General Policing Discussions

Wasnt sure if this was the right place for this so feel free to move it Mods. Today I was driving to the petrol station where I live, and I saw a police car sat with its lights on behind a bus in the middle of the road blocking a the oncoming side of the road. Now naturally Im thinking the PC had pulled the bus over for some reason or another, and that he was conduction some sort of traffic stop. However when I made it past the bus I saw a PCSO getting out of the police car, which at this point had 360 Blues and Read Reds on. My question is, are PCSO's allowed to use blue lights? Are they only allowed to use them to give traffic signals? I.e to direct traffic around t…

Hypothetical situation - you are a police officer and it's new year's eve; a few of your friends take out cocaine and MDMA, and use them in their house and then at a club/bar. What is your action as a PC? Do you report it? Do you simply distance yourself from them and leave? Do you just have a word with your friends? What is your duty/obligation in this situation? Before someone says, "They wouldn't be my friends" - this is hypothetical. Imagine your best friend just suddenly did this. What is the best action to both fulfil your duty as a PC but also not be over-the-top?

Anyone have experience of utilising the voluntary attending process? The scenario I'm thinking of is; You are called to an incident involving minors (Under 18yrs) late at night, the offence could be anything from shop lifting to public order. If for instance it is a known local and/or you are satisfied with their identity and address, is it not more practical to take them home and VA them to the police station at a convenient time due to the fact that arrest would mean having to arrange an appropriate adult etc, which could be argued disproportionate by a custody skipper if late at night. Also as a special, if we do arrange a VA it most likely wouldn't be conducted by o…

What do your force expect of you and regular officers if they are struggling to get to the station due to snow?

Can any one help me. I'm working on a project in the community to get more people interested in becoming a SC. Has anyone any good links to force videos that promote the Special Constabulary? And/Or interview the Special Constables. I also find these videos quite inspiring.

I'm interested to hear about anyone's experience during a ride along. Some forces offer the opportunity now and I'm considering applying myself. It can be a very informative experience for anyone wanting to become a police officer or are simply interested in what the police do. If you've been on a ride along and want to share, you could answer some of these questions to help describe your insight What did you choose to observe? How long did you "ride along" for? What did you learn that you didn't already know about the Police? What was the most exciting part of your ride along? Can you give an example of a situation your officer attended? Were there times when you…

Anyone else considering a mid life career change (and using the Specials to test the water) suddenly feel like they have been priced out of a new career?

Dear all, As I know you territorial policing officers attend calls relating to Facebook, et al, with some regularity, you may be interested in reading this interim guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media. ACPO lead on e-crime Chief Constable Andy Trotter said: “This interim guidance sets out clear advice to police forces in England and Wales on handling complaints from the public relating to social media. It takes a common sense approach and will help support consistency from prosecutors and police. We welcome the opportunity for early consultation to take place between CPS and police before any action is taken in these cases.” D…

So it seems I may need a Hep B vaccination as a SC. Is that going to cost a lot and is it absolutely necessary?

A very morbid topic for the start of the morning. Something that I thought about when I first started my training and as I come to the end of said training the question has come up again. Whilst being a Police Officer is generally a none life threatening role it is not without its obvious dangers. Would is be prudent to draft a Will, is this something that other officers have done or is it over the top? Would life insurance be a sensible investment to get? Or even any insurance? (I know nothing of personal insurance so not sure if its possible)

Being a dull kinda guy... http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm84/8495/8495.pdf The Home Office have published a draft Antisocial Behaviour bill - it has many interesting provisions. However most interesting (and with potential to cause outcry with liberty groups) is Clauses 31-33 Directions excluding persons from an area and power to require property to be surrendered. Clauses 31-32 provide for a power which is similar to a S27VCRA2006 direction to leave except the pre-requisites relate to persons contributing to alarm, harrassment or distress OR crime and disorder in the locality. Clause 33 provides a power to require the surrender (to the constable) any …

What do people think about a national English police force? Such as Scotland's new national force? Obviously there were plans of regional mergers a few years back but I mean one force.

Hi all could anybody tell me if Police Officers are allowed to claim for injuries received while on duty? E.g: if they are hurt during riot. Thanks MRF

The other day we had an attempt bilking and the offenders made off in a van, the control room managed to get the nearest unit, oddly and MOD unit behind it but the MOD unit did not / could not attempt to stop the vehicle. Do the MOD have the power to require vehicles to stop outside of the base, or is it one of those 'on request of the HO force' situations? And further to that, would the MOD officers have the power to detain the individuals in the vehicle (again assisting a HO force), or would they be restricted to persons other than a constable powers when outside the base? Thanks guys

I was just reading a post about a Special making their first court appearance and it makes me ask: If you have to go to court as a Special, is your employer obliged to let you attend without it affecting your holiday allowance or would you have to take it as a regular holiday day? Also, how do atheists 'swear in'?