Cops Vox Pops

Do cops work hard enough?

What do you think of how the cops deal with graffiti?

What about people who cause low level vandalism?

Who’s your favourite TV copper?

What about people who think it’s a big deal to have gay policemen?

Steve:

Well, you don’t really see many of them about and there can’t be enough on the beat, so what are they doing? I’ve not seen any today or any in the past few days come to think of it. The only time you really see them is whizzing past in police cars.

Mary:

I’ve not really seen much graffiti around here to be honest, so it doesn’t really affect me. It’s not a major crime but it is ugly and I think the crime should fit the punishment. The perpetrators should serve some sort of community service and have to clean up the graffiti they have done and others in the area, but I’m not sure how the cops deal with it directly. I guess they take them into custody and give them a slap on the wrists.

Chris:

I don’t think they really do enough, but I don’t believe it should be their job to deal with in the first place. They aren’t really interested in low level crime; they don’t see it as a crime they should be dealing with. They should be dealing with higher social crimes; maybe this level of crime should be dealt with by the local councils or authorities. Prevention is better than cure, this applies to crime more than anything. A new approach needs to be introduced for the prevention of graffiti and dealing with the perpetrators.

Derek:

I’d have to say Burnside from

The Bill

. Although he was fat and slow he still got the job done. You’ve got to love the way a guy with the brain of a small child can waddle round South London and nick the toughest guys out there.

Ryan:

I don’t have any problems with gays on the police force, but I fear for the problems they are going to get whilst in the force.

There is still a lot of homophobia in the force, although you don’t see it first hand. They must still get a lot of stick, but if they do their job correctly and professionally, I have no problem with them at all, as long as they don’t pinch my bum if I get arrested.

What’s your thought on the way the police dealt with the Stockwell shooting?

Have you called the police recently?

Are the police quick to respond?

Do we need more

cops?

What did you think about Met. Police Commissioner Ian Blair’s comments on the Soham murders (when he was quoted as saying “almost nobody” could see why the case had become such a big story?)

Mark:

The whole police force were on a state of alert and on edge. Having a backpack on and running through train stations with recent events is quite dangerous. Backpacks are what were used in the recent London bombings and all police and security services are asked to keenly look out for them. The event did surprise me but I guess it shows that the police are well trained to do their job. You don’t see many armed police at train stations, so that surprised me. Above all, the police are doing a very good job under the tough conditions at the moment

Pete:

Yes. I had a robbery here and the police were here immediately, between five and ten minutes. Two blokes, not locals, jumped over the counter and grabbed a load of phone cards. You do see a few more police on the beat these days, especially in cars, that’s where their real presence is being felt.

Paulette:

I think the police do a very good job. I’ve seen them about three times today. I’ve never been left waiting for the police. I once saw a friend of mine being attacked in the street by another member of the public and the police were there in about five minutes.

Jack:

If you asked me this when I was about 13 or something, I would have said no. I got a lot of hassle from the police back then and there seemed to be more than enough about. As I’ve got older the police presence has not been as visible but having more police does make you feel safer. Once one of my mates bunked off school with a load of people. They all got drunk and broke into this really big house and went swimming in the pool. Eventually the police were called and they all ran away but a few days later, he got a knock at his door from the local policeman as he’d left his boxers there and his mum had sewn his name in to the back of them. So the detectives were doing their job.

DAVID VAUGHAN