"There is absolutely no room in this constabulary for this type of communication"
Mr Brunstrom said the images were shown to drive home the true horror caused by dangerous driving.
Melt down
2 hours ago
"Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold" - W.B. Yeats. "We're doomed !" - Private Frazer. "Like scrolling through a decade's worth of Daily Mail editorials in 20 minutes" - TheLoonyFromCatford
13 comments:
Spot on!
The man really is the Traffic Taliban, although not chopping people himself he shows the pictures...
I can't remember what the atatistics are for people being "accidentally" killed by the police. Over the last few years, quite a few teenage "joyriders" have been killed in police chases, as have quite a few innocent passers-by.
A few complete innocents have been seriously injured, even killed, by speeding cops who weren't carrying out a police operation...
I suppose you could send the police illustrated E-mails with captions such as "Look what happens when you walk into Stockwell Tube Station" or "Look what happens when you're carryibg a table-leg home from the pub".
Do you remember from a few years back, the shootings of John Shorthouse, a mere child, shot dead while asleep in bed, by a trigger-happy copper? Or of Cherry Groce,left paralysed, or of Stephen Waldorf, who only just survived a fusillade of bullets from the police, loosed off because the lady he was driving with happened to resemble some gangster's girl-friend?
I had occasion to Google these three unfortunates a few months ago, and I've the distinct impression that there were more mentions of them on the web then than there are now. Let them not be forgotten!
Start off by looking at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/westmidlands/series7/police_crashes.shtml
I'm a law-and-order man myself but the saying "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" springs to my lips daily...
I believe Stephen Waldorf was with a girl who was a gangsters girlfriend.
veritas wrote “quite a few teenage "joyriders" have been killed in police chases” Joyrider? Failing to stop, exceeding speed limits in residential areas and endangering pedestrians is a more accurate description. This is a no-win situation for the Police and hence the general public. Should pedestrians be allowed to ignore Police and walk away when challenged in the street?
veritas wrote "Look what happens when you're carryibg a table-leg home from the pub". I recollect that the Police received a report that a man was seen in a pub with a shotgun and that the man had previous convictions. Where would most people be in the queue to challenge a man who may have been consuming alcohol, has previous criminal convictions and is reportedly armed with a shotgun?
"I can't remember what the statistics are for people being "accidentally" killed by the police. Over the last few years, quite a few teenage "joyriders" have been killed in police chases, as have quite a few innocent passers-by."
The statistics are going up, after last night's incident:
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=47164&in_page_id=34
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" ?
I was under the impression that innocent victims of police action are investigated and the officers concerned are often put on trial if the findings rule as such.
PC Brian Chester, stood trial for manslaughter of John Shorthouse, but was acquitted.
Inspector Douglas Lovelock, was prosecuted for malicious wounding of Cherry Groce, he was acquitted. Mrs Groce received compensation from the Metropolitan Police.
PC John Jardine and PC Peter Finch were prosecuted for the attempted murder and attempted wounding of Stephen Waldorf, and acquitted. Waldorf also received compensation.
juliam, your example states the victims were killed by the car being chased, not by the police.
"...your example states the victims were killed by the car being chased, not by the police."
Indeed they were - but there will no doubt be a call of 'don't chase car thieves on health & safety grounds' regardless....
And I'm coming to think that those calling for this are right.
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" ?
Yes, crooked policemen are occasionally sent for trial - but they are always acquitted.
And I'm coming to think that those calling for this are right.
How so ? Surely not on the incident you cite, when the crash and deaths happened after the police lost the car, i.e. when it was not actually being chased.
You'll have to do better if you want to prove that criminals will kill less innocent bystanders if the police don't get involved.
"Surely not on the incident you cite, when the crash and deaths happened after the police lost the car, i.e. when it was not actually being chased."
The arguments go that, should the police not chase, the accidents would not occur.
In a lot of US states, SOP is, when entering (or in danger of entering) a residential area, the police back off & leave it to overhead surveillance.
To ANONYMOUS - I'm afraid I can't remember whether the lady involved WAS a genuine gangster's moll, and even if she was, it doesn't matter: the police must not claim the right to kill an acquaintance of a gangster's acquaintance!
And to BERT RUSTLE - same sort of thing really applies: the man involved wasn't a big pot in the crime world. And why was so much credibility accorded the man who reported him for holding a shotgun?
And to IANCROYDON - again, the same. Apparently the guys who wounded Waldorf DIDN'T wound him...
I happened to live near a fairly big London criminal who used to be a Master of a local Masonic Lodge: at his trial his masonic affiliations were revealed, as was the fact that they had been useful in furthering his criminal career: had I seen him walking along the street with his little briefcase, should I have told the police that there was a villain, possibly armed, and then waited while they shot him? (Actually, they wouldn't have, because the Lodge's officers contained several serving coppers (Inspectors and possibly a Super) who rallied round and paid his sub while he was inside...but that's another problem.
A close relation of mine was run down by a speeding copper (approx 80 in a 30 zone) who just wanted to get to a party: she was partially disabled, he's now top brass. Compensation? None, not even an apology.
Post a Comment