officer that arrested me really did go along way, and he most definately was a big reason for me sorting my life out, I'm not sure he knows it though! So yea, I was a scum bag, and I had dealings with the police for the wrong reasons, but it really did have a positive outcome. Please don't think I'm posting this for a pat on the back, because all I have done is put my thoughts down for any and all to read! There's a lot to be said for a good hard reality check, its just such a shame the police cant actually give a shake to some of the kids you see around now, Im sure it would do much more than the softly softly that seems to be all the more common.

Hi, PC from BTP here... not sure what else to say really, but I like my job and I like computers so here I am! Cheers, Captain Murphy

ask him how to do a non crime domestic. if he knows he wasn't firearms. (boom!)

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One of the country’s most senior judges provoked fury last night when he criticised short jail sentences for interfering with the home lives of criminals. Lord Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court, said he rejected the idea that a couple of months behind bars – and what he called ‘the clang of the prison gates’ – could help bring criminals to their senses. Instead, he warned such sentences ‘can be disruptive’ for the prisoner’s job and home life. The judge made his comments after visiting Holloway women’s prison in North London. He also expressed concern that prisoners there were forced to share a cell, when ‘the vast majority’ would, he said, prefer to have a room to themselves. Bizarrely, he also complained about ‘bossy notices’ on prison walls, and the cheap furniture he saw in the jail, and expressed astonishment at how little money was spent on prisoners’ food. His comments raised concerns that a senior member of the judiciary appeared to be intervening in highly political debate around sentencing policy. Critics accused the judge of seeing things ‘entirely from the point of view of the criminal’ and failing to consider victims. Ministers defended short sentences as ‘effective’. His comments came in an article for the November issue of Independent Monitor, the magazine for prison monitoring boards, after a visit to Holloway in North London earlier this year. More...Final British Greenpeace Arctic protestor freed from Russian prison after two months in detention From getting a driving licence to enjoying a much-deserved cocktail with his girlfriend: Ryan Ferguson shares photos of his first days of freedom after a decade in prison In the year to March 2013, a total of 18,724 criminals were given jail sentences of between three and six months. Another 25,165 were given jail terms of up to three months. The judge wrote: ‘As a judge one message I took away was the highly questionable value of short sentences.’ ‘The notion that a couple of months in prison will help bring a defendant to her senses, the so-called “clang of the prison gates”, has always had a real resonance for me.' Tory MP Douglas Carswell blasted the judge's comments, saying: 'Of course a prison sentence is going to disrupt the life of the criminal. That's the ruddy idea, your honour' He added: ‘But, following my visit to Holloway, having listened to the probation officers and others, I have a very different perspective. A short prison sentence can be disruptive for the prisoner’s job, home etc. 'And on the other hand, if an offender needs help for any reason, such as substance abuse or training for a job, there is no point in her being in prison for much less than six months.’ He added: ‘My other impressions included concern that most prisoners were required to share a cell when the great majority wished to be on their own; astonishment that prisoners could be fed sensibly for under £2 a day.’ Tory MP Douglas Carswell criticised the judge's comments, claiming many of his constituents want to see longer sentences for criminals But it was his comments on sentencing which provoked dismay – as he appeared to stray into political territory. Tory MP Douglas Carswell said: ‘What a surprise! A senior official in the criminal justice system sees things entirely from the point of view of the criminal. Until we democratise the appointment process for judges, judges are never going to be on our side. ‘Of course a prison sentence is going to disrupt the life of the criminal – that’s the ruddy idea, your honour. In my constituency, there are people who would say that if short sentences are a problem, just make them longer.’ Criminal justice expert Peter Cuthbertson, the director of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: ‘It’s a huge mistake to view sentencing only from the point of view of criminals, without thinking of their many potential victims. ‘Even short sentences can give communities a respite from hardened criminals. Putting away serious, repeat offenders for even a few months can prevent dozens of crimes. But longer prison sentences do have a much better record for cutting reoffending. If Lord Neuberger thinks short sentences don’t do the job, figures show we should use prison for longer rather than not at all.’ Defenders of the use of short jail sentences point out most criminals will have been given several community sentences and other ‘soft’ punishments before they merit a jail term. Almost 8,000 criminals jailed last year had been given at least 11 community sentences. Last night, Justice Minister Jeremy Wright said short sentences ‘can be an effective punishment for some criminals’. A Supreme Court spokesman said: ‘Lord Neuberger was simply reporting informal conversations he had with probation officers and other prison staff during his visit to Holloway Prison in July. His reflections of their views on short term sentences are in no way intended as official statements of sentencing policy, which are matters for the Sentencing Council and Parliament. ‘Judges balance a wide range of factors when considering appropriate sentences, including the impact the crime has had on victims and the interests of wider society.’ JUDGE WHO CHALLENGED THE HOME SECRETARY In March Lord Neuberger rebuked Home Secretary Theresa May for criticising judges who fail to deport foreign criminals Earlier this year Lord Neuberger refused to answer journalists’ questions at a press conference, warning that it was inappropriate for judges to give opinions publicly on solely political matters. But as the 65-year-old has settled into his role as President of the Supreme Court, which he took up in October last year, he has made a series of interventions in sensitive political territory. Earlier this year he said legal aid cuts would bring lawlessness – warning that restricting rights to free lawyers would ‘lead to people taking the law in to their own hands’. In March he rebuked Home Secretary Theresa May for criticising judges who fail to deport foreign criminals. He said Mrs May’s comments were ‘inappropriate, unhelpful and wrong’. He was previously the most senior critic of the decision to abolish the Law Lords and create the Supreme Court, which he now heads. He described Tony Blair’s decision to go ahead with the reform as ‘verging on the frivolous’. Last month, he spoke out to praise the Daily Mail for exposing the secret jailing of a woman who was trying to take her father out of a care home because she feared for his safety. In April, the Mail revealed 50-year-old Wanda Maddocks had been handed a five-month jail term by the Court of Protection – the secretive court which controls the affairs of people who are too ill to make their own decisions. The judge said he applauded the reporting of the case, adding: ‘I think that one of the important functions of an open society is that the Press and media remind us sometimes of the need to examine our practices and to see whether we do comply as much as we should with the need for open justice.’ Lord Neuberger, the son of a medical professor who fled Germany when Hitler came to power, is one of the few judges with experience outside the law. He worked for City bank N M Rothschild for three years after leaving Oxford. As Master of the Rolls, he allowed the City of London to order the Occupy protesters to move on from St Paul’s after a four-month protest. He has been highly critical of the excesses of lawyers profiting from the no-win no-fee system. Lord Neuberger has been married for 36 years to tv producer Angela Holdsworth. They have two sons and a daughter. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513541/Short-jail-terms-bad-criminals-says-judge-Sentences-months-disrupt-prisoners-home-life.html#ixzz2m3COvvWW Strange statement, is not a prison sentence supposed to distrupt a criminals life?

Detective Sergeant Andy Pike led an appeal to help an elderly theft victim An elderly man who was a victim of a burglary which robbed him of his life savings has been given a helping hand by police officers. The victim’s son phoned the police on November 5 to report they had been burgled and the suspects had stolen almost £3,000. Once officers from Croydon police learned of the incident, acting Detective Sergeant Andy Pike appealed to his colleagues to raise money to recoup some of the victim’s losses. About £750 was raised for the gentleman and DS Pike went round to his house on Thursday to give him and his son the money. It was also the man’s birthday on November 11 so members of the South Norwood Safer Neighbourhood Team organised a birthday card. PC Helen Espinosa also baked a birthday cake for him and along with PC Zoe Garrod and PCSO Tracey Isaac paid the man a surprise visit on Remembrance Day. Detective Sergeant Andy Pike, said: “When we heard about this crime and the fact the victim had lost what amounted to what was his life savings, we felt we had to do something. “The victim and his son have been great and were visibly touched when we went round with the money today, but it will hopefully make a big difference to their quality of life over the winter and help them to enjoy Christmas as well.” Detectives continue to investigate the burglary. No arrests have been made at this stage. Police are also advising residents to beware of bogus or cold callers and advise any elderly residents not to let unexpected callers into their homes. http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/croydonnews/10829202.Police_dip_into_pockets_for_elderly_man_who_had_life_savings_stolen/ Nice to find a good news Police story :)

In the nicest possible way, how many times are you going to ask the same question? You're a graduate, right? You've already posed the same question, albeit from a slightly different perspective, once in the MPS Grad Scheme, help! thread you started. You do realise if you do join the Police you will have to make quick, split second decisions in the most challenging of circumstances - yet you can't seem to make a relatively straight forward decision here as to whether you want to be a Police Officer or not. Is it really that difficult a choice to make? How will you cope making instantaneous decisions in life or death situations, where you have to dynamically assess all your options and react accordingly? There and then. On the spot. I'm sorry, this may seem harsh, but it's either something you want to do or it's not. Policing isn't just a job. It's a calling. That may sound corny but the reality is, you will be serving the public and making a lot of personal sacrifices if you join this job. It's something you have to want to do and for the right reasons. Already, before you've even started, you seem to be looking down upon 24/7 response as if that might be below you. Let me tell you, from your very narrow and limited perspective of things, that 24/7 response is the single most important role in the Police. Everything follows on from there. It will be you, for instance (and not those specialists in CID), who will be the first on scene at a murder - and everything you do in that golden hour will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the case in the weeks and months to come. I get the impression this isn't about what you can give to the Police, rather what you can get from the Police. Sadly, we have recruited far too many with that outlook over the years and it certainly hasn't been for the better. In short, you either want to be a Copper or don't. And to be a good Copper, you first have to have that desire to be at the sharp end. Working shifts. Dealing with the confrontation. Coping with any eventuality. Helping those who need our help. Locking up the bad guys. Getting your hands dirty as such. 24/7. 365 days a year. That's Policing. And if that doesn't appeal to you first and foremost then you really do need to question what your motives are and whether the Police is the job for you. I've already decided, and I might be wrong, but judging by your posts thus far, it isn't... Otherwise, you wouldn't have to ask...

Hi all – just wondered if someone could put me in the picture about something that's baffled me. A lady I've briefly been speaking with has made numerous allegations of abuse, neglect and cover-ups against a care home following the death of her elderly mother. She's adamant that when police attended the home following her death, the officers took all her Mum's medication away with them and says her Mum's notes just say “Police took meds for safekeeping” - nothing else. I'm a care manager with a fair bit of experience in residential and dementia care and worked for three years with the local safeguarding adults team but in all that time, I can't say I've known police do this. Always copy reports, care plans and drug sheets etc for their records but have never known them actually take medication. Presumably, even if they did, there'd have to be a reason for it with lots of lovely paperwork for company? Not sure about events as she's described them though to be honest which is why I'm a tad suss. In the nicest possible way, much of what she's said doesn't add up anyway / has an element of the absurd in parts but even still, I could be wrong on this. More than happy to be shot down in flames if I'm mistaken but would love some clarification either way. Thanking you kindly!

I hope this isn't taken seriously--but when I received this humourous message, felt I had to pass it on... A Harley Biker is riding by the zoo in Vancouver, B.C. when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the collar of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents. The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch.Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event.The reporter, addressing the Harley rider says, 'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I've seen a man do in my whole life.'The Harley rider replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt right.'The reporter says, 'Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, tell me a little about yourself.The biker replies, 'I'm an off duty RCMP Member on holidays.'The journalist leaves.The following morning, the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:OFF DUTY MOUNTIE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH ...and THAT pretty much sums up the media's approach to the news these days....

How do you tell the difference between a British Police Officer, an Australian Police Officer and an American Police Officer? QUESTION: You're on duty by yourself walking on a deserted street late at night. Suddenly, an armed man with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, raises the knife, and lunges at you. You are carrying a Glock 40 and you are an expert shot, however you have only a split second to react before he reaches you. What do you do? ANSWER: BRITISH POLICE OFFICER: Firstly the officer must consider the man's Human Rights. Then ask yourself... 1) Does the man look poor or oppressed? 2) Is he newly arrived in this country and does not yet understand the law? 3) Is this really a knife or a ceremonial dagger? 4) Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack? 5) Am I dressed provocatively? 6) Could I run away? 7) Could I possibly swing my gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? 8) Should I try and negotiate with him to discuss his wrong doings? 9) Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it? 10) Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society? 11) Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? 12) If I were to grab his knees and hold on, would he still want to stab and kill me? 13) If I raise my gun and he turns and runs away, do I get blamed if he falls over, knocks his head and kills himself? . 14) If I shoot and wound him, and lose the subsequent court case, does he have the opportunity to sue me, cost me my job, my credibility and the loss of my family home? AUSTRALIAN POLICE OFFICER: BANG! AMERICAN POLICE OFFICER: BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! 'click'...Reload... BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! ( Sergeant arrives at scene later and remarks: 'Nice grouping!' )

I read this paragraph today, it was said after David Rathband, but has meaning today: Friends would often ask me, on hearing of a Police Officer’s death, ” did you know that officer?” I would say…. ” What? You mean that girl who joined the Police Service because she wanted to help people, fight crime and make a difference to people’s lives. The officer who would walk the streets in the rain checking shop doorways while you were asleep in a warm bed, who would attend traffic accidents and try to ignore the horrors that she saw whilst being professional, the girl who would then have to go round to a home and tell the occupiers that their loved one had died in that wreck. That officer who would arrest some violent criminal, get injured in the process, spend hours on paperwork, be late home for dinner on more than one occasion only to see months later, that violent criminal walk free. That officer who stood behind a riot shield against an angry mob, in fear for her life but standing firm, protecting the people she chose to serve. That officer who missed many important family events because she was working ungodly hours patrolling the streets keeping them as safe as she could so that you and your family did not have to live in fear. That officer who would regularly be spat and called a pig, a thug, and a racist, but was in fact just like you, an ordinary girl but doing an extraordinary job in extremely difficult times…… Did i know that Police Officer who died? I never met her before in my life…….. But YES, I knew her, she was my colleague, my family, and I knew her very well……. RIP PC Fiona Bone & PC Nicola Hughes

I normally demand to know why I've been stopped and tell them they should be out catching rapists and murderers instead.

Can you help me with a legal scenario. The primary aim of www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk is a forum for existing and prospective Police Constables and Extended Policing Family to gain information and share experiences with colleagues and like minded people. We welcome all other users and guests to contribute to the forum, however this should not be seen as an avenue to obtain legal advice about a speeding ticket which you have been given or other legal issue where a solicitor would be your best port of call ! Some forum users may offer advice but it should be noted that any such advice will be offered in good faith - and cannot be a substitute for a solicitor's advice.

Hi everyone. I was one of the original 2000 officers culled back in 2010. HR simply do not care about. I was about to start a training date when I received a phone call one evening while I was at work to say I was cut and thanks for my time. That was it. Game over. Fast forward 3 years and I applied again, but this time to be an MSC officer. This was 'the only way' to end up as a PC from now on I, and many others were told. 10 months later I started training at a RLC. Almost halfway through our training the MET announced external applications. We were "trapped" in the system now. Do you carry on or leave MSC and risk getting a CKP and recruitment closing by then? Once trained, I spent 2-3 months working myself to the bone (for free remember) to get IPS status to get on the next SC-PC recruitment. I missed out by literally days as we had no MSC leadership at the time. So I had to spend another 6 months doing the same biding my time, hoping and praying there would be another intake. All the while literally hundreds of external candidates were coming in. Finally the next intake arrived. I clocked nearly 1000 hours in 12 months. Passed day 1, a week or so later day 2 passed also. Vetting passed two months later Conditional offer for March received. Hooray! Resigned as MSC in preparation. 3 weeks before start date received email to cancel my application for a reason HR would not tell. I had to appeal against a decision which they did not disclose? Seemed impossible! On the day I was meant to start I received a reply to the appeal, I had been successful and it was overturned! Beginning of April conditional offer to start in May. I'm truly exhausted by this whole experience and will be glad to start getting some income coming in again. But boy have I had to make sacrifices. I stupidly made plans to co-inside with the March course, that now conflict with the May course. So yet more financial loss, that is hard to bare in these times, but I will so glad when Im finally doing what for the life of me I have always wanted. I say good luck to all of you, maybe you will see me in May *Fingers crossed I make it

Tell me where your mum works. I'll nip round and call her a c*^t then ask her what's wrong about that!!

I'm starting to get a bit bored with this now. Ok. It's not something I would contemplate. Nor do I agree with her actions. But what isn't clear is her version of events. All we have here is the garage owner's take on this - and rather than going through the proper and correct process of contesting this in court, he has mounted his defence via the national media and created an almighty fuss in the process. A fuss, I might add, which is in real danger of getting blown out of all proportion. I guess only he can account for his motives for doing so - and if consequently, due to all the pressure from politicians, senior officers and the media, she drops the case then he has in effect won without having to dispute the matter in court. What isn't clear here is whether this is a civil action she has taken personally or via the Federation. In the case of the latter, the Federation will normally only fund such actions where there is a more than 50% chance of success. We all accept that Policing is a dangerous profession. But what I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable with here is this notion that the inherent dangers we face should some how preclude all of us from seeking some form of redress when we are injured or hurt unnecessarily through the neglect as others in respect of their obligations under the Health and Safety Act. As would apply to any other member of the public. Especially at a time when Winsor proposes disposing of Officers who are injured on duty and can no longer perform the full duties of a Police Officer. Let's be clear here: this Officer wasn't attempting to restrain someone. She wasn't claiming a wall in pursuit of a criminal or confronting a violent offender. The sorts of dangers we all accept. She was at the scene of a burglary on a commercial premises and tripped and fell in an area, which was presumably unlit and should have had some form of lighting. Clearly the owner disputes that fact - but the flip-side to this is, he still has certain legal obligations regarding the upkeep of his premises and safety of his staff and patrons, which he is not automatically absolved of simply because the injured party is a Police Officer. That he seems to think otherwise is surely a matter for the relevant court. Not Sky News or The Daily Mail.

Guys and girls, I know you are all feeling a bit ***** at themoment, and theres no doubt that this is probably one of the worst periods of transitions anyone has ever suffered for the job, in any area. Just try and bear in mind we all fought tooth and nail to get into this position, to get into the job. Yeah it sucks at the moment. Probably just as much as it did when PACE first came in. But these things come in circles, stick with it. At the end of the day we have careers, we have money for now and there is NOTHING out there. You might not enjoy the job but it gives you security. One of the things that keeps me going is the people I work with, we all enjoy a bitch and a moan, but one of the best things we have is the people we work with. You will never have the cameraderie we have in this job anywhere else, because there is nothing like it out there. Before you jump ship have a good hard think about whats a stake, and the small things you might lose. Bullseye.

Can I report a crime, or a complaint against the police on this site? In simple terms. No. As this is not an official Police site, we can not accept any complaints or reports of crime via the site. Please visit www.police.uk to report minor offences online, or to find the contact details of your local police force.

Hi all, I came across this, thought it might be useful for any new recruits heading up to the castle. No excuses for not knowing the standards now Any questions just ask. I've been there not too long ago so I know what it's like. Uniform / Personal Appearance § Hat – clean & tidy, not ‘shaped’. Peak must be polished and free from fingerprints. § Hat - must be worn for drill, inspections, and practical exercises; and to / from these activities - not carried. § High-Vis Jacket / Fleece / Belt / Equipment – buttoned / zipped & worn for activities as directed. Also worn to / from such activities -not carried. § Wicking Vest – tucked in to trousers, epaulettes worn and collar unzipped to a maximum of 1”. § Uniform Trousers – clean / free of dust, creased to waistband (front & back). Stitched creases not permitted unless a design part of Force issue. § Socks – plain black. § Shoes / Boots – highly bulled at all times (no patent toes). § Hair – tidy (bun – no pony tail) / away from collar (neck shave) / pulled back from ears / sideburns not below ‘mid ear’. § Shaving – close shave daily. § Beard – Force approved only. Must be neat / tidy. § Makeup – discreet only / no lipstick. § Jewellery – maximum of 2 rings and 1 watch. No ear-rings, no chains, no charity wristbands. All jewellery removed for PE / OST (taped up if unable to remove). Watches to be removed for Drill. § ID Badge & Lanyards – to be worn at all times. No additional items hung from lanyard (e.g. keys). § Hands – arms not be folded / hands not in pockets at any time. Standard of Dress – Physical Education § Dress - White round neck short sleeved t-shirt, black thigh length shorts, white socks & training shoes. Numbered bib must be worn. § Cycling Shorts - can be worn under shorts. § Additional Items – e.g. hats / gloves – only on the instruction of the PEI’s for H&S reasons. Standard of Dress – Officer Safety Training § Dress - White round neck short sleeved t-shirt, jogging / tracksuit trousers (Black / Grey / Navy), white socks & training shoes. Numbered bib must be worn. § Equipment Belt – worn as directed by OST instructor. Must be worn to / from the OST Venue (i.e. will not be carried). General Standards § Timekeeping – officers will attend all curriculum events for the stated time. § Mobile Telephones – must not be carried or used during the working day. During timetabled curriculum breaks, may only be used in student bedroom. § Swearing – foul and abusive language will not be tolerated. Students will refrain from such language in all areas of the college. § Acknowledgement – officers will acknowledge other officers / staff / visitors, including a recognition of rank. Where rank is unknown, the default greeting will be Sir / Ma’am. § Office Attendance – officers attending at a Divisional Office will knock and wait for permission to enter. On entering, they will observe the span of the room; acknowledge those present – ‘Good Morning / Afternoon Staff’ – before conducting their business. Officers should thank staff members – ‘Thank You’ – prior to leaving the office. If an officer of Inspector Rank or above is present, they should be acknowledged first using ‘Good Morning / Afternoon Sir / Ma’am’. § Corridor – keep to the left of the corridor / noise kept to a minimum, do not walk / stand more than 2 abreast / do not lean against walls. § Food / Drink – Not to be consumed to / from training areas or in corridors. Chewing Gum is not permitted. § Leaving College – officers will sign out / back in using the appropriate register. Return to the college (including Sundays) by 2230 hrs. § Evening – all officers will return to their own room by midnight. No noise thereafter. § Copper Lounge – officers will clear all tables and have exited the Copper Lounge by 2245 hrs. § General Noise Levels – officers will show courtesy & respect at all times, keeping noise to a minimum (including smoking shelters etc). § Study Periods – officers will be permitted to study in class, word processing suite, library or bedrooms. Class instructors must be informed re officer locations. Classroom Standards § Uniform – wicking vest, epaulettes, creased trousers, bulled shoes, black socks unless contrary instruction from the Head of Probationer Training Division. PE / OST Kit will not be worn for classroom instruction. § General – classroom kept clean & tidy. § End of Each Day – chairs on top of desk, windows shut, projector / lights etc off. § Food / Drink – only water may be consumed in class. No food to be consumed in class. § Respect – all officers will stand for an instructor who enters the room (unless instructed otherwise). This will be signified by a student shouting ‘course’ § Noise – kept to a minimum. § Reporting – class should be ‘reported’ as present at the start of each day and after each break (morning, lunchtime, afternoon) unless directed otherwise. Reporting should take place 5 minutes prior to start time of instruction. Canteen Standards § Day 1 – Lunch / Dinner = Duty Parade. § Day 2 – Breakfast = Duty Parade. § Table Rotation – adhered to at all times. § Tables – cleared of all dishes. § Noise Levels – kept to a minimum. § Timekeeping – arrive for meal at 1st time stated. § Exit from Canteen – before next meal sitting are due to arrive. Additional Standards Additional standards and expectations may be placed on officers in relation to bedroom accommodation, car parking, and temporary restrictions within SPC etc. Information regarding these additional standards will be relayed as required.

I started as a special on the neighbourhood team, who didnt really want me and saw me as an inconvenience. So after being left in the office most weeks I was offered the chance to move to 24/7 and it all went from there. I loved it! To begin with I worked most friday backshifts - 5pm-3am. I then was sort of adopted by one particular shift and became their special, falling in with their shifts at weekends and during school holidays - i was a teacher before i started as a PC in Feb this year. I would go in, be chief tea girl anf then parade on, before being paired with a cop. We attended whatever jobs came in and at jobs I tended to fall into the role of 'detail taker' as i felt I couldnt get that wrong! In time I showed enough commitment for the cops to help me get thru my PDR and their help and teaching got me signed out as an independent special. I was then able to go off on foot and wander round on day shift; stopping sector targets, collecting CCTV from the bars, going to reports of ASB etc. I used to mainly be double crewed as tended to work nights or lates. Mainly I took the back step at jobs and provided back watching or assistance, as they only jobs I ever really knew more about where ones involving children - I was responsible for child protection in my role as a teacher. I only ever had good interaction with all other people who worked for the police, once I'd left the NBM team. It takes all kinds of people to mak the world go round, and that's the same withe the police! There will always be miserable sods, people unwilling to help you, people who are arrogant! The one thing I learned was to just suck it up and get on with it, and gain the reputation as being a worker and a do-er not a moaner and a not-do-er! I took all constants on, scenes on etc as in my mind I was not trained as cops were, couldnt drive, couldnt take statements or be interviewed so might as well do the jobs I didnt have to be 'qualified' for. The only thing that got on my nerves a bit was lots of cops saying 'god you must be mad to be working for free' - it's difficult to reply to it, but i was doing it, and did do it for 2yrs, to make sure it was the job i wanted to do full time. I turned out to be the right thing to do, and i must have being doing something right, as my sector decided they would pay for me to go and have a basic driving course. didn't get it, as it was scheduled for the day i started at training school as a probationer. It differs massively from work a PC does - you havent half the training the cops have, and it becomes your responsibility to learn skils, ask for help and show your face on a very regular basis. training and updates are scant and you are last on the list of priorities for being given new training or even any training and you have to just accept that. Be proud that you do work for free and you do get trusted to wear the kit, speak to the public and work with other cops but accept you dont know the half of it, and probably never will. Know your limitations and work to get over them, and the cops will have no worries about working with you. And if all else fails - make the teas and take a few biscuits in!

I thought I would post some games on the forum, Hope you all don't mind!! This game is the word association game. For anyone who doesn't know how this works..just simply follow ONE word with a word associated with the previous word. Ready to play?..Ok I'll begin.. Wet..

This one is courtesy of angie101 Alphabetical place names (i.e. Countries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Suburbs.) The first place name starts with the letter A but the next place name starts with the letter the first one ends with:- e.g. Acapulco The next player will reply with Ontario. the next player will reply with Ottowa and so on. It's as simple as that. So to get us started:- Aberdeen.

I would be happy if they offered me a start date for any month, just as long as i can plan my life.

Hi Everyone, Im new to the forum with just a few posts, thought id say hi! Im currently a special for Lancashire constabulary and hope to one day join the regs! Ill be scouring the recruitment pages in the hope for some nearby vacancies! Hopefully theres some people out there in the same position? Gafs

An unemployed man has been banned from posing as a policeman or paramedic after turning up at the scene of accidents and attempting to give first aid to crash victims. Lee Westerman, 29, also terrified a motorist by shouting at her and threatening to give her a ticket while driving a car which he had illegally fitted with a siren and flashing lights. The callous hoaxer was issued with a five-year ASBO as well as being ordered to do unpaid work and hand over compensation to his victims. Banned: Lee Westerman has been given an ASBO forbidding him to impersonate a policeman or paramedic Wakefield Magistrates' Court heard how Westerman had equipped his 10-year-old Renault Laguna with a two-tone siren, flashing blue lights on the front and flashing red lights on the rear. Adding to the deception, he installed surveillance cameras linked to a monitor on the dashboard as well as two hand-held radios. He was arrested following an encounter with motorist Susan Wright in South Kirkby, West Yorkshire on April 9 where he threatened and intimidated her while pretending to be a policeman. More...Bogus doctor told to pay back £270,000 he 'earned' over 10 years while pretending to be a GP Westerman pulled up alongside Mrs Wright with his lights flashing and starting shouting at her, claiming she had failed to indicate correctly. He told her, 'I will give you a ticket next time,' before braking sharply in front of her and then following her to a supermarket car park. Westerman parked behind the frightened woman and stared at her while talking into his radio. Sentenced: Westerman was given an ASBO and community service at Wakefield Magistrates' Court, pictured Giving evidence, Mrs Wright said: 'I was quite unnerved by his manner... The whole situation seemed wrong, not normal. 'In my mind he was trying to make me believe he was a police officer.' The fraudster also posed as a paramedic, stopping at the scene of a crash in Wakefield in December 2009 with an ambulance sign in his car. And in October 2010, father-of-two Westerman told a pregnant woman at a Sure Start class that he had a private ambulance and could arrange for her to have a home birth. When police searched his house, they found a high-visibility jacket with the word 'Ambulance' on it, as well as a sign reading, 'Keep clear emergency parking only' and two rolls of reflective tape. Magistrates found Westerman guilty of impersonating a traffic officer, threatening behaviour and four charges relating to the lights and siren on his vehicle, plus one offence of using a car likely to cause danger. As well as the ASBO, he has been subjected to a four-month curfew and 100 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £200 to Mrs Wright plus £150 in court costs. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246957/Lee-Westerman-banned-impersonating-policeman-paramedic.html#ixzz2lwNy4kap Not for the first time we seen this fellow! http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4694317/bogus-one-man-emergency-service-handed-asbo.html

The area I am on we deal with very little traffic process;,the odd RTC here and there but usually damage only and details exchanged. Just wondering if someone with more experience could help me and answer a few questions. Our force policy is that every injury RTC is recordable. But what counts as an injury? does it include back pain? whiplash? Also I don't know how it works in other forces but usually with an injury RTC we interview the 'offending' driver and take a statement from the other driver, report for any offences and send it off to the processing team. Does this need to be done every time? or just when you think the RTC involved an offence (eg careless driving)?

Can anyone advise on me on foot wear. I start CNC trainig in a couple weeks and was given a good tip on buying an extra pair of boots as the issued pair may get a bit of a hammering through the course. I assume boots are more appropriate than shoes? I know they need a toe cap. Cheers Pud

Moxnil!.

A policeman in the big city stops a man in a car with a huge rabbit in the front seat. "What are you doing with that rabbit?" He exclaimed, "You should take it to the zoo." The following week, the same policeman sees the same man with the rabbit again in the front seat, with both of them wearing sunglasses. The policeman pulls him over. "I thought you were going to take that rabbit to the zoo!" The man replied, "I did. We had such a good time we are going to the beach this weekend!"

Someone needs a hug...

Folks We are often asked if it's possible for members to change their usernames here on UKPoliceOnline. Previously this was disallowed and only an option available through the Admin Team, however often there are quite a few requests that come through, so the decision has been made to allow you to do it yourselves. The only option you have available to you is to change your display name on the forum. Your log in details remain the same, which in all honesty adds some security to your use of the forum community in anycase. To change your display name simply go into your profile settings as the attachment below. All members can now change their display username on 3 occasions in a 365 day period, except our Newbie Members who are restricted after 10 approved posts to changing it on 3 occasions in a 180 day period If you have any problems, just let us know in the Contact The Staff area as usual :biggrin:

I'm not sure about that. I'm not sure we'd really notice the difference. I well remember when we had Community Constables - and they single handedly did the community engagement bit for their area. They knew everyone and everyone knew them. They were aware of all the low-level problems within their locality and were often quite effective at dealing with those problems. Now we have an entire workforce of non-warranted Officers to fulfill that role. I'm afraid PCSOs are but a product of the excesses of a New Labour government, whose public spending knew no bounds. Those who don't draw a correlation between the size of cuts to the Police budgets and the money wasted on extending the size of the Police in general and more so the so-called Police family are perhaps naive. The Police is but one example, greater than most, of how Labour bloated the public sector without any regard whatsoever for future cost. They recruited more Police Officers than ever before and then on top of that, thousands of PCSOs. But they missed the point entirely. It's not about numbers. There are enough Police Officers in this country, it is how we're deployed and burden with with red tape and bureaucracy which prevents us being as effective as we might be. These are the issues that successive governments have failed to address and in most cases have compounded. Replacing a Police presence on the streets with an expensive civilian work-force was never the answer but an expensive gimmick introduced by a government, who were completely clueless on Policing - and one I might add that contributed more than any to the disappearance of the Police on the streets through it's centrally set obsession with targets and performance.

lol,. only joking mate.....