Thursday 14 June 2007

A little respect

During my last set of shifts I’ve had two experiences where I’ve thought WTF I’m a police officer how dare you speak to me like that!

These weren’t shit bags these were supposedly ‘upstanding’ members of the community.
I can understand our regular customers having a go at us. Any chance we get we either arrest them/search them/ or knock their door in the middle of the night. But generally if you are ‘tidy’ with them they are ‘tidy’ with you. They know it’s a game sometimes they lose and we catch them but mostly they win and get away with it.

Saturday I was dealing with a motor cyclist I had just stopped on a busy high street, meanwhile there were two traffic wardens on the opposite side of the road booking cars. The traffic wardens have a problem with the car they are booking and call me over to assist. While I’m then helping the traffic wardens a middle aged, middle class male comes out of his shop and begins to rant in a loud irate tone at the two female wardens and myself. He’s going ‘YOU LOT ARE A BUNCH OF PARASITES, YOU ARE NEVER AROUND IN THE WEEK, ONLY ON WEEKENDS ON OVERTIME!!’ which shows what he knows. He would not calm down, the street was packed there we onlookers with their children and everything. He came so close to coming in on a section 5. But I just could not believe this was coming from a supposedly ‘upstanding’ member of society.

Then Tuesday night I’m on route to an immediate with a black female colleague when we are passing through the student area of the sector and we see a white male wearing a green shirt collapsed on the floor. We stop pull over and I approach the male who is obviously a student and out of his head on drink. I shake his shoulders and he comes round the first thing he does is say ‘FUCK OFF’ he continues swearing and saying why you bothering me. He gets to his feet, I try to get some details from him he refuses his details. Still continuing to swear and asking why we are bothering him we explain we are concerned for his safety he replies to my colleague ‘why do you care I’m white, you don’t give a fuck about me’. Again he was so close to coming in on a section 5, however we resumed to our immediate.

A few minutes later another immediate came out just around the corner from where we left this male; possible burglary in progress a male in a green shirt has just smashed the front window and gone inside. Me and my colleague know exactly who it is and divert. When we get there sure enough there he is inside, crashed out on the floor. We presume the obvious, that its his gaff and he’s lost his key. I climb through the window and let in my colleagues. I again manage to rouse him and he becomes abusive again I again ask his name this time to ascertain if he really is resident there. Again he refuses, but this time I mean it so I tell him he’s under arrest for section 110 of socap. We all struggle while I try to put the cuffs on eventually we win and throw him on the bed. All of a sudden he changes, he blurts out his name and details. He continues his dad is a judge and he’s studying law and begs us to not lock him up. Lucky for him we confirm he lives there and release him. (the damage is now between him and his landlord to sort out, I guess he won’t be seeing his bond back)

Again I just can’t get over how these supposedly ‘good’ law abiding people can treat us like we are shit. What is going on in society do people really have that little respect for us?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Oh, small world anonymous. Have to say, I'm quite disappointed you haven't visited my blog yet, I refuse to have 'educated debate' as I like to call it on other people's blogs. Just some guidelines though for when you do visit:

1. When you feel you'd like to have a big grown up debate, without resorting to profanity, you know where to find me, I like to post comments with an identity. That way, people know where to find me if they agree/disagree with my views or opinions.

2. When you do call round, please refrain from using the word 'pig' there's a good chap. It simply highlights your extremely poor grasp of the English language & dire need for a dictionary & encyclopeadia, maybe Santa will buy you them for you for christmas if your an extra good boy for mummy?
Alternative option is for you to send your comments to me to edit & spellcheck for you? I don't mind, it's because I'm a good charitable soul, I like pet projects & helping the needy & poor, as I'm a giving Virgo it tends to suit my nature.

3. Please remember to show your identity, it is, after all the manly thing to do wouldn't you agree? If your stuck for idea's I shall simply take heed of BusyBizzie's advice, to call you cuddles, it does seem to suit a gentle soul like your good self.






Well Charlie now that's over, (hope you didn't mind that little interlude) I agree with you. Yobs etc have a problem & mouth off because they commit crime - you arrest them for it. But for a normal middle classed person to spout off is out of order, unless he's one of those people who has had a speeding ticket before now of course, for speeding.
If it helps any, the majority of people (including the ones I know) appreciate what you do, I appreciate it so much I'm applying! See what you've done?! I'm going to have to suffer short-ist remarks and, by all acounts, wear trousers that are baggy in the bum & shirts that are too tight in the chest, bit of give & take would be nice but I guess you can't have it all!

Anyway, just stay safe out there & as much as it doesn't seem like it at times, the majority of people do appreciate what you guys do, so thanks :o)

*Re-posted due to hitting 'Publish' button by mistake*

Busy said...

Oi Cuddles, if we want your opinion we'll give you your crayons back.

Anonymous said...

Those who demand or expect respect as their due, are those who deserve it the least.
CL,

That you expected respect and admiration as a consequence of doing police work, was probably a significant factor in your choice of career.

However, all levels of society despise the police.

Charlie Lima said...

Sorry it took so long to delete those posts. Never mind normal service has now resumed

- Charlie

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Old BE said...

I'm depressed about the law student particularly. If I was ever found in the street comatose by a police officer I would be mortified! To then use the old "my dad's a judge" line is appalling.

First time visitor to your blog, keep up the good work.