A recent story confirmed my suspicions that the Police Service (you mustn’t say Police Force……it’s naughty). Have been taken over by Social Services.
For years certain elements in the ‘community’ and Government have been trying to either get rid of Police Dogs altogether or restrict their use and capabilities. Why? Very simple, they are effective, they have no pre-conceived ideas. They only know that the offenders track goes this way. They don’t know and certainly don’t care that in that particular area the ‘community’ don’t like the police entering ‘their’ neighbourhood. If the bad guy went this way, well that’s where he went. If someone attacks a police dog then they will be bitten. If they run away the dog will stop them. The dog is the only piece of kit in the police toolbox who, two hours after an offender has left the scene can put his nose on the ground and say to his handler “He went this way and he dropped this weapon or threw away these car keys”. They can be used to track criminals, find missing persons, search buildings for suspects hiding, search crime scenes for evidence, deal with public disorder. Disarm and detain violent offenders, teach road safety to children, act as great public relation ambassadors and of course also find drugs, explosives, firearms and money. All this for a few dog biscuits and a bit of love and affection. Good value I’d say.
The rot set in when it was decided that a manager is a manager and their roles are interchangeable. No knowledge is required of the department that is being managed. We saw just how well that worked when the man put in charge of the Royal Mail came straight from heading the Football Association. there was a connection in that both organisations failed to deliver. If you’ve never worked or trained a dog how can you know when things are not right? If you’ve never been on your own down a dark alley at 3 a.m. with a group of people trying to fillet you with cutlery marked ‘made in China’ how can you appreciate the stress your staff are under? The fact that you ran the ‘Department of Folding Chairs’ for the government and can compile a mean pie chart doesn’t mean much in the real world.
We now see very real cuts in dog sections across the UK. one of the largest, Greater Manchester, are halving their establishment. Think of all that dedication and experience in both dogs and handlers, gone at a stroke. Once lost experience takes a long time to regain, if it ever is. What will happen to the money saved? A lot will be kept by the government and the rest will be spent on ‘management suites’ and teams of clerical staff to compile more targets and paperwork for the two policeman left actually doing the job to meet and complete.
Joined up Government they call it.