The Police Force

That other Blair, Sir Ian, asks us what policing we want. Michael Wale submits his policing plan.

I never thought I would praise Sir Ian Blair, head of the Metropolitan police, but now he has got fed up with the politicians and asked us, the public how we want to be policed.

Allow me some cynicism, as his announcement came days after the other Blair was defeated in the House of Commons in his bid to imprison might-be terrorists for 90 days.

As the plan was backed by most Chiefs of Police, you can understand Sir Ian’s decision to cut loose and actually ask the public what they want from their police.

The most revolutionary step I would take is to give back to the police the role of prosecutor, taken away by the creation of the inept Crown Prosecution Service. This move by politicians, caused huge distress to the police who had always handled their cases from point of arrest to prosecution. And very good they were at it too, because they knew what they were talking about .

As for the Crown Prosecution Service. They are ill-paid and an absolute disgrace. The amount of cases that collapse, or don’t even take place, because of their ineptitude must cost the taxpayer millions a year. Their poor approach to assembling prosecutions often leads to the guilty either being acquitted, or not even prosecuted. They are often represented in court by ‘agents’, lawyers who have just been hired for the day, who have no particular connection or interest in the case they are presenting. There are, of course, some good prosecutors, but they are the exception, rather than the rule.

We must bring our police back on the beat, so that they can re-connect with the public. A role that they have lost as they remain cocooned in police cars, and indulge in the culture of the canteen, at the expense of their waistbands.

I would also like to see police living locally. I would bring back the section houses, where they could live, so stupidly sold off by the politicians, as they set about dehumanising our police.

At present the police may travel many miles to their place of work. They should be part of the community. Not visitors. I was told the other day of several officers in one force who travel to police one area of Southern England from their homes in Normandy! This is because they get a block of days off and they can enjoy this more in France!

The police must return to being our servants and not our rulers. It is not for them to tell football clubs when their matches can start, and when they cannot.

I would also get several cheers from the police force when I urge Sir Ian Blair to get rid of the so-called Community Police. They have no right of arrest, and are a total waste of time. They were brought in by the now disgraced. but then Home Secretary Blunkett, as a public relations exercise. It was a con on the public. A pretence that their streets were being widely policed, when these cardboard cut-outs weren’t real police at all. Boot them into touch, and take back the budget to hire more civilians. who could complete the huge amount of paperwork with which the real police have been saddled.

I would create a special ‘riot’ squad. These would be the only police allowed to carry arms. They would be specially trained, and used only in emergencies. Not politically, as were the police in the miner’s strike, and more recently the pointless G8 conference at Gleneagles. How much did it cost to pour thousands of police into the Scottish countryside I wonder? Just because these jumped up politicians think they are so important someone wants to shoot them. Rubbish. They should be faced with protestors, and hear what we the public think and want.

Just as Sir Ian Blair has wisely done.