Met Laureate (lite)

Latest from the Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate (DCFD)

It’s celebrating International Women’s day.
Shame on you if you didn’t know
They have asked if we want to put our views into verse
Those who are picked can have a discussion over elevenses with the director of DCFD to discuss the Gender Agenda

Themes are
1. Recruitment, retention or progression within the MPs
2. Creating a gender sensitive working environment
3. Successfully managing gender diverse teams

And must

Provide the Director of DCFD with an insight on progress made within the gender agenda

Provide a positive future vision for the MPS

This is my effort

There was an old sweat called Slim
Who’s views on women were remarkably grim
Till a van driver called Brenda
Took a hold of his agenda
And told him to wind his neck in

That’s got to be worth a danish and large latte at the dream factory

New year... no changes

The old Police bashing continues unabated as we swing into the first week of 2012.

Her Majesties media would have us thinking that perhaps the tragic events in County Durham could well be linked to a failure to act by Police years ago.

I am thinking of personally asking for the CC of Durham to explain why the 3 Pre Cogs lying in suspended animation in the basement of Durham Constabulary HQ didn't pick it up and send a Minority Report to the firearms licensing team to sort it out.

I am not trying to trivialise the deaths in Peterlee.. that is horrific. It is just the banal nonsense peddled by the media to fill newsprint.

Another thing on that.

Is it just me or where Sky 'No news' peddling one of the names of the victims of the shooting based on 'local' information very early on.Any consideration there if any family had been informed beforehand?

They are on our backs because of our alleged failures following the shooting in Salford!

And if you believe the hacks, the Police Service and Constabularies are awash with criminals,highwaymen,footpads and 'near do wells'.

Dammit, we may as well sod the recruitment stuff and throw a bag of High Viz jackets and a few radios into the nearest crack den and have done.

Still the Met can stand tall and stare down any of this nonsense.
History is history.You are who you are.Wait and see.Whats done is done.

As an organisation we have Commander Ali Dezaei on paid gardening leave whilst he awaits retrial on substantive criminal matters regarding public office.

Just saying......

Happy New Year

I somehow managed (obviously not caught Duties office eye this year) to avoid being dragged into policing Central London's 'festivities'.Having dealt with it for most of my Met life I know exactly what the officers on the ground are having to put up with.

For those working out there get home safe.

A (hopefully) safe and steady New Year ahead of us despite the efforts of Ms May and the Home office.

Look after yourselves, colleagues and family

In these difficult times its who we rely on.

Life and all that it is worth

The concept of 'worth' in terms of someones life is hard to quantify. Is some drug addled criminal who has spent their years causing misery to others feeding their habit worth the same as say someone who has say dedicated their life to charity or has worked tirelessly to solve or eradicate disease?

Stepping back and looking at it it is a difficult call as everyone clearly has different ideas of 'worth' and say another vague concept of 'value' to society
(another concept marginalised by the 'me me me' word we live in)

As a Police officer it is reasonable to believe that I have strong ideas on what is right and wrong,punishment and its deterrent effects on those that offend.

I am not an advocate of capital punishment although I believe the notion of 'life' imprisonment for a number of certain offences should be what is said on the tin. Either you are carried out the back door in the wooden box with the padre sprinkling some water having spent your years behind four walls or spent such time inside when you are released you are not a danger to anyone( unless your zimmer fame has a sharp edge and you catch someone in the queue at the post office collecting your over 75 heating allowance )

This does not detract that if someone murders someone ( malice aforethought and all that) be it that life is some violent smack head or a Nobel Prize winner you should be treated any different in the eyes of the law.

There is much talk by those high up in the legal profession of some form of grading of offences,the taking of someones life should be graded according to circumstance.
The life sentence tariff is a nonsense anyway in the courts as 'mitigation' plays such a part in what time is actually served.

What disturbs me and is prompted by this article
is the notion that Tariffs should be effectively doubled because the victim is say Transgender (as in this article).
Ken seems to believe that Hate crime should be dealt with appropriately and this sends out a message.
Amen to that.
But isn't Murder, no matter who or what you are a 'Hate crime' in itself?

Ken if we kept with and maintained this enhanced Tariff for anyone who decides to murder somebody no matter what sex, age, sexuality, disability or race then you wouldn't need to make political soundbites to try and make some form of point that the Criminal Justice system is on message.

And again...

Ms May has put out the standard blurb regarding the officers injured on Saturday. When I say her I mean one of her aides cut and pasted something from the last time an officer was injured doing their duty.

About as genuine, heartfelt and useful as phrases such as ‘the cheque’s in the post’ or ‘care in the community’ which incidentally is were my money is regarding the background of the male in custody.

Still we must be grateful that they put the effort in. It must be tiring and time consuming work at the Home office ripping up the pension arrangements for thousands of police officers.

Police and law enforcement officers around the world will again be shaking their heads and wondering why we keep on doing what we do with the little we have.

The biggest weapon we have is not the collapsible metal stick or the tin of spray they send us out with it’s the courage, determination and sheer bloody mindedness of the officers on the street to do the job no matter what.

Will this change anything? Will BHH be signing off an order on Monday to roll out a useful number of Tazers to the front line troops? Will this bring about a sea change in opinion amongst the politicians and media….’ Support our police’ you can hear them cry.

Nah…..

The incident on Saturday is already media old news (although they would have kept it running if the suspect had been the one in intensive care…..cut to tearful family huddled on a sofa telling everyone he was a good boy…)

The Home Office has cranked out its mealy mouthed words of praise. They wouldn’t want our reputation as an unarmed service to be compromised would they. All those officers walking around with gun type things in holsters!! We don’t want to put off the punters coming to see the sprinters and pole vaulter’s in Stratford next year.

And the Federation?….I don’t think they are capable of organising a few pints at St James Gate Dublin.

Best wishes and a speedy recovery to my colleagues in Harrow.

You have done your job. Its time other people did theirs.

Hucking funbelievable

News filtered through the office this afternoon that Ali Dizaei had been reinstated (then 'suspended') but now back on his full pay despite a pending retrial on the matter in which he spent OVER A YEAR! in jail.

Jaws dropped....Gobsmacked ....'you are ******* joking'.. summed up the mood.

If Mr Dizaei is under any impression that his rehabilitation into the Met is received with ANY sympathy or there is ANY groundswell of opinion that he is AGAIN the unlucky persecuted subject of some prolonged campaign by the MET he is sadly mistaken.

I haven't seen any members of the Black Police officers Association step up with a quote....yet.

At some point this organisation (and those that oversee it) are going to have to strap on a pair.

This decision has seriously affected what morale we have left..

Comments usually started with ....'if that was me....'

I need a liquid cosh now.....'landlord!!!!'

New news is no news.

Apparently Bernard Hogan-Howe is the new Comish.....

Hogan-who? Indifference was probably the best emotive response from those at work today.

Same uniform....different face.

As I have stated in my previous posts the new incumbent of this 'role' will not in any way affect what I do or what I joined to do.I can only assume that,as ever, there will be a new personal 'on message ' pushed through via enforced collective meetings,video and posters over the next 12 months.

Just a personal view ...don't bother .. we just get on with the stuff no matter what.