Sexual abuse and exploitation by Police officers of vulnerable people

[marlowe]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...lice-officers-accused-sex-abuse-inquiry-finds

This doesn't surprise me at all. I personally know of two different women who experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour by serving police officers whilst on duty.

 

[whitelion]

The woman whom I married, when I met her had experienced a break-in at her bedsit.

She had several unwanted and unannounced visits from an officer who was making his intentions quite clear.

 

[half time scores]

As an aside would someone be so kind as to PM me a copy of Ednas shift rota so I know where the best time and place to be vulnerable?

 

[LlcoolJ]

Hastings gull will be along in a minute to tell us all that this is impossible as all coppers are angels.

 

[spring hall convert]

Whilst obviously the abuse itself is absolutely horrifying for the victims and their families, realistically, there are always going to be bad apples in the police, the nature of the job attracts them. What concerns me time and time again is the lengths police forces will go to cover up and defend their own, Let's hope there's none of that going on here.

 

[Beach Hut]

What concerns me time and time again is the lengths police forces will go to cover up and defend their own, Let's hope there's none of that going on here.

Doesn't surprise me given what happened at Hillsborough

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

Whilst obviously the abuse itself is absolutely horrifying for the victims and their families, realistically, there are always going to be bad apples in the police, the nature of the job attracts them. What concerns me time and time again is the lengths police forces will go to cover up and defend their own, Let's hope there's none of that going on here.

My thoughts exactly.

There will be bad people in every walk of life. However, one would hope that these people haven't been previously identified and protected leading to more exploitation.

 

[Hastings gull]

Hastings gull will be along in a minute to tell us all that this is impossible as all coppers are angels.

No he won't. He will say, as he has done before, but LCJ prefers to ignore the inconvenient bit, that there will be a minority in every walk of life, including the Police, who will ruin it for the majority, just as there are prima donnas amongst the general public, whose general attitude is such that their own failings must be the fault of the Police.

 

[Hastings gull]

Whilst obviously the abuse itself is absolutely horrifying for the victims and their families, realistically, there are always going to be bad apples in the police, the nature of the job attracts them. What concerns me time and time again is the lengths police forces will go to cover up and defend their own, Let's hope there's none of that going on here.

Sadly, it is true of so many organisations, that when they are criticised, they instinctively look inwards and their first reaction is to protect their mates. Look at the recent scandals involving the Church and the NHS, to name but a few. The huge scandals make the headlines, and rightly so, but how many of us could really say, albeit on a much lower scale of seriousness, that they would not "bend the truth" to protect their mates, with whom they have to work and possibly socialise? Have you ever complained about service from a particular firm - bet that the person to whom you spoke didn't say their colleague is bone idle or incompetent, even if they know he/she is so. Rightly or wrongly, probably wrongly, this is the way of the world in practice.

 

[spring hall convert]

Sadly, it is true of so many organisations, that when they are criticised, they instinctively look inwards and their first reaction is to protect their mates. Look at the recent scandals involving the Church and the NHS, to name but a few. The huge scandals make the headlines, and rightly so, but how many of us could really say, albeit on a much lower scale of seriousness, that they would not "bend the truth" to protect their mates, with whom they have to work and possibly socialise? Have you ever complained about service from a particular firm - bet that the person to whom you spoke didn't say their colleague is bone idle or incompetent, even if they know he/she is so. Rightly or wrongly, probably wrongly, this is the way of the world in practice.

Rightly or wrongly (and I think rightly) people expect peerless standards of incorruptibility from the police. They should be held to a higher (not lower) standard.

I don't think this is helped by a lot of the time when police officers are caught bang to rights in misdemeanor, they are allowed to resign and slope off into the distance with not inconsiderable pension pots untouched rather than be sacked for gross misconduct.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Hastings coppers are angels.

Impossible.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/police-officer-suspended-after-selling-9383354

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-35095533

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pc-who-filmed-himself-performing-7766756

 

[Hastings gull]

Rightly or wrongly (and I think rightly) people expect peerless standards on incorruptibility from the police. They should be held to a higher (not lower) standard.

I don't think this is helped by a lot of the time when police officers are caught bang to rights in misdemeanor, they are allowed to resign and slope off into the distance with not inconsiderable pension pots untouched rather than be sacked for gross misconduct.

I fully agree with your first sentence, and by the way they ARE held to a higher standard by their own personal standards people. For example, it is made quite clear to police officers that their private lives must be squeaky clean and not reflect badly on the Force in contrast to many other jobs, where we might at other times argue that someone's arrest at the Albion for, say, drunkenness, has nothing to do with their ability to do their job.
What you describe in your sentence is not unknown, of course, and I suspect that this happens rather more at the top, as opposed to an "ordinary" PC, but my experience is that this is not typical. There have been a few cases round here which have been reported on, and the officers did not receive sugar-coated retirement deals. But when it does happen, it can be frustrating, agreed, as in all walks of life. As I have written before, your automatic reaction is to look after your mates, and if the situation is so bad that they cannot be supported any longer, then you help with their pension. Not great, but it will always happen.

 

[spring hall convert]

I fully agree with your first sentence, and by the way they ARE held to a higher standard by their own personal standards people. For example, it is made quite clear to police officers that their private lives must be squeaky clean and not reflect badly on the Force in contrast to many other jobs, where we might at other times argue that someone's arrest at the Albion for, say, drunkenness, has nothing to do with their ability to do their job.
What you describe in your sentence is not unknown, of course, and I suspect that this happens rather more at the top, as opposed to an "ordinary" PC, but my experience is that this is not typical. There have been a few cases round here which have been reported on, and the officers did not receive sugar-coated retirement deals. But when it does happen, it can be frustrating, agreed, as in all walks of life. As I have written before, your automatic reaction is to look after your mates, and if the situation is so bad that they cannot be supported any longer, then you help with their pension. Not great, but it will always happen.

In support of your supposition, I did see this the other day - http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/n...-after-testing-positive-for-cocaine-1-7715261

I mean obviously police officers shouldn't be using cocaine but it's arguable whether too many other professions would be bothered by recreational use that didn't impact on their ability to do their job.

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

Doesn't surprise me given what happened at Hillsborough

Explain what that has to do with sexual abuse ? Or are you jumping on the bandwagon ?

 

[Hastings gull]

In support of your supposition, I did see this the other day - http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/n...-after-testing-positive-for-cocaine-1-7715261

I mean obviously police officers shouldn't be using cocaine but it's arguable whether too many other professions would be bothered by recreational use that didn't impact on their ability to do their job.

It is a very grey area, isn't it? Though I am sure that taking recreational cocaine was not the brightest thing to do, given that the force does expect your private life to be of a good standard, one might well also argue that if this was on the first rest day and you had three more to go, then any effect would be very minimal at best, when you return to duties. But you take the relatively good pay, then you must also take the responsibilities, which you know come with that position. As an aside,my future son in law told me that their alcohol level must be zero, when on duty, whereas for the rest of us it is 0.5, or whatever. This is the sort of thing you don't hear.

 

[ROSM]

Having seen at close quarters how the police force look after their own or relatives of senior officers this doesn't surprise me.

There is a brother of a senior officer in brighton who carried out a programme of domestic abuse against the mother of his children, threatened neighbours and also caused emotional damage to his children. He was banned from his children's school for arguing with other parents and at the school his new partners child attends he abused and threatened a school governor. When he was finally pulled in for questioning it was clear he had been given notice it was going to happen.

In the end, no charges were brought against him despite the concerns of RISE and social services because he was 'clearly very sorry'.

Oh and the best bit? He's now a serving police officer himself.

 

[ROSM]

Explain what that has to do with sexual abuse ? Or are you jumping on the bandwagon ?

I would suggest it is a view that some police officers operate with impunity as they believe they are above the law

 

[spring hall convert]

It is a very grey area, isn't it? Though I am sure that taking recreational cocaine was not the brightest thing to do, given that the force does expect your private life to be of a good standard, one might well also argue that if this was on the first rest day and you had three more to go, then any effect would be very minimal at best, when you return to duties. But you take the relatively good pay, then you must also take the responsibilities, which you know come with that position. As an aside,my future son in law told me that their alcohol level must be zero, when on duty, whereas for the rest of us it is 0.5, or whatever. This is the sort of thing you don't hear.

The bit that isn't made clear in the headline was that she was arrested. I assume it was the combination of the two that completely cooked her goose.

 

[Beach Hut]

I would suggest it is a view that some police officers operate with impunity as they believe they are above the law

Is the right answer

 

[StillHateBellotti]

Sadly, it is true of so many organisations, that when they are criticised, they instinctively look inwards and their first reaction is to protect their mates. Look at the recent scandals involving the Church and the NHS, to name but a few. The huge scandals make the headlines, and rightly so, but how many of us could really say, albeit on a much lower scale of seriousness, that they would not "bend the truth" to protect their mates, with whom they have to work and possibly socialise? Have you ever complained about service from a particular firm - bet that the person to whom you spoke didn't say their colleague is bone idle or incompetent, even if they know he/she is so. Rightly or wrongly, probably wrongly, this is the way of the world in practice.

I would never protect a colleague who used the status of being a police officer to abuse vulnerable people. No place for it and why should we protect these people.