Why the police need our support
Officers suffer from low morale and often find themselves despised by the public, says TV presenter
Surprised, I pointed out the tough job they undertake. The responses were half mocking abuse, being called a “grass” and were generally dismissive. Really? Have we seriously lost all respect for the force?
So I looked into it. I spoke to the Police Dependants’ Trust. I joined police anonymous blogs and Twitter feeds and spoke to officers at the Police Bravery Awards. I listened and what I found was a force at a dangerously low ebb – beaten down, under financial and manpower pressures, unsupported by government, abused, attacked in the press and without any sign of public support.
At a time when they are needed most, the people who man the line between good and bad, literally keep us safe and run towards what we run away from, feel disrespected and unloved. What’s more they are suffering physical and mental health issues that threaten to start a mass exodus from the force.
SO LET’S seriously consider some of the accusations, the first being that they are guilty of historical errors and cover-ups.
“All officers carry a responsibility to ensure that a Hillsborough event and cover-up never happens again.” Not my words but the words of a serving detective I know. They know it was wrong and so do we but are we seriously saying that the hundreds of thousands of calls dealt with every day, the majority successfully, are to be overshadowed by the rare highprofile errors or cover-ups? Yes they were terrible and took too long to expose but they are not what happens every day.
Ask yourself another question. Why would an armed response officer do the job today? They go to work knowing they may have to make a split-second decision to save lives that will then be examined over a period of years by lawyers, judges, politicians and newspaper column writers from the safety of their office chairs. Some of these will be deciding if they should face charges for the decision they made. Should we not thank God someone is doing their job because it would be a field day for armed robbers, drug gangs and terrorists if they weren’t there.
“Armed officers don’t make a difference,” is a message I’ve seen on Twitter. Tell that to the people in Nice and Berlin.
“This isn’t America,” is another objection to armed cops. No it isn’t. There are a limited number of armed officers in key public areas and I’m glad they’re there. I’m glad people will take that responsibility despite knowing that they’ll be hung out to dry when, God forbid, they have to do their jobs.
Of course we should hold them to account but let’s start from a place of respect. Both the BBC and Guardian recently ran an article complaining that two armed officers were photographed smiling. I would thank them for engaging with the public, trying to show that they are human beings holding those weapons, not thoughtless robots. When they take off their armour and uniforms they go home to your street to live next door.
Who do you think the police are? Aliens beamed from another planet? They are your brother, sister, mum or dad, son or daughter. Tonight a mother will kiss her children goodnight and go out on patrol and walk through open doors on industrial estates and come face to face with what? A gun? A knife? Four angry young drunks? A motorist trying to drag a lone female officer into motorway traffic because he’s angry about being stopped?
Talk to the female officer from the West Country who received a Police Bravery Award. Alone she fought a man for 20 minutes on the M5 as people happily drove by and left her to it. Yes, he tried to throw her under passing cars, broke her arm until she finally Fancy the job?
When a traffic officer dealing with a 10-mile tailback sends an explanation with a selfie on social media one newspaper chirped: “Still found time to take a selfie.” I’d say thank you for putting a face to the job you’re doing, informing people.
How did we get to be so negative about those prepared to take on the abusive, physically aggressive, spitting, drug or alcohol-enraged people we wouldn’t want to deal with? A spit hood is used once on someone with learning difficulties; a mistake certainly but to then suggest that hoods should not be used is ridiculous. Would you want to be spat at directly into your face when you went to work? Then why should they?
But why should you care about police safety? Our politicians don’t. When it was discussed in the House of Commons there were hardly any MPs to be seen. They will argue that those engaged with the bill being discussed were present but that image of the empty Commons did the rounds of the police and cuffed Daily Express Wednesday January 18 2017 him. they believe that every MP who wasn’t there was saying to officers in their area: “I don’t care.” Rest assured if the debate had been on MPs’ safety there would have been standing room only.
So without the usual glib jokes about the police, think what our society would be without them or if the service broke down. Think fast because according to the Police Federation 11 per cent of police officers have had enough and are leaving voluntarily.
Years ago we managed to separate in our minds the conflict from the soldier. If you don’t like where our military are sent then take it up with the politicians but when those young men and women return having given so much, we should look after them. It’s time we did the same with the police.
The police are the reason we can go to work and come home safely most of the time. They tackle City cyber-crime and online bullying, burglary, assault, child abuse, drunken fights, murder, dangerous driving and myriad other complex offences while picking up the confused, vulnerable and discarded. But, make no mistake; it’s taking its toll.
TRAUMA in officers is on the increase and let me tell you there are many more suffering job-related trauma than show up in the rising figures. I am not overstating the case. Give police officers the chance to comment anonymously and they’ll tell you.
“If I tell my boss I’m suffering trauma I’ll be taken off active duty and given a desk job. At the moment I don’t sleep well and I’m not able to talk with my family. The only time I’m OK is on active duty doing my job where I can make a difference. Why would I want to sit at a desk where I’ll have more time to think?”
I’ve heard that from several officers already and I’ve met a mere couple of hundred of the 125,000 keeping our 62 million population safe.
Our university-obsessed politicians think having a degree will help. Tosh. Having experience is what matters and with officers streaming away from the force, that experience is being lost. I bought a coffee for an armed officer guarding a famous politician’s house in a London street recently.
“Are you not worried about car bombs?” I asked.
“I comfort myself with the fact that I’ll be so close I won’t know anything about it,” says he. “Do you get danger money?” “No. But I do pay congestion charge to come and stand here.”
So the Government needs to show some public support. MPs need to turn up when police safety is being discussed in the Commons. The press needs to stop taking cheap shots. And let’s occasionally thank them.