Another Detection - Just About!
Now I'm not one for beating up the troops for detection figures. If they are putting hands in pockets they will tick over nicely. If they are not stop searching then they need to get a grip, and we will have words. Even I was taken aback the other day when asked to sign a cannabis seizure warning form. It was attached to an evidence bag with a cannabis grinder inside.
I could just about see some remnants in the corner of the bag. "You're having a laugh aren't you?" says I. The officer laughs and says "If that's what they want us to do to get a point - then I'll do it". I actually divided the remnants which was mainly stalk (not illegal) and saw two green flecks. This is policing today when government targets dictate how the officers deal with things on the street. Crying out for discretion here surely.
Of course the officer was right when he says to me the amount doesn't matter but this is what happens when bosses put the pressure on. It's another detection and doesn't even qualify in my mind as soft justice. He would never have the gall to bring that into the custody suite with a body attached to it.
Of course I signed it thinking how I'd missed out with the growing collection of grinders in my draw.
I understand that soon Fixed Penalty Tickets might be issued for cannabis possession. As most court fines are presently £50 or less let's hope they set the fine at the £200 limit. I might even do a bit of scraping myself then.
2 comments:
Yup, seen that. I've been passed jobs where the amount of 'nabis in the baccy pouch consisted of one bud about the size of the biro nib I used to poke through the contents. But I can't blame the younglings. They're under such pressure to put bodies before the Custody Sgt, this is what we're presented with.
This is going against what police work should be about... in my opinion anyway. Whatever happened to discretion?
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