Conspiracy Theories R Us

Last updated on July 25th, 2023 at 02:18 pm

Reading Time: 4 minutes

I shall no doubt be labelled a ‘Conspiracy Theorist’ but so what? I’ve been called worse, but, unlike some, I haven’t made a fuss about it.

The unthinkable occurred to me this morning, a semi-flippant comment of mine actually got me thinking. A whole host of things have changed since 2010, and maybe they’re all linked. I know full well that I’m not going to get any support from MSM for today’s blog, but hey, what’s new?

In 2010 the face of British Policing, in England and Wales at least, changed forever when David Camoron became Prime Minister and Theresa May his 1st lieutenant as Home Secretary.

Forgive me if my chronology is a bit out, or if I miss out a step, but my grey cells are quite fatigued these days.

The Tom Winsor Independent Reviews of Police Officers and Staff Remuneration and Conditions. Many front line troops believe that this report was poorly researched, deeply flawed in certain areas and not subject of any meaningful consultation or negotiation. It was more a sort of a diktat that bore all the hallmarks of a David Camoron speech.

“David Cameron clearly stipulated back in 2006 that we needed reforming for reform’s sake and now he has conned the police service and the public by masking his reform package and selling them as independent recommendations

Just the beginning, the Police Service has been unsettled, and, rightly or wrongly, their anger is directed towards Tom Winsor and away from Camoron, where it rightly belonged.

Austerity. Under the guise of a now discredited Austerity programme Theresa May announced that it was NECESSARY to reduce Police Budgets. The Institute of Fiscal Studies released a report into the #Cuts which, entirely coincidentally, was co-authored by Professor Richard Disney who assisted Tom Winsor to produce his Independent Reviews.

Since 2010 Police Officer numbers in England and Wales have been slashed by >21,000 officers, thousands of Support Staff, PCSOs and even Specials have declined. Yet with so many fewer officers they are expected to deliver a world-class service in the face of increasing demands. In short, those left behind are burning out, expected to deliver an unattainable level of service.

Appointment of Tom Winsor as Chief Inspector HMIC, a role previously reserved for ex Chief Constables. A man with no previous experience of Policing, a former Rail Regulator, is now head of the Inspectorate of all things Policing. If it was not predicted that would cause unrest amongst the troops it well should have been.

Stop and Search curtailed. Theresa May, as Home Secretary, made it abundantly clear that Stop and Search needed to be curtailed or she would introduce legislation to curtail it. Political interference in operational policing at the highest level. The result?

Astronomical levels of knife crime and knife-related murders as people carrying knives recognise that there is much less chance of those weapons being detected.

Direct Entry Inspectors and Superintendents. A controversial subject and has caused much heated debate on Twitter over the past few days. Members of the DE Scheme should not really be openly abused on Social Media, after all they did not invent the scheme but they have taken advantage of it. However, when they claim that after a mere year they are equally well-qualified as traditional Inspectors and Superintendents, but surely this simply cannot be true. Like it or not they are interfering with the career aspirations of serving Sergeants and Chief Inspectors who have worked hard to get where they are. It is hardly surprising that DE Entrants are regarded with suspicion and hostility.

Police Now. Another seemingly pointless, alternative, method of recruitment. I have yet to engage with anyone who fully understands why this scheme exists and why it needs to be a Registered Charity.

Aims & activities

Police Now’s mission is to transform communities, reduce crime and increase the public’s confidence in policing, by recruiting and developing outstanding and diverse individuals to be leaders in society and on the policing front line. Police Now, an innovative scheme aiming to transform challenged communities and develop a new generation of inspiring leaders from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Who the charity helps

The general public/mankind

One more thing seemingly designed to unsettle, or divide, the Police Workforce.

Direct Entry Detectives. The slashing of 21,000 officers has had serious knock-on effects further down the line and there is now a serious shortage of Detectives.

In a first for UK policing, Londoners will now have the opportunity to join the Metropolitan Police Service directly as a detective constable, working in investigative policing immediately after initial training.

Once again we see the potential for turning officer against officer. There will be hard-working officers wanting to become tecs but being held back by a shortage of Response Officers meaning they can’t be released. Resentment will undoubtedly surface sooner rather than later.

Throw items like cutting Police Dogs and Horses, plus the unfathomable decisions regarding the Police National Air Service into the mix and you have a deeply troubled workforce. Criminals are not stupid. They know full well there are 21,000 fewer officers on the streets. That, plus the curtailing of Stop and Search greatly improves their chances of ‘getting away with it’.

I could go on, but my quill is getting weary.

The greatest wrong-doing in all of this is the total reluctance of the majority of NPCC officers speaking out against any of it, some even going as far as promoting parts of it as good practice.

Congratulations are due to Theresa May. It has every appearance that she has perfected the art of ‘Divide and Conquer’ Way too muchconspiracy theories resentment and in-fighting now exists within the dysfunctional Police Family. Instead of pulling together, good, loyal, well-meaning officers are being distracted by the results of political interference.

Just my opinion of course.

Enjoyed the post? Share it?
0
0
Scroll to Top
Verified by MonsterInsights