UK NEWS

OUTRAGE AS POLICE CHIEF ORDERS OFFICERS 'BE POLITE TO YOBS'

PCs should be PC: Chief Constable Julie Spence

Thursday March 13,2008

By Tom Whitehead Home Affairs Correspondent

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(20)

A POLICE chief sparked outrage yesterday after demanding that her officers be nice to unruly yobs.

Cambridgeshire Chief Constable Julie Spence accused her officers of being “classist” because they treat a working-class teenager differently to a middle-class old lady.

She ordered staff to mind their manners when dealing with the public – or risk giving the force a bad image.

But critics said every situation where police come into contact with the public will be different and officers must be free to deal with them as they see appropriate.

Mrs Spence said: “If a working-class teenager starts swearing, an officer will sometimes use the same language back. However, the officer will treat a little old lady in a middle-class area in a nicer way.

“Officers go into situations using stereotypes. They treat people in a classist way. Those born on a housing estate will be treated differently to a middle-class lady. Officers lower themselves to the teenagers.”

But Tory MP Philip Davies, who campaigns against political correctness, said: “A middle-class old lady is not usually terrorising the local environment.

“The upper echelons of the police are obsessed with political correctness and should trust their officers to deal with incidents as they see fit.”

Mr Davies added: “Mrs Spence has probably forgotten that officers put themselves in dangerous situations and rather than sticking up for the rights of these yobs, she should be sticking up for her officers.”

The chief constable’s comments follow a study that revealed victims and witnesses of crime are less confident in the criminal justice system after dealings with police.

But the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, urged officers to use common sense.

A spokeswoman said: “If officers are given strict guidelines or a tight script they must adhere to, it is likely to cause more problems.” And David Williams, West Midlands Police personnel director, said: “We need to invest in training to make sure PCs leave a good impression with the public.

“But it’s not just about training, good briefing of officers before they go into a disadvantaged area is essential. I do not want to see just another set of training packages.”

Mrs Spence won widespread praise last year for voicing concerns over the impact of mass migration on communities. She warned that police needed more resources as they struggled to control disorder resulting from the arrival of so many new immigrants.

SO MANY LOGICAL COMMENTS

16.03.08, 11:17am

I am pleasantly surprised to see so many brilliant comments here.

What manner of Police Authority would appoint such a dumbo police chief? She's obviously a LibDem.

Can you imagine it:

Police Officer "Excuse me Mr Tthug, could you please desist from beating this old lady. It's not a nice thing to do you know."

Thug "unprintable expetives with a minor racist remark!!!"

Police Officer, "Now Now, that was not very nice. I will have to arrest you for making a racist remark which is vile and illegal"

Thug "Sorry Guv"

Police Offiecr: "Too late, you made a racist remark there". Calls for the Armed Response Unit...."We have a racist here!!!!.

Old lady dies whilst ARU arrest the racist who is charged with 'making a racist remark' and jailed for ten years. No futher mention of the murder of the old lady.

It is no joke...that is what Polly Corry Chief Constables are bringing to us. It's all in the name of meeting government targets. The judge gave such a heavy sentence because the thug also failed to recycle a beer can he was drinking from. IF IT WASN'T HAPPENING, IT WOULD BE A JOKE!!

• Posted by: TrueBlueSpirit • Report Comment

POLISH YOBS SHOES!

14.03.08, 9:50am

And does the order include that they polish to yobs shoes and then lick them to please them!

What lunatic ideas these people get and still get paid tens of thousands of pounds in salaries and pensions!

No wonder thiis country is now full of crooks and crikinals, including the ones in parliament, because of such incompetent people!

• Posted by: Nalin • Report Comment

THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN DELETED

13.03.08, 11:30pm

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• Posted by: abuela • Report Comment

NUTTY COPPER

13.03.08, 9:09pm

and she's ugly aswell.

• Posted by: preddo53 • Report Comment

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13.03.08, 9:06pm

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• Posted by: preddo53 • Report Comment

THE LUNATICS ARE RUNNING THE ASYLUM

13.03.08, 9:00pm

How much are we paying this woman for this pc nonsense?

No wonder the streets are awash with yobs, the bloody police have gone soft in the head. Pity they don't use a bit more common sense instead of NU Labour leftie idealism that is ruining our society.

• Posted by: Jac16 • Report Comment