ARTICLES RELATED TO POLICE BEHAVIOUR

WRONGLY ACCUSED PERSON

THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, THE FOLLOWING RELATED ARTICLES HIGHLIGHT JUST HOW MUCH OF ONE IT IS.

While the general public continue to put huge amounts of faith in our current justice system, the reasons why they should not do so continue to grow. A frequently recurring theme in any prosecution case, particularly when evidence against the accused is weak or non-existent, is what is known as ‘Character Assassination’. However the character of those at the heart of any investigation, the police as a whole, is never doubted. The following articles raise serious doubts over how justifiable this imbalance is. Clearly it is not the intent of this site to suggest that all serving police officers are of unsuitable character, merely the need for better procedures to be in place to ensure that investigations are not subject to flaws caused by any department or individuals within it which could create victims of injustice.

Amazon is currently offering Blackstone’s Police Operational Handbook 2009 at a reduced price with free postage, and for more senior officers Blackstone’s Police Manuals 2009: Four Volume Set also at a reduced price with free delivery.

Police misconduct costs forces £44m -The Times
The bulk was paid out for wrongful arrests, assaults, malicious prosecutions and abuses of human rights, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FoI).

Police Behaviour Needs More Scrutiny
By Karen Clark Stapleton (An ex-police and prison officer!)

An Evaluation of the New Police Misconduct Procedures – Home Office Report
This home office report on police misconduct procedures notes that the changes introduced following concerns raised by The Home Affairs Committee aimed at improving police standards had made little difference to operational police practice. To me, “following concerns raised” is acceptance at government level that there is a problem and little difference to operational police practice means that the problem still exists.

G20 police behaviour ‘unacceptable’ – BBC NEWS (video clip)
How can the general public honestly accept that investigations are conducted properly by those capable of this type of behaviour?
Isn’t it interesting how it suddenly wrong to report on this clear video evidence, but it isn’t when an innocent person is accused?
If expert witnesses are so accurate, how are the post mortem results so different?
Questions, Questions, Questions……

IPCC: Conclusion of first police misconduct hearing in public
Misconduct between the 1st & 2nd February 2005 meant that a planned interview with Colette Lynch concerning a violent incident on the 1st was “cancelled without knowledge”. Sadly Colette (24) died as a result of stab woulds following a disturbance in Garyth Williams Close, Rugby on 3 February 2005. 2 officers were fined 5 days pay and a civilian supervisor in a call center was given a written warning, barred from supervising for 5 years and later left the force.

http://www.firmmagazine.com/news/1005/Reporter_Cleared_After_%27Ludicrous%27_Charge_of_Impersonation.html
 
It’s not very often I have supportive things to say about the media in general, but this article really brings home just how out of control the police have become. It’s dated August 2008, just 20 months ago, and although the case was thrown out, I don’t see anything in there saying that the officers involved have been held to account in any way.
 
Lauren Crooks echoes the same sentiments we hear week in and week out:
 
“I still find it hard to  get my head around the fact that this could happen to a bona fide reporter doing a perfectly routine job in a transparent way in modern day Scotland. It is quite unbelievable.”
 
For “bona fide reporter” you could insert teacher, father, schoolboy, soldier, shopkeeper, truck driver….. we’ve heard those words from all of those and many more besides. Most of them are not as fortunate as Ms Crooks, though, and this sort of rubbish ended up somehow being enough to convict them.