The prevalent, `it's not my fault`, attitude strikes yet again, but I fail to see how this will change all that. Still, it will make a nice change from home videos from the front line of Afghanistan when our troops finally escape from that hell hole.
Cameras in police custody centres were initially viewed with suspicion but soon earned the trust and respect of officers. Having a camera strapped to my body armour during my time at the very sharp end would have been highly questionable, as I did not want any more kit strapped to my already sagging back than I absolutely needed to do the job. But hey, they're much smaller these days. Good luck guys.
Sad for any family when one of their flock chooses a life where violent death features high on the list of possible outcomes. One day, just maybe, we'll hear some dead blagger's grieving auntie sobbing, "this would never have happened if only he'd got a job with Tesco".
17 comments:
People are shot and killed all the time around here by police and I don't think any of them have been ruled over the top.
I couldn't image the police would like having cameras strapped on. They have dash cams in most cars, but that is about it.
Hi B, yes the US attitude is very different as I discovered when I did an exchange in Michigan during my policing years. We expect the best from our police - thousands of armed responses over the course of a year, but shots actually fired are in single figures - and as I inferred, if he'd not chosen the career of drug dealing, gun carrying criminal....
A body cam may or may not capture the act of shooting but people need to be aware of the stresses and strains acting on an AFO who actually has to shoot. No matter how good the training an AFO will be under immense mental and physical stress and will suffer from some degree of perceptual distortion (see Dave Grossman and his book 'On Killing').
Put quite simply it means that several witnesses to the same event will in all likelihood give conflicting accounts. It may not mean that someone is lying, just that the witnesses have registered different versions of the same event. Whatever happens the legal profession will make a lot of money.
A couple of points to end with:
Why does it take so long for these procedures be completed?
Just for once I would like the 'community leaders' to admit they have a problem with their young men killing each other and getting involved in heavy duty criminality but I suspect that won't happen as 'victim status' is much more beneficial to them.
Retired
Ret'd, agree on all points, unsurprisingly, as we have been through the same system. Perceptual distortion is highly relevant as you say and the public will never grasp the reality.
It also works both ways and I have listened to reports of several incidents during my tenure, where it was crystal clear to me and I suspect others, albeit from the calmness and safety of my desk, that the subject in the case ticked all the necessary boxes for being justifiably shot, yet the principal officers in each case chose not to. It actually raised questions in my mind as to whether the officers were right to remain firearms authorised but, at the time, that decision was not within my remit. A sensitive issue to be sure. I can only imagine the media furore in a case of `officer removed from armed duties for NOT shooting someone`, yet this procedure does take place within the training and assessment regime that you and I were a part of, from both ends.
Duggan's antecedent history, as reported in various organs of the press, portrays a lifestyle that is very familiar to those who have to mix with those of his ilk, and alien and nigh impossible to comprehend by the majority.
Hogday, I agree with the shoot/no shoot situation. I suspect that many more officers do not fire when they would have been quite justified in doing so but chose to go down another route. That speaks volumes for their restraint. When the commentariat speak of 'trigger happy' UK police and are serious I wonder what they would think of other jurisdictions where police resort to lethal force far more frequently? From the safety of an office and with detached hindsight things seem so easy. Perhaps with body cams we can have a policing equivalent of the TMO in rugby with a high court judge sitting in a police control room to review the evidence. In any event Duggan will the gift that keeps on giving for the legal profession. I did note that our esteemed PM looked a tad disappointed with the verdict however as did the rest of the political class.
Retired
Ret'd, yes, that well practiced politicians Janus-faced look of `concern and disdain` with a nod to the community (and maybe one to the `plebs`? inscrutable, either way)
"Back, and to the left. Back, and to the left. Back, and to the left..."
"...and as I inferred, if he'd not chosen the career of drug dealing, gun carrying criminal...."
Unsupported by any hard evidence whatsoever, this outburst is pure malice, Hogday.
Even police 'intelligence' on Mr Duggan was of the lowest grade. A fact significant in itself and totally incompatible with police descriptions of Mr Duggan as a highly dangerous criminal. A label to emerge via Holy conception in the days following the shooting.
UK police have as much 'form' for killing unarmed civilians as for smearing their victims and lying about the circumstances in which they died. Nobody is safe from this smearing, least of all grieving relatives who are inevitably obliged to cope with the additional burden of defending reputations. Right, Mrs Lawrence?
"Unsupported by any hard evidence whatsoever..."
Apart from the purchase of an illegal gun from a(nother) crimimnal just a few hours before his death.
Maybe he had a squirrel problem?
"Apart from the purchase of an illegal gun from a(nother) crimimnal just a few hours before his death."
Nope. Colour clouds your judgement again, Julia. Just as well he was no Lycra-wearing cyclist, eh?
So Melvin the trial of the man who sold Duggan the gun was also another fit-up was it?
Duggan was on his way to an orphanage to deliver presents was he?
Trident just follow any old black man at random do they and just got lucky this time?
The family are not related to serious gangster are they?
How did he support his various baby-mothers then?
No reporter has had the guts to ask any of these questions to his saintly family.
You are delusional as always.
Jaded
Whatever the spin, multiple babies and mothers alone have left our magnificent welfare system with a hefty bill for a generation, all down to one who chose the life that claimed his own.
Intelligence and information are two different things, as `MTG` infers. You can have one without the other but one on its own is usually not enough, yet often more telling. Now what was it that finally nailed a certain Mr Capone? I think it was tax evasion and a very nasty venereal disease. far more painful than a hit, centre-mass, from a .45ACP.
@ WC Jaded
Mastery of our language is a prerequisite to proficiency in English Law.
Most London Colleges offer evening courses in English. Alternatively, you can learn the language online where various aspects of grammar acquisition are presented with simple examples.
As usual Melvin, you become the internet grammar police when you cannot answer any of my valid points.
You are a repetitive pompous twat.Do I need language lessons for that sentence?
Jaded
"Nope. Colour clouds your judgement again, Julia."
What 'colour' would that be?
I have never had commenters receiving personal insults before.
Jaded, your voice is most welcome on my irregular postings; anytime.
Thanks HDA-MTG and I chase each other around on several blogs,especially Julia M's.It's a hobby I suppose as I don't collect stamps or train-spot.
Jaded
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