http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7633492.stmIn essence the story is that a huge increase in complaints against the police has been noted.
Well I ofr one am not surprised, in fact the only thing I would say has surprised me is that the total number of complaints is not much higher. The police now behave is such an aggressive manner toward everyone they come into contact with that people are going to complain of "incivility, impoliteness and intolerance" or in my language downright rudeness when policemen are encouraged to strut around in paramilitary style uniforms and are frankly so sh*t scared of conflict that they stand off any given situation until they have enough back-up.
I approached two policemen in Rhyl recently to make a perfectly innocent enquiry about the whereabouts of a particular street. I said "Excuse me officer but can you tell me how to get to XXXXX Street?" One officer immediately backed off and took up a defensive position, presumably to support his colleague if I turned out to be a terrorist or something. I am white, clearly overweight and in poor condition, 61 years of age with white hair. What made him think I might be a threat? The officer to whom I had addressed my question replied "Why do you want to know?" ~ Not unreasonably I replied "Because I want to go there" He came back with "What for?" I told him I would ask at the post office and walked away. They followed me to the post office where I made my enquiry, got the directions, went back to my car and drove off. Having seen me get into my car one was straight on the radio, presumably to see if it was stolen and the way they check these things there is now no doubt a computerised, one sided account of my "brush with the law" on a file somewhere.
OK maybe they didn't know the place I was looking for, maybe they had been seconded in to patrol Rhyl from elsewhere (that happens a lot nowadays) but why the suspicion, why the questioning of my motives and why the aggression? I can only assume it is sheer funk. In truth they are afraid to be out of their comfort zone i.e. the Police Canteen or their Patrol Car.