Police Brutality.

Most of you will remember the clashes between hunt supporters and the police back in September 2004. Initially about five police officers were charged with assault charges by the CPS for viciously batoning innocent people just trying to make their opinions heard. The PCs finally went to trial last month and thus far have all been acquitted, most recently PC Barry Jenkins whose claim of self-defence was upheld.

I am outraged by this case. To suggest that mature and trained police officers should fear for their lives simply because some tweed-clad country folk race towards them en masse and roaring, is ridiculous. If the police cannot control themselves, they should not be allowed batons at all.

The poor protester who got smacked could not even remember who hit him, so brutal were the acts of the police, but he is absolutely certain it must have been a police officer. As a law abiding citizen, like the whole hunting community, it is this man's democratic right to storm the House of Commons whenever he disagrees with a new law.

Incidentally, while the charging of the officers was widely reported in the national press (no doubt to reassure the public that detection figures are rising in the Met), I had to read about PC Jenkins' acquittal in The Horse and Hound. The case against two more officers has been dropped completely before the court date.

As a point of interest, today I found a fantastic site: Colin's Crap Police Links. The creator raves about corruption in the police. Sad to say Colin, we aren't corrupt, just thoroughly incompetent. By the way, did anyone know that "injustice can be more damaging than murder or even rape"? (I particularly like the "or even".)

--------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright of PC Bloggs