Legal-Charging-Police Bail-Under Investigation

Well its a bit of a bizarre statement but yes condensing the current 43 forces down to a manageable number of around 5 or 6 would have job losses and a concentration of funds more on the front line rather than in backroom office jobs and administration,
It is Interesting that the whole of Scotland can manage with just one police force after combining the previous 8 in 2013 and that Northern Ireland has only one police force but England and Wales still have over 40 different forces all to be administered and funded as such wasting Billions of pounds on unnecessary duplication,

 

I am not saying we shouldn’t try to cut costs. However, the population of Scotland is the same as Yorkshire, in fact iYorkshire might be larger. You would also need to look at the reported crime versus population, terrain type to make a more comprehensive comparison. I actually agree about crime commissioners, never did see what added value these political entities would provide. Not sure about the population of Wales. Nevertheless swathes of cutbacks across the Police Force has its effect. The top managers are never going to vote for Christmas, so it has had a dramatic effect on front line services.

 

1. I disagree. I'm 63 and my eyes tell me that there has always been a significant police presence at many public events. I don't see a massive increase in numbers.
What I do see is a massive decrease in the number of police deployed every Saturday and many weekday evenings to keep rival football supporters apart. The numbers utilised today are a tiny fraction of those deployed in the football hooligan heyday of the 1970s. I'm convinced that that reduction alone more than makes up for any increases at other events.

2. Nope, not buying this. Tommy Robinson is a neo fascist with a long history of membership and leading ultra right wing organisations, some of which are now quite rightly banned. He is a very skilled media manipulator. He dresses his events up as family friendly as a cover, but their entire purpose is to incite hatred of immigrants, particularly Muslims. He knows full well that holding public rallies in heavily Asian areas like Oldham is a red rag to a bull to local Muslim youth. It's deliberate provocation, and he does it precisely to get an aggressive reaction. Of course, it works like a charm. It's very skilfully planned and executed with the sole intention of putting stuff online in which he plays the victim and further justifies his anti-Muslim message.

3. I don't know that there are many coppers queuing up to to work in specialist sexual crime units. It's grim work that can take a heavy toll on those doing it. Most of the cops I worked with when I was involved in doing Mental Health Act Assessments wouldn't have wanted to touch that sort of work with a barge pole.
'Sorting out crap like domestics'. As someone who has had plenty of experience helping women escape from violent male partners I can assure you that domestic abuse policing isn't 'crap', it's highly necessary. Yes, some of it is low level arguments between two drunken partners but an awful lot isn't. You are minimising a very real problem. We actually need more resources put into policing domestic abuse, not fewer.

4. I accept your admonishment. I should have said 'comparitively few straight white western males are victims of hate crimes'. Of course some do, particularly the groups you mention, plus those with mental health problems or learning disabilities. But, by comparison with minority groups, it's far less common.
It's neither racist nor sexist to acknowledge that white males are the least persecuted or discriminated-against group in our society; it's a blindingly obvious fact.

I'm curious to know which of that list of hate crimes you believe is trivial or should not be thus classified. The police do use their common sense when applying this stuff, you know. Of course damage to a vehicle or throwing rubbish into a garden isn't hate crime per se, but it can be if it's done repeatedly and/or with the intention of persecuting/intimidating people because of their perceived difference. That list contains examples of what can be classed as hate crime. It doesn't mean that they always are - context is everything.

 

Can’t afford it or choose not to fund it?

 

Probably a bit of both I reckon.

There's probably a billion just from the UK police budget going towards terrorism and another two million or more on pensions.

It's amazing there's anything left to put bobbies out on the beat ;-)

 

Police forces round the country have built administrative empires with top of the range cars and salaries to match, Meanwhile the front line is the first to be cut when savings are made.

Reminds me of the Yes Minister sketch where the new local hospital was open and fully staffed but could not afford to admit any patients, It won the best run hospital award