Justice Secretary: "Police are afraid of criminals, cold weather"

[jutl]

Jack Straw has gone into another one of his endearing, deranged rambles. The last really good one of these was back in 2006 when - as Home Secretary (and at a time of incredible national sensitivity about multicultural issues) - he cheerfully suggested that his female Muslim constituents ought to remove their veils if they wanted his services as their MP. Now - as Justice Secretary - he's decided to have a drunken-uncle-style go at the police:

"With a given level of resources, some police forces, or some parts of police forces do very much better than others.

"And it is the ones who are the less efficient and who have the wrong approach to the public who fall back on this 'Oh, I'm overworked' [argument]."
He said while some officers would claim it took four hours to fill in forms, "good police officers will take an hour to fill in the same forms because they want to get out and catch criminals".

He added: "Some police officers, whatever they say, actually quite enjoy being in the police station in the warm. We are dealing with human beings, but we are also dealing with the kind of discipline and culture in the police service."

^{from BBC News - Jack Straw 'sceptical' about overworked police}

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

The next justice secretary will be the equally horrifying prospect Dominic Grieve.

This is hilarious, it's so incredibly badly timed and ill-advised you almost think he's actually literally pissing himself from the vantage point of a massive ivory tower.

[biggytitbo]

I hope Jack Straw gets his legs broken by an enraged lunatic copper who has been given license to do whatever he fucking likes by one of labour's endless series of new laws.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Ah but the Conservatives are arguing they can't do anything because of political correctness gone mad, so are going to change the law so they can do all the awful things they do already, but more often, and get away with it more.

It's win-win.

If 'win' means the amount of times your knee is kneecapped by the queen's royal truncheons.

[Artemis]

I love that when he's finished going on about it, rather than anyone tackle him on his remarks, they just have a little chuckle about it and move on!

Oh, he could be right. We don't know, do we. He's in a better position to make the call. Still, if it's an opportunity to knock the government, I guess some will take advantage.

[jutl]

Oh, he could be right. We don't know, do we. He's in a better position to make the call. Still, if it's an opportunity to knock the government, I guess some will take advantage.

It just makes them look panicky and short-sighted. It telegraphs that he's more worried about the electorate ("He's right you know - I was mugged last April and the other day I saw a policeman having a cup of tea") than any potential future working relationship with the police. It almost seems as if he's convinced he wont be working with them much longer.

[Saucer51]

I applauded Jack Straw on his veil stance but this latest speech, regarding Police, is unfair and hypocritical. It is the Government themselves who helped set up the huge swathes of paperwork officers are supposed to fill out. I feel as it is likely to be the dying days of this Administration, JS is simply aiming a few swipes to help distance the Government from their part in the way the police (don't) work.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Straw just asked women meeting him for surgeries to remove face covering things, so they could have a conversation eye-to-eye, which sounds reasonable to me.

And knowing a couple of members of Her Majesty's Filth, I think the main transgression Straw has committed is saying things which cops are really only supposed to moan about to each other.

[jutl]

Straw just asked women meeting him for surgeries to remove face covering things, so they could have a conversation eye-to-eye, which sounds reasonable to me

Their eyes are visible in any case:

He said he made sure he had a female colleague in the room when asking someone to show their mouth and nose - and his constituents had so far always agreed to do so.

(from the link I posted above).

It's not really reasonable - but we discussed this all at the time. Even if they wanted to come in wearing fire retardant suits with smoked-glass visors, Straw is their MP and should take them as he finds them.

[confettiinmyhair]

Has anyone seen the amount of paperwork that needs to be completed for even the most minor of offences?

I know at least three cops that have left their jobs purely because of the admin.

Assuming the PCSO's were granted more powers, such as the ability to arrest detained shoplifters, a lot of strain could be then taken off of the main force.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I know four who were stabbed by the admin and never fully recovered.

[biggytitbo]

Their eyes are visible in any case:

(from the link I posted above).

It's not really reasonable - but we discussed this all at the time. Even if they wanted to come in wearing fire retardant suits with smoked-glass visors, Straw is their MP and should take them as he finds them.

He's just incredibly aroused by Muslim women's noses and mouths.

Jack Straw is just an immense cunt all-round and the fact he has the temerity to be 'justice' minister after some of the the things him and his government have done is sick.

[rudi]

Has anyone seen the amount of paperwork that needs to be completed for even the most minor of offences?

I know at least three cops that have left their jobs purely because of the admin.

Heh, reminds me of that Viz advert for the Met: "If you can read this you're over-qualified..."

Assuming the PCSO's were granted more powers, such as the ability to arrest detained shoplifters, a lot of strain could be then taken off of the main force.

I wouldn't give PCSOs an iota of more power, the bloody amateurs.