Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Feb 7, 2012, 2:24 pm
Philip Davies - awake But the other 649 are still taking their sleeping tablets. Tory MP for Shipley, Philip Davies has been asking a lot of questions regarding sentencing of persistent offenders. Despite what I and other bloggers have been saying for ages, he has been shocked by some of the answers...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Feb 2, 2012, 5:14 pm
'Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.' That was the thought of English jurist, judge and politician William Blackstone. It is quite right that the Crown have to prove a case beyond all reasonable doubt. One of the problems in our society is that reasonable has now st...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jan 29, 2012, 5:22 pm
Nick Herbert     'falling police numbers will not necessarily lead to a worse front line service.' The Telegraph has reported that troops are being trained in riot control in anticipation of further disturbances on the streets of this country during the summer. There doesn't appear to be any form...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jan 27, 2012, 5:26 am
Tony Melville Following on from my last post, the Chief Constable of Gloucester, Tony Melville, has put his head over the parapet and publicly stated that the force are on a cliff edge regarding cuts to the budget. This is highly unusual for a Chief Constable and would normally be the end of a care...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jan 23, 2012, 6:16 pm
Lord Stevens - Police morale is worryingly low You may be aware that the Labour party commissioned a review of policing by Lord Stevens, (former Met Police Commissioner) Dr Tim Brain (former Chief Constable Gloucester) and Kathleen O'Toole (former Police Commissioner, Boston.) This claims to be a co...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jan 22, 2012, 11:42 am
Back in April 2010 you couldn't pick up a paper without reading about the High Court deciding that the police use of kettling at the G20 protest in 2009 was unlawful. You could read about it here, here, here, and here, for example. You may be forgiven if you were not aware that a few days ago the Co...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jan 17, 2012, 1:30 pm
I can't help watching cop programs on the TV. My favourite is Police Interceptors. Mostly, the officers are highly motivated and they know the law and arrest lots of bad guys, and that is how it should be. I get depressed when I see what the rest of the justice system does with these offenders but t...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jan 11, 2012, 7:07 am
                                      Winsor -  Bothered? I wrote back in March last year regarding the Winsor report and how this might affect police officers remuneration and working conditions. This was always going to be a difficult subject and I am certain...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jan 5, 2012, 8:28 am
As one might expect, the white supremacist groups are crying for blood regarding the stupid comments tweeted by Diane Abbott. If you missed it she tweeted 'White people love 'Divide and rule' We should not play their game.' What annoys me is that Abbott has tried to defend the indefensible. In an in...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Dec 31, 2011, 3:26 pm
I really drew the short straw this Christmas, working a late shift on Christmas Day. In my Force if you work Christmas Day you don't work New Years Eve. Sounds great but I am on an early New Years Day which means a very subdued celebration tonight. Christmas Day wasn't too bad this year, a bit like ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Dec 24, 2011, 2:58 pm
I thought I would share with you another festive video and my favourite joke of the year which also has a seasonal theme. Some of us will be working over Christmas and sadly we know from experience that Christmas Day and Boxing Day will mean demands that are difficult for some to comprehend. Domesti...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Dec 22, 2011, 5:18 am
Many people have been outraged at the news that the yob, by the name of Sam Main from Falkirk, wants the person that threw him off a train prosecuted. You can view the video of the incident above, but in summary, Main had no ticket. He was asked by the guard to leave the train. He insisted he had pa...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Dec 16, 2011, 6:11 am
I bet we see this girl on the X Factor in a few years time!
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Dec 14, 2011, 12:10 pm
                                  Another Arrest Caused by the Police I was out on foot patrol in the town recently in company with a young PC. It was about 2.30 a.m. and we were standing minding our own business near one of the towns nightclubs. Club patrons often c...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Dec 4, 2011, 11:46 am
  This is Danny O'Shea who died last Friday evening near his house in Canning Town. The story was reported but did not gain any significant publicity and you may well have missed it. Danny was chased by a group of black youths and stabbed in the neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A tragic w...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Nov 30, 2011, 7:58 am
Back in March I covered the story of David Emmanuel's suicide whilst the Metropolitan Police were execting a search warrant at his house in Surrey. I made comment that there were undoubtedly flaws in the planning and execution of the warrant and the IPCC would no doubt highlight those to try and sho...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Oct 15, 2011, 1:57 am
I have been away and visited a number of countries where the attitude to alcohol is far different from that at home. I have touched on this subject before and it seems obvious to me that this is one area where the police and local authorities are failing miserably in applying the law. If you take my...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Sep 21, 2011, 6:24 pm
Well I was anticipating my next post being a blow by blow account of the Dale Farm eviction. A judge has decided that they can have another few days respite while he considers their case in more detail. If he allows them to stay it is yet another blow for justice. Does the law apply equally to all o...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Sep 16, 2011, 7:04 pm
I have had a couple of experiences recently with the UK Border Agency or Immigration Department as they used to be known. My experience confirms that our country's border controls are nothing short of a joke. There is little control over immigration and there is systematic abuse of our laws which we...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Sep 13, 2011, 6:42 pm
I have mentioned before that my job involves attending a lot of meetings. I came to realise that many of these meetings are a complete waste of time. I stopped attending many and nothing happened. I had more time to do my job and focus on policing. The service we provided did not suffer. I thought ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Sep 12, 2011, 5:03 pm
Bernard Hogan-Who? Well Bernard Hogan-Howe is the new Met Commissioner. What we know about Bernard is that he is pretty straight talking and doesn't mind ruffling feathers. We also know that he thinks he can run the Met despite the cuts that are coming. He is obviously not going to ruffle the Gov...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Sep 9, 2011, 4:00 pm
I was dismayed to see the funeral of Mark Duggan today. His family insist he was no gangster but we had a funeral akin to one of the Krays. I was pleased to hear some of the church leaders involved in the ceremony speaking out against violence and recriminations. I am not surprised at all that Davi...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Sep 5, 2011, 9:46 am
My Force has been asked to assist with the Dale Farm Traveller site eviction and I am getting briefed on the role of our PSU teams. I have read some of the recent rhetoric on the subject. From the right we have calls to bulldoze the site and throw them all off into the sunset and from the left we ha...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Sep 1, 2011, 5:35 pm
Some Magistrates seem to be miffed that they didn't get to hear some of the cases against the rioters. From the comments on their blog we should all be grateful that they did not or they would all have been bailed and given community sentences.  The city riots were an extraordinary event and warran...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 30, 2011, 1:40 pm
There has been some concern expressed from some quarters, including here, regarding the sentencing of those involved in the recent riots. Personally, I feel the District Judges and Crown Court Judges have not been politically influenced. I rather suspect that, having been constrained for years by ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 29, 2011, 5:47 pm
Well at least we got out and about tonight. Generally things were pretty good but there were some tensions. The Carnival is being hailed as a huge success. One man has been seriously assaulted. At about 8pm some youths started throwing bottles at police lines. Couldn't be better could it? Well worth...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 28, 2011, 7:13 pm
I have just got home from the Metropolis having spent almost ten hours sitting around waiting to see what happened at Notting Hill Carnival. The Met didn't seem to want the county Mountie's out on the streets, which was a shame. I still haven't worked out who is actually in charge of the policing of...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 27, 2011, 7:52 pm
My thanks to Zorro for this. Readers of this blog will know that I have been asking for someone from the black community in this country to stand up and speak out about the drug and gang culture in that community. David Lamentable, that pathetic, disgraceful apology for a leader and so called MP for...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 26, 2011, 7:16 pm
I was going to write a few thoughts down regarding the aftermath of the riots. I am concerned that the Government seem to be happy to allow the Courts to wave the stick and there is a distinct lack of discussion on the policy changes required to reverse the mess we are in. I loathe the disgusting Da...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 21, 2011, 7:27 pm
If you want to make yourself really angry, violently sick or even both, read this article by Tony Blair in The Observer today. Tony doesn't think the riots are anything to do with moral decline, it's all about Tony. He had a plan to solve the whole issue of the underclass. The blueprints were left w...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 12, 2011, 7:11 pm
" I am pleased to say that the whole situation is now under full control." THE LOOTERS PRAYER: Our father, who art in prison, Even my mum knows not his name, Thy Chavdom come,  Thy will be done in Manchester As it is in London, Give us this day our welfare bread, And forgive us our ASBO's, As...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 11, 2011, 3:06 pm
The Good You cannot help but admire the bravery and dignity of, Tariq Jahan, the father of one of the three young men killed in Birmingham on Tuesday night. How he managed to hold it together and speak to the media, I do not know. Rather than demanding justice he simply asked for restraint and an ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 10, 2011, 8:06 am
Well, last night London was at peace again, although elsewhere in the country the feral youths went on the rampage encouraged by the scenes in London over the last few days. ‘Free stuff’ is too much of an attraction for the underclass who waste their lives rather than even think about becoming u...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 8, 2011, 5:55 pm
Well as I write, various parts of London, Croydon and Birmingham are burning. But fear not, I have just read in the Guardian that the Home Affairs Select Committee are going to launch an inquiry into the rioting so that should  resolve it PDQ. This is no longer anything to do with the police shooti...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 6, 2011, 6:25 pm
When an alleged gun toting gangster, who tried to murder a police officer, is shot dead you might be forgiven for thinking that a decent law abiding community would support the action taken or at least await the outcome of the investigation. Apparently decent law abiding community does not apply to...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Aug 2, 2011, 7:51 pm
One of my PCs is taking the Part 2 Promotion exam. He is not a bad lad and if he passes I will recommend him for promotion next year, not now. Today he showed me one of the Part 2 practice papers. Looking at the problem and the marking sheet I think I would have failed it. The scenario is this: the ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jul 24, 2011, 9:35 am
I've gone out of my way this week to talk to people about the phone hacking issue. It is clear to me that the general populous are thoroughly bored with the subject. There is an acceptance that this has happened, the politicos are trying to score points, millions will be wasted on inquiries and litt...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jul 20, 2011, 7:33 am
Goodbye Ma'am, Been Great Working With You David Cameron and the Tory hierarchy have decided to use the phone hacking scandal as an excuse to reopen the debate on direct recruitment of police leaders. In his address to parliament today he said. "We believe this crisis calls for us to stand back a...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jul 16, 2011, 9:49 am
Mrs Ferenda has taken to buying the Daily Torygraph. Like all the national papers it contained a grovelling apology from Rupert for all the upset caused regarding the phone hacking. Reading the Torygraph does make you realise that The Times is probably the only decent paper you can read these days. ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jul 10, 2011, 5:40 pm
I picked up the Sunday Telegraph today and the first 8 pages were dedicated to the phone hacking story. Four pages of excuses, apologies and promises from Assistant Commissioner John Yates. Three pages of hand ringing and editorial. One page of opinion on how the press should, or rather shouldn't, ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jul 8, 2011, 7:29 am
I did not want to get into this debate again but in a recent post I was challenged to put the case for drugs to remain illegal. I delayed this as Gadget stuck her toe in the water on the same subject, although for some reason this did not attract the usual hysterical pro drugs legalisation brigade. ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jun 15, 2011, 5:53 am
TODAY'S HERO, TOMORROWS VILLAIN? In 2004 a 2 year old boy, Kyle Fisher, tragically died in Hartlepoole 2 days after being taken to hospital from the care of a babysitter, Suzanne Holdsworth. Kyle's short life was not the happiest one. Neighbours stated that his mother was a regular drinker and som...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jun 10, 2011, 5:29 am
This story caught my eye. The Met have announced that they are cracking down on crime, targeting criminals, executing search warrants and arresting offenders. To help get some publicity for this amazing fact they even took along the mayor, Boris Johnson. I get really fed up with these publicity oper...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jun 7, 2011, 6:54 am
I have read some bigoted shite in the Grauniad but this one probably takes the biscuit. Babar Ahmad is a terrorism suspect who has been in custody since 2004 and is fighting extradition to the US. He is fighting it as they have a justice system there that sometimes punishes offenders if they are con...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - Jun 4, 2011, 6:00 pm
There has been a plethora of statistics reported in the press recently. I do try and read behind these as we all know there are lies, damned lies and statistics and, like many organisations, the police are very good at manipulating them. The first story that caught my eye related to rape offences in...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - May 28, 2011, 4:05 am
This story is from the Mail but it does seem to have an element of truth in it. Brandon Bishop a thieving, burgling piece of scum, who has a string of convictions, has just been released from prison after serving just one month of an eight month sentence for burglary. He appealed against his eight ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - May 25, 2011, 9:52 am
I really don't understand all the fuss that some officers are making regards the news that PC Simon Harwood (pictured) is now to be charged with the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson. Tomlinson may have been a drunk who sold the Big Issue and lived in a hostel for down and outs. He may have fathered ni...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - May 14, 2011, 2:34 pm
I loved this story from Canada. A police officer was giving crime prevention advice to a group of young women at a college in Toronto. The poor naive officer at one point said that he shouldn't really say it but if you want to avoid sexual assault then don't dress like a slut. These comments have ca...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - May 11, 2011, 9:02 am
Drugs - Never Did Me Any Harm! A long time ago now I wrote an article vehemently against drug 'legalisation' and received the wrath of the liberals and users/addicts who believe that de-criminalising drugs will in some way improve the current position. I have not changed my view and having seen the ...
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Leviathan H. posted an article on The Thinking Policeman - May 10, 2011, 7:26 pm
I wrote an article on this subject some time ago. Now research has shown that recidivism rates for those sentenced to 3 or 4 years in prison is significantly less than those sentenced to one or 2 years. There may be many reasons for this. I suspect that one of them is that those given short sentence...
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