My dad was a copper from the late forties to the seventies and my mum left the job to raise her kids. Police officers were generally tough, stoical, common-sense men and women back then. Many had been through the war and had military experience. Not a lot fazed them. Policing was very visible. You were never very far from a beat officer, patrol car or station and the fact they had whistles indicated that help was never far away.
Although policing was more visible, it was low key and reassuring, not oppressive. The meaningless slogan “policing by consent” would have raised eyebrows. As a police officer, you are part of the community and you uphold the law. End of.
Policing is more oppressive and hysterical now because, following the closure of stations and retreat from the community, they can only ever over-react to certain situations or not react at all, nor prevent or deter.
To give an example, back in the day a man exhibiting bizarre behaviour in the street would have been dealt with by a bobby on foot or bike or at most a couple of patrol officers in what my dad called a “wireless car”. They would be confident, calm, respectful and make sure the situation didn’t escalate — basic policing, in other words. Now, it would be sirens, flashing lights, three or more vehicles, shouting, tasers at the ready. Automatic escalation and the worsening of the situation. In those situations, lives can be lost.
The fact that officers are preoccupied with “woke” issues and exhibit bizarre behaviour when in uniform (skateboarding/dancing/taking the knee), hold depraved views and turn to crime, means the police service is now staffed by many officers woefully unsuited to law enforcement. Recruiting standards have fallen because, in a world with no crime prevention and deterrence, crime has gone up and, ironically, more staff are needed.
Having said that, there are good officers in the force today; but they are hampered by poor management, who are often fast-tracked from uni with a left-wing activist political agenda that prioritises the rights of criminals over victims.
We tend to look at the past with rose-tinted specs, and coppers were not all angels back then. There was sexism, misogyny, racism, antisemitism and corruption. The Battle of Cable Street is a case in point where police were seen to be biased in favour of the British Union of Fascists. Today they allow Islamists to shout antisemitic slurs in areas where Jews live.
I was bullied because my dad was a copper and we had the IRA to contend with. Dad had to look under his car. However, we generally felt that society was a safe place and the police had our backs. Not any more.
