So Sir Ian Blair has finally resigned from the the Metropolitan Police. Not because he presided over trigger happy policing that lost the entire support of London after July 7th, nor due to the fact that he got personally embroiled in a race war within the MET or even because he claimed Haringey was so safe that the locals ket their doors unlocked.
Nope, he left, because Boris and he had a tiff
Now, there has been howls in the press and blogs about how Uncle B’s actions were unlawful and how he stepped over his mark. Sod that, as taxpayers, Londoners should have the right to choose who is going to shoot us point blank in the head. After all, we are the primary tax payers for this farce, sorry, force. The howling by the press, methinks, is a little too loud. Boris (and you can quote me on this), did the right thing by removing his support for Blair. Who he is going to ’support’ as the next commissioner will be interesting.
(Incidentally, there are more police officers in London then there are bus drivers, but you never see a copper unless it is a speed trap on a sunny weekend morning. Could also explain why there is never a bus when you need one.)
On paper Sir Ian Blair looked like a good choice for commissioner. He seemed dedicated to eradicating racism from the MET (something very necessary after Stephen Lawrence), and unlike many of the coppers in the past, seemed to have a more compassionate approach to plodding. But ultimately, he is a police officer and any hopes of a sea change in the MET was brutally shot down in Stockwell tube station. The fact that under his watch he allowed police officers to shoot first and ask questions later, was simply an order only fit for the very best countries of the world such as Iran, Sri Lanka and Sudan. The unwavering support of Livingstone was disgusting and was the reason why I am glad he was ousted from the mayoralty. You can see my angry arguments against the MET’s justification for point blank fun HERE.
The bottom line is this. Sir Ian Blair did not police for London, he policed for Central Government. The Metropolitan Police Force is possibly the most hated institution in this city, commanding zero respect from many of the citizens of London. If a crime occurs, they take their time, but they are swarming like bees when their tea break calls. They are arrogant, drive like maniacs and in effect have a licence to kill us all. Personally, I have never had that much of a problem with the rank and file officers. If ever I have had to use them, they do what they have to do, with the enthusiasm of a child tackling his/her greens. I know their job is abusive and they are basically there to mop up the s**t of this city, but that is what they signed up to. Essentially, police officers are far too keen to exercise their power rather than actually police the streets. Oh, by the way, the PCSO’s while completely useless, are great fun!
How effective and more reassuring would it be to see police officers walk and cycle through neighbourhoods instead of speed around in cars with tinted windscreens? How much more good would it be if there were easy access to police officers, to talk to them and so they could actually interact with the community rather than have swarms of boys off to have some fun in a pig wagon. And wouldn’t it be nice if they actually obeyed the law they are here to enforce? Example, no skipping traffic lights or parking in marked bays instead of hoofing their cars on the pavement in order to get some fried chicken.
Unfortunately, the MET police commissioner is not there to serve London (although that is his job) but to look good on the TV when a bomb blows up or when another raid on a mosque occurs. Terrorism would be better prevented by a bottom up approach, by involving people of all backgrounds in the wider community. Of course, this is more of a pipe dream than me becoming a film maker. So with our current sledgehammer to nut method of policing, our next commissioner will continue along the same lines and the circle of degeneration within the MET will increase.
Policing ultimately requires the consensus of the people who are being policed. The image of the MET today is one of a bunch of unruly thugs on good pay, unable to be sacked for incompetence and looking forward to a generous handout when they retire. The people of London do not feel protected by this now gun-toting, free wheeling bunch of hooligans who can protect Whitehall with pinpoint accuracy but let innocent Londoners get stabbed on the suburbs’ streets. The MET police does not have the consent of the people they are there to protect. It is up to the police force to gain that consent, to gain that trust. It will take someone visionary to really make the MET a respected part of London again. About as likely as a decent tube service.
2 responses so far ↓
Tom // October 5, 2008 at 8:11 am |
“After all, we are the primary tax payers for this farce, sorry, force.”
Other way round, 78% comes from general taxation, which is one reason central government should be involved in the appointment. London’s taxpayers (through precept and the large percentage of general taxation from the capital) obviously pay proportionately more, but it shouldn’t be the Mayor’s job alone to appoint the commissioner unless London provides all or most of the money. Better to split the role of policing for London from policing nationally and allow the London part to be focused on London crime prevention, and appointed by the Mayor, approved by the assembly and overseen by a beefed up MPA.
There are actually quite a lot of policemen about – the night after the election I was in a central London pub when a fight broke out in the street, and about twenty policemen descended within minutes, the first to arrive being on a mountain bike with more equipment attached than NASA used to take to the moon. Others turned up on foot and on a motorbike – if anything I felt there were rather too many, but Friday night is busy night.
Out and about yesterday there was a classic old-time bobby stopping people on Oxford Street and a PCSO at Euston doing a roaring trade in directing people to things. Then there’s the bike-riding PCSO who comes round our streets, the two PCSOs who patrol on foot down by the river, the PCSO outside the school at kicking out time…
charlesmichelduke // October 5, 2008 at 11:57 pm |
policing is great in central london where there is a copper on every corner, but outside zone one, policing is plain crap. but after de menezes, he should have just left. that was beyond incompetence, it in fact set a very dangerous precedent for policing the capital.