Good cop, bad cop

GOOD COP, BAD COP
So, London's police service make the headlines again over their "gun-ho" tactics relating to the resolution of firearm incidents in the capital. The slap on the wrist came from the service watchdog the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) - face it, what else do the PCA do?
Some 24 cases were looked at, 11 involving the London's Metropolitan Police, and all dated between 1998 and 2001. The service were accused of acting too swiftly and not holding back - but bearing in mind guns are a risk to the general public, what can you do?
The ticking-off is in sharp contrast to the praise cops received from London MP Diane Abbott for their handling of January's Eli Hall - Hackney gunman siege situation. The 32-year-old took one (African) man hostage and remained holed-up in an east London bed-sit for 15 days - the longest armed siege in British history.
FAIR COP?
London man Sylbert Farquharson has won £250,000 by way of damages from the Metropolitan Police for assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. Does nothing change?
During the incident in Brixton south London eight years ago, Mr Farquharson now 58, suffered rather explicit racial abuse.
At time of going to air the officers involved in the incident are still in the employ of the police service and chiefs are reportedly 'considering the issues raised before making a decision about disciplinary measures'.
VICTORIA'S SECRETS
The report into the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie has been a long time in coming, but the levelling of accusations hasn't. So, who do you blame? The aunt for being so cold-hearted and self-seeking; social services for being negligent; or the community as a whole for ignoring the fact that the times have changed beyond the point where the saying: 'it takes a village to raise a child' makes any sense.
Many if not most of the last generation can tell tales of 'over familiar uncles', brutal aunties and callous 'dads' who weren't.
The times are changing, and have changed as even GCSE Sociology will show. Victoria's sad, premature death just hammered it home.
Maybe the welfare state has a lot to answer for, but as community perhaps Black Britain should step into the dock too and be judged. Do we still view life through rose tinted glasses? Have the old values been lost in our pursuit of ' a so-called better life'? Have they been lost to the point where we no longer look out for our 'own' and turn a blind eye to the happenings around us, and more often than not the incidents that take place under our very noses?
Victoria takes to the grave with her a load of pain and suffering - suffering many people, both old and young have suffered and still suffer today. We can do something about it by accepting it's happened, not ignoring it still happens and then resolving to do something about it. It's not hard, after all we're a people not a secret society.

AA - 01/02/03
For more articles, see the reference file



THEWEEK posted February 23rd 2003
"...we no longer look out for our 'own' and turn a blind eye to the incidents that take place under our very noses?"		GOOD COP, BAD COP So, London's police service make the headlines again over their "gun-ho" tactics relating to the resolution of firearm incidents in the capital. The slap on the wrist came from the service watchdog the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) - face it, what else do the PCA do? Some 24 cases were looked at, 11 involving the London's Metropolitan Police, and all dated between 1998 and 2001. The service were accused of acting too swiftly and not holding back - but bearing in mind guns are a risk to the general public, what can you do? The ticking-off is in sharp contrast to the praise cops received from London MP Diane Abbott for their handling of January's Eli Hall - Hackney gunman siege situation. The 32-year-old took one (African) man hostage and remained holed-up in an east London bed-sit for 15 days - the longest armed siege in British history. FAIR COP? London man Sylbert Farquharson has won £250,000 by way of damages from the Metropolitan Police for assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. Does nothing change? During the incident in Brixton south London eight years ago, Mr Farquharson now 58, suffered rather explicit racial abuse. At time of going to air the officers involved in the incident are still in the employ of the police service and chiefs are reportedly 'considering the issues raised before making a decision about disciplinary measures'. VICTORIA'S SECRETS The report into the death of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie has been a long time in coming, but the levelling of accusations hasn't. So, who do you blame? The aunt for being so cold-hearted and self-seeking; social services for being negligent; or the community as a whole for ignoring the fact that the times have changed beyond the point where the saying: 'it takes a village to raise a child' makes any sense. Many if not most of the last generation can tell tales of 'over familiar uncles', brutal aunties and callous 'dads' who weren't. The times are changing, and have changed as even GCSE Sociology will show. Victoria's sad, premature death just hammered it home. Maybe the welfare state has a lot to answer for, but as community perhaps Black Britain should step into the dock too and be judged. Do we still view life through rose tinted glasses? Have the old values been lost in our pursuit of ' a so-called better life'? Have they been lost to the point where we no longer look out for our 'own' and turn a blind eye to the happenings around us, and more often than not the incidents that take place under our very noses? Victoria takes to the grave with her a load of pain and suffering - suffering many people, both old and young have suffered and still suffer today. We can do something about it by accepting it's happened, not ignoring it still happens and then resolving to do something about it. It's not hard, after all we're a people not a secret society. AA - 01/02/03 For more articles, see the reference file
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