Its a Fair Cop.....Cop!

And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse?

The corruption and devil-may-care cavalier attitude becomes evident or should I say evidence?

One presumes that all our Boys in BLUE are honest decent upholders of the law.....but it only takes one bad apple and the rest becomes a realisation!


Lesson One: Bread & Butter Policing

This is so called because it is basic policing - the staple diet of a police officer is statement taking. It is one of the first things an officer learns to do. It's essential to have a first hand account of what has actually happened at a crime scene, written, signed and validated.

Here is the ideal scenario.

(i) If you see a crime being committed — you call the police.

(ii) If you're lucky and they're not busy — they turn up.

(iii) If you're lucky and they're feeling brave — they arrest the criminal.

(iv) If you're lucky and the police are having a good brain day — they label any evidence available and take it with them — though its debatable if it's ever
seen again.

(v) If you're lucky and its not burger time — they take a statement.

(vi) If you're lucky and you know your rights — you read the statement.

(vii)If you're lucky and the police manage to copy down what you said
correctly — you sign it.

(viii)If you're lucky and the CPS think they have a good chance of a
conviction — it goes to court.

(ix) If you're lucky and your perpetrator hasn't got a good solicitor to get
him off — ie 'he comes from a broken home m'lud' - He's sentenced
usually to some paltry community service.

(x) If you're extra lucky you might get some kind of compensation for any
damage incurred. (Though hopes of this materialising is tantamount to winning the lottery as most of these perps don't have 2pence to scratch their backsides with so rule out any idea of moving to millionaires row).

(xi) If you're extra extra lucky and you manage all of the above — that might be your only brush with the law, but the chances are it won't be and you'll end up
a recurring victim of one kind or another.

Can you see the overall pattern emerging here?

Its mostly down to luck whether or not you get a conviction against a felon.

Well that is how it works in theory but in practise ......now that's another kettle of RED herrings!

In my case, because of course by now most of you will have realised that I am a special case, my local beat bobby didn't do any of the above.

He was called to my home late one night after my having experienced several items being thrown at my re-enforced windows, one so violently that it made the camera attached to the window
become dislodged.
I'm aware of what has been captured on video tape by the cameras and know who the perpetrator is — the grandson of a SEDGEFIELD BOROUGH COUNCILLOR and one no less than was asked by TONY BLAIR'S office to get in touch and help me.
He didn't of course and now I know why. His grandson was part of the gang that made my life intolerable.

My local beat bobby arrives takes the tape and says he will be back later to take a statement, and that was the last I saw of him until several days later when another incident with my neighbour coming into my garden and staring through my windows was reported. He comes out and says he would have a word. There was no mention of the previous incident or the taking of a statement. After having been let down so often - I thought that it was a case of another crime going nowhere as so many other incidents had even though they had been caught on camera too.
You could have knocked me down with a feather when several weeks later I get a letter through the post saying 'I would not be required at court as the youth had admitted guilt and my statement would not be needed to be read out.
ALARM BELLS START RINGING!!!!! WAIT A MINUTE - I HAVEN'T MADE A STATEMENT!

I rang the courts and was put through to the Duty Sgt - when I explained my position there was one of those sharp intakes of breath and he said an Inspector would be round to see me shortly.
I had no sooner put the phone down and made a cup of tea when there was a knock at the door and yes you guessed it AN INSPECTOR CALLS.

There stood the newly appointed

Community Inspector STEVE WINSHIP.

He came in introduced himself and showed me a statement housed in a clear perspex wallet. He asked me to read it and to check the signatures.

The statement was nothing like what I had recounted — it was totally inaccurate.

My name had been forged twice on the statement, once on the first page and finally at the end.

As an afterthought to make it look thoroughly authentic, my initials had been inserted where a crossing out had taken place.

But as I pointed out to the Inspector my name was spelled incorrectly - I do know how to spell my own name!

I was asked to furnish the Inspector with proof of my signature, my passport and my credit cards. He scrutinised these and then asked me to sign four blank pieces of paper as further proof of my identity.

He then took them and told me that there would be further investigations made. He asked me not to tell my beat bobby what had happened as he couldn't be sure yet who had forged my name on the statement. That's great so any one of his officers at the station could be considered a forger?

Only after he left did the seriousness of what had happened hit me.

A member of Her Majesty's Constabulary had forged my name on a Witness statement.

So after finally getting one of these vagabonds into court the only statement submitted at that time wasn't even signed by me!!!!!

It wasn't enough for me to have to be victimised day after day by low life and then ignored by the council, now I had to be cheated on by the police!

How low can you go ...... to the depths of despair obviously???