Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2010-09-07 19:03:30 - Graham Ellis
I see that Melksham's in the news tonight - and sadly after an assault. But this was no drunken brawl in a pub - this was an assault by a police officer, inside the police station, on a lady in her late 50s. She's shown on the Guardian web site with a spectacular black eye and fears she will need an operation. There's no picture of the police officer - but then she didn't respond violently (she didn't have a chance - he's 6 foot 3, ex-army fit and aged just 37).
Of course, things are not always what they seem, are they? The 59 year old might have been a terrorist about to explode a suicide bomb ... except she wasn't - apparently, she had had a "domestic" with her partner, driven off from home and slept in her car ... where the police had found her and apparently assumed she was drunk. Oh - no case was ever brought against her. I'm able to retell this story in some detail because it's now been through the courts and the policeman involved has been convicted of the assault. Full report [here].
There has of course been an independent inquiry since the assault ... which has taken two years to go through the system. And the report doesn't make the happiest of reading. For sure, the police have a difficult job to do, but ... "systems for dealing with complaints were confused", "toilets lacked privacy and toilet paper was not routinely supplied" and "most of the cells surveyed failed to pass safety tests". Ouch!
We know a number of local police - including those still working, those retired, and others who are "PCSO"s - support staff who provide a presence without the expense of full officers. (See [psco details]). For the most part, they're lovely people, but there are one or two oddballs, and indeed I've previously written a blog, based on personal experience, entitled "Over zealous police activity?". And nor is this the only time there have been questions to ask ... see "Melksham manslaughter case concludes - sort of" where I really find myself wondering if the police reached their own verdict, then set out to find evidence that backed it up. From reports on this latest episode, they come across to me as condescending and smug at times ... or perhaps that's based on the time a few weeks ago when I walked into reception at Melksham Police Station and felt treated like an idiot for not walking past a sign that said "don't walk past here without permission".
I'm afraid this is a blog without answers - and even short on positive suggestions. How do you ensure that only people who are correctly motivated get into the police? That they continue to be correctly motivated and don't become complacent, smug, and arrogant with the majority of people who come into contact with them so little because they're law abiding citizens? How do you "turn the police around" so that people such as me - who should be a strong supporter of the organization - don't fear them?
There is so much to be proud of in Melksham. But just occasionally, something happens that we should be ashamed of.
I see that Melksham's in the news tonight - and sadly after an assault. But this was no drunken brawl in a pub - this was an assault by a police officer, inside the police station, on a lady in her late 50s. She's shown on the Guardian web site with a spectacular black eye and fears she will need an operation. There's no picture of the police officer - but then she didn't respond violently (she didn't have a chance - he's 6 foot 3, ex-army fit and aged just 37).