A Good Idea?

[youngmafbog]

Not necessaily new but on a pretty large scale this time, plod are offering the 32 motorists identified as not driving to correct standards a chance to go on a course (paid for by the driver) instead of court action.

Is this a good idea or just soft policing trying to gain the public confidence again?

Personally I think it is a good idea, fining people is ok but they don't necessarily learn or realize exactly what they have done wrong. This way you get both things as the cost of the course counts as the 'fine'

[sunny-dave]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-25808048

Seems very sensible to me.

[Ken4155]

What 32 motorists?

[Ken4155]

Ta for the link, dave. Pretty sensible idea to me. Don't know what those injured may have to say about it, though.

[anotheoldgit]

Why 'Plod' all the time, surely they deserve to be given their correct job title?

[emmie]

good idea, now do the same for cyclists who persist on breaking the law at every turn. A short sharp shock, or a course of safe driving, cycling won't then clog up the courts, one hopes

[sunny-dave]

It's a more pleasant soubriquet than some I could think of, AoG.

When the police begin to demonstrate (at all levels) that they are returning to being Public Servants rather than an often out-of-control, partial, unaccountable, paramilitary then I'll revise my current low opinion of them.

[piggynose]

does this answer your question aog?
just hope the link works. Media URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Plod
Description:

[piggynose]

: ( didnt think it would

[anotheoldgit]

sunny-dave

/// When the police begin to demonstrate (at all levels) that they are returning to being Public Servants rather than an often out-of-control, partial, unaccountable, paramilitary then I'll revise my current low opinion of them. //

So just from a very few isolated incidents you are prepared to state that out police are an out of control unaccountable, paramilitary?

On a minute by minute basis our police are expected to maintain law in this country in a way no other police force in the world is expected to do, the ordinary police officer does not carry arms and the majority do not wish to do so, and yet they face injury or death each and every day.

Unarmed officers like Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone are killed in the line of duty,Sharon Beshenivsky, shot dead during a robbery in 2005, or of the three plain-clothes officers murdered by Harry Roberts in west London in 1966, or the killing of PC Sidney Miles in the Derek Bentley case of 1952.

But a known gangster who was carrying a gun and who was shot by an armed police officer, and the whole of our police force comes open for criticism of being murders and paramilitary by such as you.

Travel the world and see how those other police forces administer their 'justice'.





For decades there have been incidents that have led to calls for issuing all officers with firearms. Cases like those of Sharon Beshenivsky, shot dead during a robbery in 2005, or of the three plain-clothes officers murdered by Harry Roberts in west London in 1966, or the killing of PC Sidney Miles in the Derek Bentley case of 1952.

[anotheoldgit]

Excuse the repeated paragraph, that I failed to delete before I pressed the submit button.

[sunny-dave]

"A few isolated incidents" ... if only that was true.

Just feed the words Police Misconduct into google. Even allowing for some of the politically motivated dross in the results, it is not a pretty list - over many pages.


No-one doubts the heroism of individual officers, or that we (by and large) have a better model of Policing than some/many other countries.

But I have lost my rose-tinted glasses and see a lot to be ashamed of in the actions of some Police Officers.

The knee-jerk closing of ranks when misconduct is found is frightening - as is the routine harassment of complainants.

[emmie]

SD, some that being the word, be glad we have by and large a good and honest police force. And as i stated on another thread, who do the following
treat the dying at an RTA, face a person holding a gun, knife, possibly with hostages, go into buildings after being alerted to a call, and get shot and killed as per the two police women last year, or pick up the bits of bodies left by a bomb explosion, you tell me that most would do that, police have to it's their job, and much more besides.

[anotheoldgit]

sunny-dave

Perhaps so as to get a more balanced view instead of such a bigoted one, you would do better for you to look at also the increased violent crime plus the additional population we now have in this country, take the recent riots would you see other police forces standing by letting what took place happen?

[emmie]

the police didn't stand by and watch it happen, though in some places the police were caught on the hop by very mobile gangs, who can and do keep in contact by phone, tell their buddies where to meet up, where no police are in evidence, that is the difference between years ago and now.
as to other police forces, wouldn't fancy my chances with some around the globe, they tend to shoot first and ask questions much later.

[bundleone]

AOG, I also hate generalisations, like all old people are grumpy, all young teenagers are thugs, all young girls in short skirts are tarts, I think our police are wonderful and in any section of society there will always be the odd exception. We only ever hear the bad news ,never the good that most people do.

[belrec]

Getting back on track, personally I do think it is a good idea, that the police are doing this instead of fining all and sundry. It is a more enlightened way of dealing with the problem.

I have been on the speed awareness course instead of taking the points and a fine and it really opened my eyes.