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Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

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  • Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

    Hi all, hope this is the correct place to make my first post? I've been a browser before but never really had time to post but I was prompted to record a few recollections having spent an evening recently reminiscing with some former work colleagues.

    We were chatting about the way things have changed with regard to policing in the last couple of decades, in terms of attitudes (to and by), looks, attire and place in society. I worked with the Met Police (not as a copper) throughout the latter part of the seventies and the eighties and even though it is not a generation away, it feels like a different world.

    I am convinced that the training then was more intense and produced individuals with a better perception of what their role was in society as well as what was required from them. I remember an officer bursting with pride at having secured the committal of a case to the Crown Court and receiving hearty congratulations for doing so. That sense of achievement disappeared with the introduction of the CPS. Of course - and it almost goes without saying - that officers look to be younger nowadays but young definately equalled mature more back then and I recall the steps that were taken to provide the sort of opportunities that might now be restricted to the more experienced.

    One of my roles was to assist with 'stores' and I remember how little uniform equipment existed back than compared with now. Long gone are the days when the issue of a couple of clip-on ties and shoulder epaulettes complimented uniform shirt(s), trousers and a jacket (not forgetting the helmet, of course!). Now, the host of accessories stretches way, way beyond. And does the more casual overall (water-proofing looking) image look smarter?

    It amused me hearing in the latter days officers discussing the most suitable and appropriate boots. I remember when we had a row of different-sized boots in the store for those occasions when an officer felt his shoes might not offer adequate protection!

    Mind you, it all had it's lighter moments. There was a memorable occasion when a very young constable found himself at the wrong magistrates court to give evidence in a trial and had to get the bus to the correct location. On his out-of-breath-and-flustered arrival he was almost man-handled into the courtroom by a furious warrant officer sergeant, angered that 'his' magistrates had been kept waiting. Sometime later, according to the court clerk, there was a somewhat strange watery-pattering sound in the courtroom, accompanied by a panic-stricken young officer's sudden silence and fixated stare in the direction of his feet - as the unfortunate PC, erm - went to the toilet, standing in the witness box!!

    Can you imagine such subservience in today's world? And probably rightly not so.

    I ended up driving the mortified lad, in my green Ford Cortina, back to the nick and my lasting memory is of him sitting alongside me in a pair of those awful black slip-on shoes (you know the ones with the two little elastic bits at the top?) and some fawn or beige-coloured nylon socks!! It wasn't his day, was it?

    I suppose in today's world of boots and new-style conbat-type trousers, socks are no longer an issue but in the early eighties, when white towelline socks were considered fashionable, I recall a few sock inspections and several 'horrific' discoveries!!

    How on earth would a police officer respond to having his socks checked nowadays!!!

    Anyway, enough from me for now.

    Hopefully I can contribute again soon.

  • #2
    Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

    Police have a thankless job nowadays, they were respected and feared when I was a lad but the youth of today has no respect for the police. I don't think its a question of training or uniform etc. It's just an irreverent society fueled by TV, Film and Games. I don't know how things can be reversed, I don't think it ever will be and I am frightened what the future will hold.

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    • #3
      Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

      I remember when you was a kid and the old bill lifted you for something minor they would always get your name and adress off you and say "tell your mom and dad we'll be round to see them tonight" then you would go home tell your parents get a bollockin or smacking then the police never showed up

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      • #4
        Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

        These days the police can't do their jobs becuase of wishy washy do gooders who're more concerned about the rights of muggers, car thieves, vandals, paedoes, etc and soft judges. And then there's all the paper work they have to do, thus resulting in some young hooligan who mugged as few pensioners, brurgled a couple of hoses and ncked a couple of cars being delt rough justice by the members of his community all becuase some do-gooder and social worker says they're just boisterous and misunderstood. I find it rather strange that a city centre can be devoid of police but when there's an ever so 'important' foot ball match on, EVERY town/city centre threre's at least ten police officers outside every pub in the area (Once, me and my mate went into a pub on a Saturday afternoon, just for a pint and it sounded as if thingswere about to kickoff so me and my mate couldn;t get out quick enough and I nformerd one of the officers there could be trouble in there).
        I say PUNISH THE DO-GOODERS AND SOFT JUDGES AS WELL!!! WE NEED THE LIKES OF JUDGE DREDD ON THE STREETS! LOCK 'EM IN THE STOCKS!!
        WELCOME TO HELL!!!

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        • #5
          Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

          Interestingly, the magistrates court involved in the initial story was one of those announced for closure by the Government last week.

          What a shame, a quaint little courthouse that I suspect could tell a few stories to amuse and amaze!

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          • #6
            Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

            Originally posted by markey View Post
            Interestingly, the magistrates court involved in the initial story was one of those announced for closure by the Government last week.

            What a shame, a quaint little courthouse that I suspect could tell a few stories to amuse and amaze!
            Probably because the witness box smelled of p**s.

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            • #7
              Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

              Originally posted by Grosh62 View Post
              Probably because the witness box smelled of p**s.
              ...it survived a bit longer than my car seat!!!!

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              • #8
                Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                ill be honest im still afraid of the police.

                its all about meeting targets now.
                all this p.c rubbish makes ther job far harder.

                police back in the day could do there jobs without hindrance.

                although over here in NI the police have never changed in how they do things.
                we run our own police westminster has no say.

                police over here can uise any force necessary without fear of losing there jobs.
                FOR THE HONOUR OF GRAYSKULL

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                • #9
                  Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                  Firstly, I will admit I both admire and despise the Police. I admire them for the hard work they do, its thankless by and large now but I despise them as it is still a racist organisation. That all said, I would never kick off with them - having watched the stupidity of idiots on fly on the wall shows about the modern Police I know that compliance and calm usually gets you on your way very quickly as opposed to swearing and trying to act like a big man with people who have the power to restrain and arrest you...

                  I will also agree, todays society, well, youth and people in their teens to mid 20s don't seem to respect the Police as people their age did back in the past. I can remember the Bobby on the Beat, the local Copper who strolled through your neighbourhood and became a regular feature of the area - it put a 'face' to 'The Police' in the local community, and if PC Manetta of Reading Police Station ever reads this I still remember you. My Mum used to give him Opal, yes OPAL Fruits if she bumped into him...I'm also one of those kids that remembers the Police having the power to either clip you round the ear or take your name and address down and 'come and see your parents tonight about this'...type of thing - kids were frightened of the Police. Whats gone wrong with society is that as the War Generation died out, common sense, common decency, family values and respect for elders went out the door, as well as the right of the parent to give an unruly, rude, downright nasty 'kid' a bloody good hiding for stepping out of line - the Police back in the old days, up until the mid to late 80's even had that power too - or parents would even tell them to do it, to put the fear of God in 'em...

                  Then came all this rubbish about 'the rights of the child, human rights via the EU, the CPS etc', instances like the blatant murder of Blair Peach at the anti racism rally in the 1970's and eye - witnesses reportedly saying that they even saw Police writing 'N.F.' signs on their steamed up Transit Van windows I must also admit that the Steven Lawrence case changed the view of the Police. It brought to light their inbred racism that the job can attract - the Black community were then the media - appointed 'public ethnic enemy Number One',etc...Then there was the Mets own report into 'Institutional Racism' that reiterated the Black viewpoint....this all eventually led to the Police loosing many of their powers, but recent terrorist acts led to the creation of many more...Kids today, well, animals today like the ones that rioted last Summer show their blatant lack of fear for the law and their blaming for their own social failures on the Police, perhaps if it weren't for these ridiculous laws brought in where enforcing the law begins in the home i.e. giving them a good slap say had become illegal none of whats happening now would be occuring. There'd still be crime yes, but kids aren't affraid of their parents on the whole and they should be...even if your parents are lovely, they are still the boss...

                  I lament the loss of the traditional male and female Police uniforms - we only see them of State ocassions like the Royal Wedding as they lined the streets or at Wimbledon Finals on centre court now, but the outfit had to change to adapt to the times and be more comfortable and utilitarian - I've even seen WPC's wearing the male style cap!

                  When I watch The Sweeney I miss those days of tough, effective Policing, but how much power is too much power? Thats the problem the UK Govt or any successive Govts face when allowing the Police to handle lawbreakers today, we may well end up with a Police State if that happens...However, I actually think the Govt should allow the Police Forces of the UK to hold their own referendum - to decide just how much force they should and should not use, which regional forces could be armed all the time, etc perhaps. Either that, or laws on chastising ones own kids should be relaxed, the power to 'police' your own kids brought back publicly and then kids will learn who to respect - their elders and the Law, that way it starts in the homes...
                  Last edited by sf1378; 12-07-2012, 02:31.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                    We had a local bobby that used to walk around where I grew up. Constable Weatherby knew everyone and everything. I mean literally everything. Phone numbers of people in the village. Every person car registration. The name of very person and what their job was. When they were going on holiday. If kids were sick he'd know (he used to check in to see if kids were skiving off school). Literally everything that happened in the village went through him at some point. I remember being really young once and loosing one of my gloves. Constable Weatherby had it in his lost property box. They closed his police station down in the late 80's and replaced him with out of towners. Eventually we got community police again, but they were not real police, just volunteers.

                    His office/house has been pulled down now. It used to be here.

                    http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=wf33...,16.98,,0,7.19

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                    • #11
                      Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                      Sad isn't it...

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                      • #12
                        Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                        Yeah. It was at his time of departure that the village went downhill as well. People knew they could get away with doing stuff because they were not being watched any more.

                        I was talking to my mother about it and apparently not long after they closed his station down he retired. He lived out of my way after retirement somewhere up Common Lane. He died of a heart attack in the late 90's.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                          this is sad.
                          he seemed like a real nice fella .
                          he really did care abot everyone.

                          Originally posted by Sly View Post
                          We had a local bobby that used to walk around where I grew up. Constable Weatherby knew everyone and everything. I mean literally everything. Phone numbers of people in the village. Every person car registration. The name of very person and what their job was. When they were going on holiday. If kids were sick he'd know (he used to check in to see if kids were skiving off school). Literally everything that happened in the village went through him at some point. I remember being really young once and loosing one of my gloves. Constable Weatherby had it in his lost property box. They closed his police station down in the late 80's and replaced him with out of towners. Eventually we got community police again, but they were not real police, just volunteers.

                          His office/house has been pulled down now. It used to be here.

                          http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=wf33...,16.98,,0,7.19
                          FOR THE HONOUR OF GRAYSKULL

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                            The police are people we don't want to see - until we need them. As for institutional racist I prefer to think that they were inadvertent racists. I don't think that the majority held what we would call today racist attitudes. This was a time when black and white culture was parodied in TV programs characters like "Alf Garnet" and programs like "Love thy Neighbour" Long before political correctness became a byword. There are always good and bad coppers. What has changed is the attitude to the police which has changed from respect to disenchantment. Policing with the consent of the public is a thing of the past. I don't expect it will change for the better anytime soon.

                            Where is Dixon of Dock green when you need him!

                            Evening all!
                            Regards


                            Captain Mick



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                            • #15
                              Re: Policing and Police Officers - then and now!

                              The change in policing was brought about by PACE (Police And Criminal Evidence) designed to curb the practices of fitting up anyone you did not like. Thatcher changed their role into front line troops, Miners Strike, Steel Strike etc. Now they walk around dressed in a uniform like Robocop with anti stab vests, armed with a Baton, Pepper Spray and Taser. Policing has changed - but for better or worse depends upon your experiences and skin colour - ethnicity etc.
                              Regards


                              Captain Mick



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