Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Poles Apart?

Richard Brunstrom CC of North Wales police has announced that they intend to recruit Polish officers to help serve the growing community of migrant workers who have settled in the region. The thinking is that Polish speaking policemen will help advise and 'cut crime'??? amongst the ever expanding immigrant population.

That this can be considered at all is, in part, due to this government changing the rules regarding who can apply/be allowed to apply..to be a constable in the police .
The rules used to state that you had to be a British citizen before being considered. Now... if you are a citizen of the EEC or EEEC you are also eligible (or Foreign national with unlimited leave to remain)

I was never at ease with this change at all.

The rank of constable is a role developed over centuries.. of citizens who swear allegiance to the Crown/Monarch to uphold the law, keep the Queens Peace...
For those people who have settled here, taken up Citizenship, then they to could apply to be a constable and undertake the role.They have become part of the country... citizens ......and are eligible to police those others who live within these shores.

This notion of deference to the Crown has never settled well with the drip dry Republicans who govern us.
The concept of dropping references to the monarch in the Police Oath has been mooted before for Non UK recruits.
My view is that this change, never particularly trumpeted, is part a gradual move away from the old concepts behind the role to a newer 'Service' modeled in their own image.

I know we have our critics willing to bash the Police at any opportunity but I think by and large we have done well over the decades policing a vast populace of changing, integrating peoples and cultures.

If North Wales logic follows on, are we then to import Rumanians and Bulgarians to police the new influx when their eligibility to arrive comes into play next year?

I am probably too old fashioned... with a view that those who chose to settle here should make efforts to gain some grasp of the language. Also should the essentially simple concept of breaking the adopted societies accepted rules of behaviour mean that a Non Polish constable turns up and brings them in then we have a burgeoning industry of interpreters willing to assist the newcomer to the intricacies of the UK's way of doing things.

A community cohesion coordinator for Wrexham Borough Council states that
'We view plans by North Wales Police for Polish officers... which will help people settle quickly and have a better understanding of our culture.... as a positive move'
What part of the culture in Poland is so different that it cannot fit relatively seamlessly with our own traditions.

The fact that a post such as Community Cohesion Cordinator has been created tells me how far to Hell in a basket we have gone...


Barman....just keep them coming.

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