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I wouldn't say all these principles are in force in the UK today. The very fact that our police is routinely used to break up peaceful demonstrations, to stop d

I wouldn't say all these principles are in force in the UK today. The very fact that our police is routinely used to break up peaceful demonstrations, to stop demonstrations from occurring in areas were our politicians might see them is kind of a perversion of one of the key points. The officers do still wear the numbers but they are routinely covered up to hide their identities, especially when they are dealing with a demonstration. The police have arrest targets just like everywhere else now, the headline figures are still types of crime per 100k of population but they have other targets within the organisation that are just like everywhere else. "The police are the public and the public are the police." - What trust there was in the police force has been declining since the break up of the miner protests in the 80's. The unnecessary aggression and brutality of the police force keeps happening and with each violent act they are seen more and more as a gang rather than as other citizens doing what any other citizen can do. My general feeling is that the police is more and more being used in the UK as a political vehicle to maintain power against an ever annoyed public, its not by consent when they break up a peaceful protest because the government passed laws that said all protests must be registered and agreed to. It might one day have been like that but its not based on these principles today.

tehwalrus 13y ago
Some of the positives of this system of justice do still remain - Personally, I would still approach a UK police officer in the street to ask for help without fear[1], whereas I don't think I'd ever go and ask for help from a US cop except in the direst of circumstances (mainly because of their reputation, and that they are all armed). That said, your criticisms of the current force are definitely valid ones, and I would like to see them addressed by a political movement to restore these principles in full to British policing. [1] with a few exceptions - not armed officers at airports, or police officers at protests whether or not in riot gear.
- coolsunglasses 13y ago
  > I don't think I'd ever go and ask for help from a US cop except in the direst of circumstances Pretty silly. Most, if not all, cops I've encountered have been decent and helpful human beings. The primary source of ongoing friction with cops usually has to do with racial tensions in inner cities, especially in LA. Their being armed doesn't change anything, plenty of everyday non-police citizens walking around armed too. No reason for fear.
  - tehwalrus 13y ago
    > plenty of everyday non-police citizens walking around armed too. This is not a reason not to be afraid. I'll spare you my big rant, though, as I probably won't convince you.
arethuza 13y ago
I don't think things were necessarily that much better in the past - there is no Riot Act anymore (which was pretty draconian) and we haven't had tanks on the streets recently either... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Clydeside http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Clydeside

tehwalrus 13y ago

Some of the positives of this system of justice do still remain - Personally, I would still approach a UK police officer in the street to ask for help without fear[1], whereas I don't think I'd ever go and ask for help from a US cop except in the direst of circumstances (mainly because of their reputation, and that they are all armed). That said, your criticisms of the current force are definitely valid ones, and I would like to see them addressed by a political movement to restore these principles in full to British policing. [1] with a few exceptions - not armed officers at airports, or police officers at protests whether or not in riot gear.

coolsunglasses 13y ago
> I don't think I'd ever go and ask for help from a US cop except in the direst of circumstances Pretty silly. Most, if not all, cops I've encountered have been decent and helpful human beings. The primary source of ongoing friction with cops usually has to do with racial tensions in inner cities, especially in LA. Their being armed doesn't change anything, plenty of everyday non-police citizens walking around armed too. No reason for fear.
- tehwalrus 13y ago
  > plenty of everyday non-police citizens walking around armed too. This is not a reason not to be afraid. I'll spare you my big rant, though, as I probably won't convince you.

arethuza 13y ago

I don't think things were necessarily that much better in the past - there is no Riot Act anymore (which was pretty draconian) and we haven't had tanks on the streets recently either... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Clydeside http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Clydeside