People asking for a police force on our streets and not a police service, but are officers now too scared to do their jobs for fear of reprisals?

Communities are fed up of seeing the horrendous rise in shoplifting, knife crime, burglaries to name a few. But are our officers now actually too scared to their job in fear of so many reprisals?

Many across our communities are shouting that they want a police force and not a police service. They want to see officers taking what they state ‘tough action’ on the streets to stop criminals rampaging across our communities with next to no deterrent.

Communities are fed up of seeing the horrendous rise in shoplifting, knife crime, burglaries to name a few. But are our officers now actually too scared to their job in fear of so many reprisals?

There is now, a never ending list of worries police officers face when doing their job. Are they going to face an IOPC investigation? A DPS investigation internally? Hung out to dry by their own managers? Or even worse be criminally prosecuted for doing their job?

There are many incidents across London where moped thieves ride roughshod across our streets on stolen mopeds having caused anti social behaviour and theft. Officers pursuing the thieves are faced with a difficult decision-do they let the thieves go? Or do they knock them off the stolen bike resulting in possible injuries to the thieves? Letting the thieves go means not only are criminals getting away with criminality, but the message is to all those doing the same acts that police will not catch them but let them go.

This is what goes through an officer’s mind when faced with these decisions-of course they want to pursue the thief that is their job-but at what cost?

Here is another scenario for you-you have finished your long shift and are making your way home on public transport when a fight breaks out. The officer can see he wants to intervene but again questions himself- will he get the support he needs? Will he be held to account for intervening or not intervening?This is a no win situation.

Police officers are tired and disheartened at the reality of their job today. They have been badly let down by politicians, and by many of their own, to the point at which their job has now become near on impossible.

The criticism they face is at such a scale that they are actually shocked when people thank them.

There are however, many in our communities that are appreciative for the work they do. There are many who value the fact that they put their life on the line everyday for us.

Most of us would never do this as job-so let us thank those who despite all these challenges still strap on their boots and put the community first.

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