What do you carry in your car?
What do you carry in your car?
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Discussion

mutt k

Original Poster:

3,964 posts

267 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
This article ran in the Evening Standard last night and has also been in the Spectator

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1288424/posts

Now, we don't know what sort of attitude Mr Samengo-Turner really offered the police, but I for one find this story very disturbing.

Ladies and gentlemen - clear your gloveboxes!

UKBoB

16,277 posts

294 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
mutt k said:
This article ran in the Evening Standard last night and has also been in the Spectator

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1288424/posts

Now, we don't know what sort of attitude Mr Samengo-Turner really offered the police, but I for one find this story very disturbing.

Ladies and gentlemen - clear your gloveboxes!
The words "power struggle" and "copper" belong in the same sentance in my books. Ask any psychologist. Its a no brainer, and sadly recruiting doesnt involve weeding out those prone to emotional security issues. (its all about psychology, really )

Not all cops mind, not the majority, but certainly not just "The small minority"

What an awful story. 3 of my friends wanted to sign up to the forces in the last few years, and 2 of them were, imho, of the powerstruggle ilk.

v8thunder

27,647 posts

287 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Very, very scary. Sounds like we've got our own Stasi now. What happens if, say, I'm on my way to a weekend party and I've got beers in my boot? Will they charge me with 'intention to drink and drive'?

Besides, the law concerning knives clearly states that 'in public' means you are wandering around with it in your hand, not inside two sets of packaging in a car glovebox. I know this because I quite legitimately bought a Samurai sword last month, and the people in the shop explained to me that if it was in packaging it wasn't, legally, considered a threat. Howev er, it sounds like this lot would've staked out the shop, stopped me in the street and charged me with attempted mass Banzai followed by Seppuku.

This country isn't only making me detest it, I am now in fear of what is becoming a totalitarian state under Blindgit.

tuttle

3,427 posts

266 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Equally disturbed.Much more care during the screening proccess needed.Ppl dealing with the public at large & in possibly stressful/hazardous situations need to be in full control of their 'emotional state'.

DustyC

12,822 posts

283 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Locking knives are illeagal? Since when?

I carry one in the car tool kit.
Im not going to stop either.
Stupid. utter nonsense.

BUT WHATS EVEN WORSE:
Have you read the Americans comments at the bottom?
He says "the reason you all love Blair is because he took you into the war with Iraq"

WHAT?!

JulianHJ

8,868 posts

291 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Went to a pre-assessment day on Thursday prior to my interview for Sussex this Wednesday. 80 candidates present, and there was certainly a diverse range of people present. Given that around 80%+ will pass the assessment, fitness and medical, I sat their wondering whether the bloke who kept asking about the armed response units would be sitting next to me for the next X years

Sadly only around 20% of candidates were female, what was enlightening was the results of the mock numeracy test we took. An alarming number of people scored under 50% on what were basic GCSE-type questions

Still, it was hammered home by the recruiting staff that only those with integrity and a great deal of common sense should continue with their applications - the racists, bigots and terminally dim would not make it through their probation period. Whilst the 'race and diversity' facet was emphasised continually (and will be in every aspect of the assessments) I felt that the PC overtones were essential, however obvious and monotonous the message.

There are good and bad coppers out there. There are good (and occasionally bad ) coppers on PH. Hopefully lessons have been learned and whilst the PC brigade are in charge, it can only be a good thing if it brings about a truly impartial police service. Any serving officers care to comment?

Dave 4000

308 posts

287 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Sounds very worrying, what example did this set to the people they were training?, but I was equally worried by is findings of the problem within the police force

"And this, I suspect, is the problem with the police — they have no proper training and no officer corps. The old adage goes ‘there is no such thing as bad soldiers, only bad officers’. The scruffy, overweight, badly turned-out, ill-mannered policemen I encountered at Charing Cross police station were desperately in need of decent leadership."

I get this vision of General Melchid(sp) from Blackadder, in my twelve years in the forces I rarely met junior officer's who weren't able to operate with out 'suggestions' from enlisted personnel.

I know that within the PH collective there are quite a few members who were/are commissioned officers, as I am not taring everyone with the same brush, leadership qualities may well be there in a particular individual but these can only be nurtured through experience. In this case the only reference to an individuals experience was the desk Sergeant. Experience needs to be placed where it would be of most use, in this instance that would of appeared to have been on the Embankment on the 3rd of November.

JulianHJ

8,868 posts

291 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
tuttle said:
Equally disturbed.Much more care during the screening proccess needed.Ppl dealing with the public at large & in possibly stressful/hazardous situations need to be in full control of their 'emotional state'.


We were told by the recruiting superintendent that this was exactly the message the rank-and-file were feeding back, hence assessment procedures have been tightened up since October.

JulianHJ

8,868 posts

291 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Dave 4000 said:
I get this vision of General Melchid(sp) from Blackadder, in my twelve years in the forces I rarely met junior officer's who weren't able to operate with out 'suggestions' from enlisted personnel.

I know that within the PH collective there are quite a few members who were/are commissioned officers, as I am not taring everyone with the same brush, leadership qualities may well be there in a particular individual but these can only be nurtured through experience. In this case the only reference to an individuals experience was the desk Sergeant. Experience needs to be placed where it would be of most use, in this instance that would of appeared to have been on the Embankment on the 3rd of November.


I had the opportunity to join the RAF as an intelligence officer following A-levels (did a 6th Form Scholarship) - when I think back to how mature I was then it's a scary concept! I guess that 4 months at Cranwell would have knocked some maturity and life skills into me, but not nearly enough I fear.
Didn't commit in the end, felt obliged to go to university...

v8thunder

27,647 posts

287 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
JulianHJ said:
only those with integrity and a great deal of common sense should continue with their applications - the racists, bigots and terminally dim would not make it through their probation period.


Sounds like the ones who fail this can evidently re-apply to be in this new gestapo division then.

JulianHJ

8,868 posts

291 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
I don't know how stringent the 'plastic police' (to quote tabloids) entrance exams are. I am aware that there is a level of unease within the police about the lack of training these new PCSO's etc receive.

love machine

7,609 posts

264 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Than god I live out in the sticks where my old mini is well known.

"It's that monkey in the blue mini again, don't bother, he's legal...."

There is too much meat in the pyramid between the top man and the public.

Dave 4000

308 posts

287 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
JulianHJ said:
RAF intelligence


Are you sure

D_Mike

5,301 posts

269 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
I'm just curious how they charged him with carrying an offensive weapon in public when it was

1. a penknife

2. in his briefcase, inside his car.

that doesn't sound much like public to me...

JulianHJ

8,868 posts

291 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Dave 4000 said:

JulianHJ said:
RAF intelligence



Are you sure



Was expecting that

Wacky Racer

41,324 posts

276 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Well, amongst other things, I sell a very large selection of Swiss army knives/lock/sheath knives, display Japanese Samuri swords, martial arts/ boxing equipment, air/paintball guns etc, for a living, but point blank refuse to sell stuff like knuckledusters/ extending batons and the like for obvious reasons, even though there is a very healthy demand for them.....

In my opinion, there is NO excuse for carrying an extending baton in a car, (for "protection" or otherwise), one blow from one of these on the head would almost certainly result in death......

Swiss army knife, can't see any problem, but these should STILL not be carried on the street, just commonsense really.......

It's where you draw the line......

v8thunder

27,647 posts

287 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Wacky Racer said:
Well, amongst other things, I sell a very large selection of Swiss army knives/lock/sheath knives, display Japanese Samuri swords, martial arts/ boxing equipment, air/paintball guns etc, for a living, but point blank refuse to sell stuff like knuckledusters/ extending batons and the like for obvious reasons, even though there is a very healthy demand for them.....

In my opinion, there is NO excuse for carrying an extending baton in a car, (for "protection" or otherwise), one blow from one of these on the head would almost certainly result in death......

Swiss army knife, can't see any problem, but these should STILL not be carried on the street, just commonsense really.......

It's where you draw the line......


But it wasn't being carried on the street. It sounds like it was part of an emergency toolkit, and it was, in fact, the policeman who brought it out in public, therefore (technically) putting him in the wrong.

blueyes

4,799 posts

281 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Hmmm, only half a story here, methinks?

Much as I'm not a big fan of the police, the bloke sounds like a real pain in the arse. He admits to calling a plod a w*nker, to his face, in a police station- not a clever move was it? God knows what else he said to the muppets at the side of the road. Plod is only human- wind him up and he'll make your day hell. I can't believe they went to all this trouble if the bloke was such a "nice helpful guy". Put a jobsworth plod and a smarmy jo public together and it'll only end in tears.

Anyway, read it carefully again. Can't put my finger on it but lots of things don't add up.

RossMac

856 posts

270 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
agree that doesn't quite add up. Most plod, even those without fathers, would have some leniency here

The bloke is probably laughing away as they missed the dismembered prostitute in the roll of carpet in the boot of his car

cotty

42,230 posts

313 months

Saturday 27th November 2004
quotequote all
Wacky Racer said:

Swiss army knife, can't see any problem, but these should STILL not be carried on the street, just commonsense really.......



I have two Swiss army penknives and as far as I can see they dont lock the blade in place once opened. Are they considerd locking????