In the Good Old Days the Police did not get a complaint if they hit you.?

Question

You must have all heard it in the good old days the Police did not mess about arresting youths for minor crimes ect they gave them a clip around the ear and that was it. To a degree that is right the police did just that and people accepted this also I recall walking into my home and mum said Bobby Elliot has been not another word just whack and I got a good hiding because Bobby Elliot had been to see her about whatever I did mum has now passed away and this was over 40 years ago and I still have no idea what I had done wrong. Is this why I am an honest person and have never had an issue with the police and never been arrested and I was taught to respect others and the police.
But today the police hit out and there is hell to pay people up in arms complaining about the police?
Being a former soldier who has served 7 tours in Northern Ireland my first in 1970 I know just what it is like to face an angry crowd in addition to a baton, baton gun and CS gas grenades I also had a 7.62 SLR (self loading rifle) and with all my training I still felt in danger and if anyone came close to getting in my personnel space I would hit out with my baton. Why should I or today the Police risk their own safety when they have equipment i.e. a baton to use, if you do not want the police to use such equipment why on earth issue them with it? I had a rifle and I was ready to use it if needed?

Answer 1

I agree totally. It was very unfortunate about the guy that died. He was obviously being mischievous and normally being struck on the leg and pushed over wouldn't kill you. The rest of the people that are complaining about it being peaceful! Why were City workers told to "dress down" Why were Banks and Financial Institutions boarded up? This was not a peaceful rally, this was some very naive people being used by others to riot.

It doesn't matter how much training you have had, if you have been physically and mentally abused all day when all you are doing is follow orders then from time to time you are going to get a reaction, rightly or wrongly. Anyone that is standing at the front of a demonstration pushing forward at the Police, in my opinion, get what they deserve. This should please some of the PC brigade and people brought up by Parents that didn't believe in corporal punishment.

Answer 2

Your thoughts have two sides to them. I too remember when the local bobby sorted things out 'his' way and had the respect of the community at large for it.



I think we could do with having those days back again.



On the other hand the fact that you were sent into Northern Ireland without adequate training on how to deal with facing danger and assessing the situation is absolutely frightening.



It would appear to have been the root of the problem at the G20 summit as well.



An ordinary man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time ended up dead. Not his fault.Ultimately it is society's fault for allowing such a situation to exist.



Maybe it will be the wake up call that gets heeded:although somehow I doubt it.

Answer 3

You sir are obviously of the right frame of mind and prepared to do a service to your country.



Personally I can't wait to get out of this country as its now completely out of control and the government is too fluffy these days, allowing criminals a free ride.



The Police are now governed by a strict set of rules on the use of force. This is a good thing as it stops the bully boys hitting out for no reason. However, when it is necessary to use force, in order to protect oneself or others, people are now too quick to complain when they themselves are often responsible for the reaction they get from the officer who uses force on them.



I myself have had unfounded complains of excessive force and the officer is always immediately under suspicion in such circumstances. We don't get a fair trial.



Your generation and a few others are the ones that had respect for each other. Sadly we no longer have people like this in British society and this I feel is as a result of the slow erosion of discipline taught at an early age, amongst other things.

Answer 4

I think the policeman who slapped the protester round the face was absolutely right to do so. The police were surrounded by an angry mob who were threatening and behaving no better than wild animals and deserved to be treated as such.

It seems, yet again, that there is one man behind the 'public outcry' Max Clifford. Give me political correctness over him any day, the man is evil and anyone who goes to him to sell their story should be ignored.

Answer 5

In the good old days we had more respect for the police, we also followed the rules and bylaws of the land, we would never dare even think of dropping litter or riding our bicycles on the pavements, but now days people think it is their right to use the pavement as a cycle track, in the good old days the law was the law and that was an end to it.

Answer 6

There is a hell of a lot of difference between N.I in the 70's and a perfectly legal demonstration today. (and I speak as someone who has also done tours in N.I. in the early/mid 70's spending a lot of time in "bandit country" and going into the Maze when they (the internees) decided to riot).



Giving a clout around the ear to a naughty kid and beating on someone who is legally demonstrating - albeit it very vocally - are two totally different things.

In recent demos where the police have been more "forceful" than needed, there has been nothing to suggest that their lives were in danger and some of the actions of the police were totally out of order.



I am not a police basher in anyway but it is because of their tactics and the actions of a few of them (also the actions of a few of the demonstrators) which is stopping normal, law abiding citizens from actually attending demonstrations and voicing their dissatisfaction with government or other things.



^^^



Edit - It is massively different policing a demo in London now and one in NI in the 70's. In London you don't have an orchestrated line of people (often kids) about to part on a signal so the snipers can shoot at you like happened in Belfast and Londonderry.



You don't have people throwing petrol bombs at you in London, You don't, in general, have people in London waiting for the "snatch squad" to strike and trying to isolate them so they can be murdered.



Believe me I most certainly was in the "front line" quite often enough between 72 and 76.

And a, in the main, peaceful demonstration in London is very very different and requires different policing.

When and if it ever gets to the point where there are snipers and petrol bombs then things can change, until then I expect the police to be a little more restrained even under provocation.

Bandit country to us was the border area around Crossmaglen upto Enniskillen.

Answer 7

Yes I understand what u are saying but they did'nt go round striking for no reason. That lady in the news this week who was struck with a baton at the back of her legs - totally unprovoked and that guy who died from internal bleeding from the police beating - that is way to much! There are too many police beatings coming out now. How many more do we still not know about??????????

That could be yr mum/dad or a member of yr family, how would u feel then???

Answer 8

The Good Old Days before misguided parents, bleeding heart judges and cut-throat defense lawyers.

Answer 9

all these recent police violence incidents were on non violent protesters, if police can't handle being shouted at they shouldnt be in the job. If police think they can get away with it then they'll do it, im glad everyone has a camera to catch these thugs.

Answer 10

There is a difference between a clip round the ear and a deadly baton strike. Police are trained to use a baton only if their own or other lives are in danger, i.e. if the aggressor has a knife. They are not supposed to use them just to subdue non-aggressive civilians. The G-20 demonstration was not a war, yet the police acted as if it were.

Answer 11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkiyBVytRQ



sorry i had a better one but cannot find it



EDIT here it is , i wanted to show both sides but getting 5 thumbs down for a video for showing an officer who obviously lost his head and did the wrong thing shows how the community helps police put themselves and others in danger and risk lawsuits and anger and distrust from the community.



http://www.weaselzippers.net/blog/2009/01/video-british-police-run-away-from-allah-akhbar-screaming-muslim-protesters.html

Answer 12

I miss those days!

Answer 13

political correctness!