Police are in the news again.
Officers and Police forces being charged with neglect and serious assault.
I know that, at the same time, there are serious offenders out there who cause all sorts of problems for members of the community including the Police.
The Police, of course, are in the front line having to deal with it.
Often dealing with violence so wicked
And when they deal with it - they themselves can be charged with crime by offenders trying to play the system.
It seems to me that the Police reflect the whole of our society.
There are badly behaving apples in the barrels.
I take the line that Police men and women are beautiful humans.
Some have behavioural problems - like some of us.
I also think that some of the behaviour mirrors the behaviour of gangs.
I have a background of working with and studying gangs.
In my first book I had a chapter about the Police.
I experienced behaviour from them. The following actually happened - and here is an extract from my book::
"The police were especially abusing the young people by using drunk charges unjustly, it seems to me. A drink charge was a minor offence and didn’t warrant legal aid, so the young person had to handle the court and his defence himself! You can imagine what a mess an inarticulate, nervous seventeen-year-old would make of this. The police however, trained in court procedures, had their patter ready, and the teenager had no chance unrepresented."
Also, as I worked alongside young people, and believe me they were no angels, I found that they were being harassed by humans in authority, those responsible to uphold the law - the Police.
The Police were::
"
*Police throwing stink bombs into cells when kids were being held awaiting charges.
*Police carrying water pistols in D.S.U. vehicles and shooting at teenagers they passed in the street, or spraying them with water from squeezy bottles.
*Wearing ‘funny masks’ in vehicles and in police stations, and playing practical jokes on prisoners in the cells.
*The wearing of little red flags in the caps of officers while on patrol, according to the number of time they have ‘nicked’ the three most scapegoated teenagers.
*Throwing cups of water over prisoners when stripped for forensic purposes.
*Physical blows to those arrested.
You may have difficulty in believing all this, but I have evidence that it is true...... these cases of harassment was not isolated. I have a whole file of incidents that were reported to me by our teenage boys, together with details of the names and numbers of the officers involved."
Extract from
Gutter Feelings
The book gives further details and efforts to work for justice and stand alongside the young humans who we loved.
That is why I weep when I see injustice - and see justice being worked at and sometimes being achieved.
Justice holds hands firmly with the acts of LOVE and the creator of it.
We need to apply these actions for justice with all members of society.
Striving for justice when Police officers are wrongly accused.
Striving for justice when young gang members are wrongly accused.
