Wednesday 4 November 2009

A welcome change of emphasis?

Are we getting a shift in government thinking towards coming to terms with the conclusion that the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable by the use of force?

Other countries working within the UN like Italy, I read, concluded from the very start that an approach with tea , biscuits and chat with the locals, was going to get somewhere. The crude blasting an unidentifiable opposition to smithereens has resulted in resentment and worse anger at foreign interference. Too often innocent people are being killed and this is what has registered. There is no match between brute force from remote and devastating fire power and the Taliban working on foot in familiar territory with people they understand and can strongly influence.

The next step is now equally worrying.

With talk of withdrawl comes the suggestion that we spend more money monitoring what is happening here in Britain.

This sounds like a move towards a police state. We are seeing how biased the police can be over the G20 demonstrations with only a handful of complaints being followed up.

Surely what will happen is that the Muslims who live in ghettos will be victimised by the public as a whole because they hear of investigations of certain Muslim activities. Racial tensions will increase alarmingly.

Here in Ulverston we need to react quickly to any group that starts picking on another as those who are plain angry just pick on the nearest 'different ' group at hand.



We need to get to know our police so that we have confidence in them. On the other side of the coin it is very important for the police to make contact with as many 'normal' folk as possible. Many of us don't see a policeman from one month to another.

Looking at the town as a whole, we need to get to know each other as much as possible and take every opportunity to mix and get to know each other. With a population of around 12,000 this is very possible and is why Ulverston remains such a friendly place but we all need to make the effort to get out of our snug houses and get to know the neighbours - these can be very rewarding contacts.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apart from PC Nigel ,the local plod do not appear to be interested in interacting with the public or doing anything constructive. If they got out of the van occasionally it would be a start.

Anonymous said...

If you're not in a car they don't want to know, but if you forget your MOT then you are on their radar straightaway!!

Geoff Dellow said...

You're a bloody negative lot!

On the whole I've found the police here in Ulverston are good - some are really superb and I get good reports about some I don't yet know.

Sadly many of the blog reading people are a negative lot.

Just try to put yourself in the shoes of PC Plod with so many people not having a good word to say for them.

Talking to my ex PC friends the job has become much less rewardeding than twenty years ago and I'm sure the police themselves miss the chance to spend more time with the public.

Money restrictions have meant that like social workers and teachers the police are often spread too thinly on the ground and expected to cover more and more.

Having to police well into the night for the likes of the Roxy doesn't help.

And how about the negative attitude to ambulance drivers in parts of England - I hope that this doesn't happen round here!

Anonymous said...

Negative ? on Sat night there were groups of lads ,not local,blocking Queen St outside the Globe. Police came and drove through and did nothing .That's what I call negative. A couple of police on the beat would reassure the decent majority out on the town at weekends. As I say they will not get out of the van . Nigel is an exception ,he is respected in town and rightly so.