This was sent to the Hornet's Nest.
The continual complaint is that local police are rarely seen on the streets. One reason could be that they are busy learning how to plant trees.....
Chief Constable Watson of Great Manchester Police would come down heavily on this sort police pr: it really is unfunny.
The Met really does have some serious issues not least of which is that serious leadership is lacking.
How absolutely extraordinary it is that ‘police bashing’ has taken over the FTHN. Where would we be without them? There would be chaos, anarchy, disaster. Grow up Dame! How will we attract people to join the police force, which we need to protect us, if there is a constant barrage of hatred poured out against the police?
ReplyDeleteThe Met is struggling to recruit officers, with numbers set to fall 2,650 short by March 2025 at current application and recruitment levels.
Deleteand this nonsense is to help with recruitment? 1. it doesn't 2. It goes down badly with worried residents. Got it?
DeletePlease provide an example of the Hornets Nest 'police bashing'. Your comment is replete with utter nonsense. The way to attract serious recruits is not to give the impression that policing is some sort of unserious career. Policing is a very serious career choice and PC Dugdale's message is one giving an entirely wrong impression to the sort of recruits we want.
ReplyDeleteI agree: this sort of messaging is not what the terrified residents want to see.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was some sort of April Fool Joke
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the Borough Commander thinks about these jolly japes
ReplyDeleteAre you sure it was a ‘jolly jape’, trees are planted for many reasons. What was the reason in this case?
DeleteAre you right in the head? What has tree planting to do with professional policing?
DeleteAs you call it a 'jolly jape', that presumably rules out improving a work environment or honouring a fallen comrade.
DeleteYeah...the police station needs a tree? You need to stop embarrassing yourself with your idiotic comments
Delete10:18 I agree with 08:55....you are making an eejit of yerself. If it were for a 'fallen comrade' it would be insulting if it were publicised in this frivolous way. As for having a tree in an office to 'improve the working environment'...words fail.
DeleteSo, let me get this right …
DeleteSome people are being thanked as a sapling has been potted. And, the Dame kicks off!
Talk about snowflakery!
I doubt you get much right...and understand little. When a serving police office finds time to rabbit on about planting a tree and posts an image of another officer fooling around with said sapling one is led to question what the point is. Is this an attempt to show the police as 'warm and cuddly'? We want the police out on the streets of London not being 'warm and cuddly' in the office!
DeleteSo, lt me get this right …
DeleteYou write you don’t want police shown as ‘warm and cuddly’. It was the old Bobby that tended to be associated with a ‘warm and cuddly’ view of the uniformed police officer. And, you (even though you use the plural ‘we) want the police out on the streets of London … basically calling for a return of the Bobby.
The old Bobby was actually a visible presence on our streets. He did not pretend to be 'warm and cuddly' sitting around in a station putting out foolish messages on social media to connect up with community. And, so YES...we want out of the streets beating the beat every day of the year. It is not so difficult to understand.
DeleteSocial media can be a useful tool for police if used correctly. (Wanted criminals, looking for witnesses , missing persons, giving crime prevention and safety afvice, letting communities
Deleteknow of events such as when and their police ward panel meeting is on) This isn't any of those, and like the 'cherry blossoms' gives the impression of officers with their heads in the clouds more concerned with appearing fluffy and cuddly than with policing and fighting crime.
Precisely, well put 22:48
DeleteDon’t have a problem with trees! Find out more, the challenges they face and some surprising stories about what tree officers have experienced? The latest Parks Uncut Podcast can be listened to here: https://buzzsprout.com/2323548
DeleteOh great, a professional spammer paid for by us. What next?
DeleteSorry, any of us victims of muggings(my son was) will find this sort of post by the police very annoying. This PC seems to think that residents will be impressed by this attempt to appear 'one of us'. Well, we are not. Really unprofessional and childish
ReplyDeleteYou complain about what you call 'an attempt to appear one of us'.
DeleteBut, it is you that writes 'us' victims when referring to your son was the victim of a mugging. I have been a victim of mugging (not my son, not my daughter, partner, father or mother). I was mugged.
The only person attempting to appear as 'one of us' is YOU.
The reality is that the police are no longer visible on our streets. Say what you will the Met's reputation has been tarnished. As for Cressida Dick...what a disaster!
DeleteDefund the Metropolitan police and divert funds into local, grassroots services that help us rebuild and unite our communities.
DeleteLast year a Freedom of Information request made by race equality charity the Runnymede Trust revealed there were 489 officers in schools across London. Police should get out of schools where they’re not wanted and back into communities.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWHILE THE TREE PLANTING GOES ON 2 PHONE THIEFS DRESSED IN BLACK ON ELECTRIC BIKES SNATCHING PHONES FROM UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS AT BUS...
PLEASE BE CAREFUL AS THESE BASTARDS WILL STOP AT NOTHING
Hi! When this happens call the police to leave a record!
Deleteare you being serious?????
DeleteSomeone is playing the Dame. Please stop!
DeleteThey have reposted from Next Door to this RBKC-focused site but dropped the location reference (as it happened in Westminster):
2 PHONE THIEFS DRESSED IN BLACK ON ELECTRIC BIKES SNATCHING PHONES FROM UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS AT BUS STOP NEAR EDGEWARE ROAD TUBE AND M&S PLEASE BE CAREFUL AS THESE BASTARDS WILL STOP AT NOTHING” https://nextdoor.co.uk/p/r7WD_zXWnd9Q?view=detail&init_source=search&query=2%20PHONE%20THIEFS%20DRESSED%20IN%20BLACK%20ON%20ELECTRIC%20BIKES%20SNATCHING%20PHONES%20FROM%20UNSUSPECTING%20VICTIMS%20AT%20BUS
FTHN is full of an army of armchair commentators who only want to criticise. The reality of policing is complex, challenging and can look messy.
ReplyDeleteNo, the thousands who read the Hornet are residents unhappy at the fact that officers on the beat are as rare as hen's teeth. They are frightened of street crime and robbery. To try and excuse incompetence and bad leadership by dragging in complexity blah blah is just an excuse for 'messy' leadership. The Met is a joke. We need a proper Chief Constable like Watson of Greater Manchester who in short order took the force out of Special Measures. He did that through force of leadership and focus not on allowing officers to babble on about tree planting
DeleteThe Met is a joke. Defund.
DeleteFrom behind your keyboard, you are:
Delete* angered by a tree!
* pouring criticism and scorn on the brave men and women in the police
No, I think scorned is being poured on those hanging around in their station messing around with pointless social messaging!
DeleteThere aren’t thousands of ‘residents’ reading this blog. A couple dozen at most and always the same tedious and pathetic attack lines against the same usual suspects. The Dame is using a bot to expose the blog to as many people as possible across the world, hence the ‘thousands’ of daily views. It’s completely manufactured. The people on here have no idea when to shut their gobs.
ReplyDeletePoor little 12:53....well at least you read it! hahahahaha
DeleteOne for Special Branch?
DeleteThe Beat (Police Memorial Avenue), is planted with london plane (Platanus x hispanica) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees, one for every police force in the United Kingdom. Horse chestnut trees were chosen because the first policemen, known as ‘peelers’ or ‘bobbies’, carried truncheons made from this wood.
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/NationalMemorialArboretum/posts/the-beat-police-memorial-avenue-is-planted-with-london-plane-platanus-x-hispanic/1901647913222099/
I just wanted to send a big shoutout to London Metropolitan Police for their fantastic work.
ReplyDeleteIt needs to be a Big Shout Out' by you as no one else agrees. That is why the Met is in Special Measures. Read the bloody press instead if making idiotic comments
DeleteYou say ‘no one else agrees’ but I for one agree with supporting the police. I am also inclined to agree with the point about armchair critics who haven’t the faintest idea about dealing with conflict, use of force or the law then piping up on social media declaring the police to be awful when in fact their actions in that situation were reasonable, proportionate and lawful.
Delete18:05 you need to calm down. The blog did not criticise the police. It merely suggested that posting nonsense about the cultivation of trees was inappropriate and sent a wrong message. Stop making a fool of yourself and stick to the point
Delete‘Calm down, dear!’ was a Michael Winner catch phrase. Michael Winner also said: Stop knocking the police... you may need them one day.
DeleteThe behaviour of one silly PC is being 'knocked' as well as the inept leadership. We need leaders who know how to lead people. As for Michael Winner....what a CUnext Tuesday
DeleteWhy all the hatred? Mr Winner is dead and he wasn't that bad really.
DeleteWinner...nasty, pompous arrogant bully. Would have got on well with Trump
DeleteDo we think the Tree is a Police 'Plant'?
ReplyDeleteSir Mark Rowley is wholly unfit to be Met Commissioner and should be sacked.
ReplyDeleteyes and most of his senior colleagues.
DeletePlod should go after senior P.O. managers.
DeleteJust texted with my 15 year old daughter who’s heading into London with her girl pals. They have offered to chaperone Kevin (plastic ring/no watch) Pietersen thru the city.
ReplyDeleteCrime in London has increased at a lower rate than other areas of the country
DeleteHaving read so many comments, It's surprising that no one mentions the fact that 14 years ago, dear George Osborne reduced police numbers by 20,000 - to save money. Astonishingly, Covid lockdown has been followed by high levels of thankfully, largely minor crime. The Government boasts of its campaign to engage - 20,000 new police. It's sick; and typical of this government in equal measure..
ReplyDeletePolicing is a complicated thing to do. The fact that how it’s carried out ultimately depends on the funding and the culture that’s developed within it. What we have seen is successive governments messing around with funding, in London the mayor sticks his fingers in the pie and moves money around. He and his cronies have decided that preventative policing is not necessary ie local policing picking up on potential issues, thugs, drugs etc and has waited until areas become crisis areas when residents complain loudly he then allocates funding to sort the mess out. Earl’s Court is an example of this. At the end of the day we all call the police if we need help. If they don’t have the resources, intelligence and police numbers to do their job we all suffer. People have criticised this photograph but the reality is that it’s often through this kind of policing that ‘by the way’ conversations happen and the police not only get to know residents they gather information that may prevent hellish situations for someone.
ReplyDeleteThese officers are someone’s sons and daughters they go into the job to help people and whilst we are all running away from sometimes horrific situations they along with the other emergency services are running towards it. We all need to take responsibility for the mess society has become. So give them the funding to do their job and work together for everyone’s sake.
Many words but sadly no real grip. This picture is quite unhelpful. It does not help assure residents. It gives the impression of frivolity especially when the media has become ultra critical of the Met and its leadership.
DeleteResidents want to see the police on the streets on a regular basis and they want the courts to get tough. The other day I saw someone stopped. There were 12 police in attendance all hanging around chatting to each other. No, the same sort of leadership that is found in the armed forces needs to be applied to policing.
What you are describing is community policing ( where cops & community officers are allocated to a regular beat where they are seen and become part of the community. Ken Livingstone's GLA perfected this & RBKC 's council joined in to pay towards it . We saw significant falls in crime and just as importantly people started to feel more secure while moving around in their neighbourhoods. Osborne removed the finances and useless , useless Boris Johnson allowed him to get away with it . Time to start again & give Khan the credit & the money to do so
DeleteSo, could those singing the praises of the Met explain why the police tried to close the right of an Iranian dissident to attend pro Palestinian marches. Thankfully, the judge told the police to get lost. The Met is so full of Muslims that they can now influence policy.
ReplyDeleteThe polling that dare not speak its name
ReplyDeleteAccording to a recent representative poll of 1,000 British Muslims, says Rod Liddle in The Spectator, more than a third of those surveyed want to see Sharia law introduced in this country. Only 24% believe Israel has a right to exist. Almost half think Jews “have too much power over UK government policy”. Fewer than a quarter believe Hamas committed murder and rape in the October 7 attacks on Israel. “Quite what the huge majority believed Hamas had been up to instead – playing multi-faith Scrabble with their hosts? Sunbathing? – has not been revealed.” Overall, about a third of the group have views which are antithetical – “in some cases violently antithetical” – to that of the general population. And because these views “are espoused most strongly” by younger Muslims, this segment is probably growing.
When I talked about all this on television, the presenter felt it necessary to assure the viewing public that, actually, “ordinary” Muslims had “no love for Hamas”. But the poll findings “were right there in front of her”. The liberal establishment stubbornly stick to their “official opinion”, even though “there is all too much evidence to the directly contrary”. The BBC, for example, seems not to have covered this report. The number of British Muslims has more than doubled in the past 23 years, to 3.87 million. Of course, the poll findings don’t suggest that all of them are “about to strap on a bomb”. But they do suggest there is a problem. “All I am asking for is a certain recognition of this problem.”