An Open Letter To @KernowKop

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Yet again I find myself indebted to @NathanConstable, if you haven’t yet read his post on PC Alice Nicholas you can find it here.

I must declare that I have no insight on why you (Alice) seem to have left the SM field, and it is absolutely your right to do so if you feel that it is the correct or appropriate thing to do.  Many of us, however, have formed the opinion that you may have been pressured into this course of action by D&C Professional Standards.  I sincerely hope that we are wrong.  I am aware that some Twitterers in your part of the world have previously had problems regarding their use of SM, Newquay Sarge and PS Gary Watts amongst them, so I conducted some very unscientific research into the problem, the results of which can be found here, but basically appeared to show that there was not a problem in reality.

I’m old enough that when I joined The Job Social Media hadn’t even been dreamt of, but we were told when we joined not to breach the Official Secrets Act, not to talk to The Press, and not to breach ‘Confidentiality’.  That never really included “Thou shalt not criticise government or Police policies”.  Surprisingly, I got into trouble a few times for criticising senior officers and/or their policies but it never amounted to more than being invited into a bullying Chief Inspector’s office and treated to the mother of all bollockings.  It was never career-threatening, nor did it ever appear on my official discipline record.

So what I want to know is this, when did it become unacceptable to tell people the truth?

I have seen nothing in your tweets Alice that struck me as being untrue or unreasonable.  With the swingeing cuts inflicted on Policing by Theresa May and the likes it comes as no surprise that front line officers will have an opinion on that.  Why shouldn’t they, it affects them? Why should you and your peers not be allowed to voice those opinions without fear of retribution.  It is not Bringing The Force Into Disrepute it is highlighting the true effects of government policy.  Theresa May introduced Party Politics into Policing, it should come as no surprise that Police zofficers have something to say about that.

I have noted a couple of other tweets on your official account that Nathan did highlight, and they may have also had a part to play, but completely understandable;

https://twitter.com/kernowkop/status/722491145570398208

https://twitter.com/kernowkop/status/721273418264539136

https://twitter.com/kernowkop/status/693801150714347520

I have also noted that these three Tweets appear (to me at least) to be the sole remaining Tweets, presumably you, or somebody else, has deleted the rest.

In closing, I, and many others, am sad to see you go.  The Job hierarchy really has to get its corporate head around the fact that cops have opinions and should not be bullied into supressing them.  Lies and Inuendo are one thing but nobody should have to fear speaking the TRUTH.

Alice, you will be missed. Twitter will be a poorer place for your absence.

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