Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Our wonderful bobbies deserve a thread of their own.

Starting with...

Cressida Dick: Outgoing Met Police commissioner stands by record

Dame Cressida Dick will reflect on what more she and others could have done during her time as the Metropolitan Police commissioner, she has said.

The 61-year-old, who resigned in February, said that during her time in policing, the force had become "more diverse and more professional".

Allegations of dishonesty, prejudice and incompetence dogged the Met for much of her tenure as commissioner...


...Dame Cressida announced she would be standing down after a string of controversies, culminating in public outrage over the offensive behaviour of a group of officers based at Charing Cross police station.

Other scandals included the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, the jailing of two PCs who took pictures of the bodies of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, and the Daniel Morgan report which criticised the Met's failure to tackle corruption.

The report found Dame Cressida had personally obstructed access to documents that the inquiry panel believed to be important - a claim she rejected...


...Speaking about whether she had any regrets, Dame Cressida told journalists: "I guess when I sit there, after I have left, I will look back and I will analyse further, what happened potentially, what I could have done or what others could have done in particular circumstances.

"But I'm really proud of what the Met has achieved in this time. I think London should know that it has a fantastic police service, a world-leading police service that people from all over the world come to see, that has improved...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-61035535.amp

You can see why the Tories chose her for the job. She *still* doesn't believe she's done anything wrong.

A lot of tributes for Dick from those who worked with her over the years. That was reflected by Sadiq Khan who cut her slack but even he tired of her inability to understand the nature of leadership when confidence in your organisation goes into meltdown. Unsurprisingly, she retained the full support of the Police Federation whose wingeing attacks on the politicians (mainly Khan) didn’t garner much public sympathy.

This is worth a moment of your time:

https://davidallengreen.com/2022/04/cre ... -policing/

Dick is the best leader the Police Federation never had.

A shop steward, not a police commissioner – Dick confused the interests of the police with the interests of the public.

And so when public confidence was lost in her (shop) stewardship, she had to resign.

In her farewell letter, Dick criticises the “politicisation of policing”.

What Dick is really criticising is accountability for policing.

And if you make that change, the rest of her resignation letter makes a lot more sense.

The fact she moaned about “Line of Duty” one cop show amongst many on TV says it all, can’t think why that one stood out to her. I did think Khan was shielding her at one point, it’s obvious he was trying to give her enough rope.

No wonder she was applauded by the rank and file as she left the Yard yesterday: she defended their rotten, corrupt and debased culture to the hilt. David Allen Green says it more eloquently than I though.

I am still firmly of the belief that the fiasco that led to the death of Jean Charles de Menezes *should* have finished her off back then.

Yet another fine, upstanding member of the Met:

Met police officer ‘took condoms, lubricant and erection pills to meet girl, 13’

mattomac wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 11:14 am The fact she moaned about “Line of Duty” one cop show amongst many on TV says it all, can’t think why that one stood out to her. I did think Khan was shielding her at one point, it’s obvious he was trying to give her enough rope.

Jed Mercurio said that it was the De Menezes shooting that inspired the series.

Another one done for sexual offences:

https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/new ... s/?ref=rss


and

Three women who were groomed, raped and abused by gangs of men in Rochdale have received "substantial" damages and an apology from Greater Manchester Police.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... gn=KARANGA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61073371

Nice waste of tax payers money…

Emphasis mine:

GMP slammed for 'victim blaming' after woman left with life-changing injuries

Greater Manchester Police have been slammed for 'victim blaming' after they posted a video about road safety which suggested a cyclist hit by a drink driver should have worn a high visibility jacket.

The video, which was posted on the force's Twitter account and features a Family Liaison Officer within the Serious Collision Unit, references a case where a female cyclist was left with life-changing injuries after being knocked off her bike whilst cycling on the pavement.

During the clip, which has since been deleted, the officer issues a message that cyclists and motorcyclists should wear protective clothing such as a high visibility jacket and make themselves as visible as possible on the road.

The messaging has been heavily criticised, with scores of people on the social media site weighing in on the force for 'victim blaming' the cyclist, and for failing to acknowledge the fault of the drink driver.

Note to coppers:

Officer Wiggum in the Simpsons is a cartoon character.

He is not a fucking template.

A senior copper seems to get it

The acting head of the UK’s biggest police force has admitted that cultural problems in the force are “not a few bad apples” and called for a change in procedures to allow managers to speedily sack errant officers.

Sir Stephen House, who has temporarily taken over as commissioner of the Metropolitan police, also disclosed that there had been a lack of supervision in the police unit where Sarah Everard’s murderer served...

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... cting-head

That's him ruled out for the permanent job, then.

Samanfur wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:15 pm That's him ruled out for the permanent job, then.

Quite. We can't have coppers denigrating the legacy of the Blessed Cressida...

Not too bothered with what the Met said today that they won’t disclose anything public, they will come out and anymore isn’t going particularly be any more damaging than it already is. Polling is one suggesting on 8% believed he told the truth, 81% that he lied.

It also drags it out some more, and the longer he stays and the longer this goes on the more problematic the next election gets.

London's finest cover themselves with glory, again.

Five Met officers will face a gross misconduct hearing for their alleged actions in the stop and search of Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The Met voluntarily referred the matter to the IOPC shortly after the incident on Saturday, 4 July 2020 in Lanhill Road, W9 due to a complaint recorded and public interest in the matter.

Officers from the Territorial Support Group, on patrol in the area in response to an increase in violence, had stopped and searched a vehicle they believed was being driven in a manner that raised suspicion.

The occupants were handcuffed while they and the vehicle were searched. Nothing was found, no arrests made and the occupants allowed on their way.

The IOPC investigation has now determined five officers, four PCs and an acting Sergeant at the time of the incident, should face a gross misconduct hearing to answer allegations they breached professional standards relating to duties and responsibilities, use of force, equality and diversity, order and instructions and authority, respect and courtesy and honesty and integrity....

https://news.met.police.uk/news/five-of ... uct-446785

That NTNON sketch has become a template for the Met, hasn't it?

They really don't get it, do they

Sarah Everard vigil: Metropolitan Police seeking second appeal against High Court ruling
Reclaim These Streets, the group which organised the vigil, has criticised the police force for spending "more taxpayer money" to continue its fight against the court ruling.
.
https://news.sky.com/story/amp/sarah-ev ... g-12602231

What better way to show they're willing to accept criticism and demonstrate they're trying to change than doubling down and pursuing a case they've already lost?

Twats

It's not just the Met:


Cambridgeshire

Two police officers have been sacked for gross misconduct after they "engaged in sexual conduct with each other whilst on duty", a force said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-c ... e-61334992

Berkshire

A jailed police officer was a member of a WhatsApp group in which colleagues shared "sexual and violent" messages and "derogatory remarks about victims".

Oliver Perry-Smith, who worked for Thames Valley Police (TVP), was jailed on Friday for three-and-a-half years and described as "a sexual predator".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... e-61336952

Lancashire

A serving police officer has pleaded guilty to attempting to rape a woman.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-l ... e-61326244

Merseyside

Merseyside Police's chief constable has "categorically" denied the force is institutionally racist following claims by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

PCC Emily Spurrell made the comments in an interview with an online channel, Policing TV.

Serena Kennedy said a lot of work was being done to tackle discrimination.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... e-61331028

West Yorkshire

A former special constable has been given a 12-month suspended prison sentence for having thousands of indecent images of children.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-61337163

Sussex

A police officer is under criminal investigation over the death of a pedestrian who was killed when he was struck by a police car.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-61317558

These are just the stories that have made it onto the England part of the BBC news website today. I haven't looked at Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Stories like these appear almost every day of the week.

I used to hate hearing people refer to the police as the "filth", but I'm coming to think they may have a point.