OK, so I was relaxing with my pipe and my terrier, reading The Telegraph, when I came across this article.
At a police station in Bolton, we took a tour of the station and its cells and were given a debrief about local crime. Cameron was attentive, but appeared to get irritated when one officer began describing the paperwork needed whenever taking down someone’s details to put on file.
Eight minutes seemed to be the minimum needed to complete a form successfully, and when Cameron asked, “Why don’t you just write down their name and address and what they look like?” he was met with bewildered stares. As we said our goodbyes and started to leave, Cameron noticed a small electronic screen by the entrance of the station.
“What’s this?” he asked, with genuine interest. It turned out to be a rotating photo parade of the most wanted men in the area.
The staff sergeant asked Cameron’s camera team to turn their equipment off (the visit was being filmed for Cameron’s website), in case it caused “complications”. Why? Would it affect their human rights? Would it add another tranche of paperwork to the arresting process?
Cameron was dumbfounded. But when he asked why the photographs couldn’t simply be put up in every off-licence and bus shelter in West Yorkshire, again the blank stares returned.
Possibly the blank stares returned because Bolton is in Lancashire?
editor[at]recessmonkey.com
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Ee’oop lad, we annexed it to West Yorkshire years ago.
Yorkshire Imperialist said this on August 21st, 2008 at 8:40 am
i can’t believe taht Cameron didn’t know what else needs to go on the stop form ie Were the stop was why were they stopped time of stop what the radio check to see if the details came back in were accurate, did they consider themselves to be an ethnic minority, how long they were detained if they had anyone with them there age height etc if they wanted to come get there stop form later,and as for not knowing that wanted criminals arent allowed to have there pictures shown to everyone as it infringes there civil liberties and to think this bloke wants to be P.M
john p reid said this on August 21st, 2008 at 2:41 pm
It’s a disgrace, if I was one of the dangerous wanted criminal I’d be straight down to my solictors and sue the arse off the fascist bastards for showing my pictures. It’s a fucking restraint of trade, that’s what it is, if every fucking post office, shopping centre and bank ooop norf knew what I looked like I’d never make a living. Fucking breach of our criminal rights that’s what it is!
Paul Gadd said this on August 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Gaffes all round chaps - while in the historic county of Lancashire, Bolton is now in the administrative entity of Greater Manchester - hence this visit to a GMP station.
Rob Alcock said this on August 24th, 2008 at 10:58 am
But, the blank stares started before he mentioned West Yorks. AND Bolton isn’t in Lancashire, prat.
Jon not in the north said this on August 24th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Is Bolton in Lacashire or West Yorks?
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/results.shtml/el/Bolton%3BLancashire/
Alex said this on August 25th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
We Boltonions are proud to be Lancastrians, Alex :o)
Womble said this on August 27th, 2008 at 2:34 pm