A common sense copper... at last. Well done Sir Paul for putting police back on the beat

A common sense copper... at last. Well done Sir Paul for putting police back on the beat

By Peter Hitchens
Last updated at 9:14 PM on 21st March 2009

Yes, you can turn the clock back. The stupid mistakes of the Sixties can be shown up for what they are, and people in positions of power can begin to reverse them.
I am greatly heartened by the words of Sir Paul Stephenson, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, who said last week that police officers should return to patrolling the streets – alone.
Sir Paul has also said that ‘we have got to maximise the feeling that uniform is governing the streets so people feel safe to walk them’.



I am not sure how many years I have been arguing, in this column and elsewhere, that the whole point of the police force is to prevent crime and misbehaviour by being visible and accessible.

What I am sure of is that, when I first started, the official response – from government, from police chiefs, from ‘experts’ – was always the same. Foot patrols were an antiquated Victorian idea. They were futile, as they hardly ever interrupted a crime in progress. And there weren’t enough officers to do the job.



Sir Paul Stephenson wants his officers to walk the beat on their own rather than in pairs

Unconvinced, I and (after a while) some others argued back. The manpower excuse was a plain lie. We have never had so many police officers at any time in our history.
The point of foot patrols wasn’t to catch criminals after they’d broken the law, but to stop people doing bad things in the first place. They also put the police back in touch with the public, curing them of their current delusion that they are an elite corps and the public are irritating ‘civilians’.

Their presence gives confidence to the law-supporting, who are then more willing to stand up against loutishness.
And Sir Paul grasps that it is essential that his officers normally patrol alone. Good for him. I’ve seen pairs of policemen so absorbed in their own chat that they’ve failed to notice offences being committed six feet away. Anyway, it’s much harder to approach them when there are two of them. You feel as if you’re interrupting something.

It can be done. Change is possible. Common sense can triumph. Sir Paul has proved it. But we – like Sir Paul – have to be bold if we want to get our way.

Courtesy of The Mail on Sunday on-line at http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/debate/article-1163706/PETER-HITCHENS-A-common-sense-copper--last.html


What do you think? Is this not rather obvious and what the majority of tax payers have been asking for for years?

My dear late father (and his father before him) were Metropolitain Policemen. They both walked the beat in London and in those days just an 'allo, allo, allo, what have we here' would stop micheif in it's tracks - nowdays unless they (the police) are allowed to 'feel your collar' there will be no change.....all their powers have been removed and even really young children know they are beyond the law.......there needs to be change of the 'root and branch' type!!!!

there was less trouble in guernsey when we had coppers on the beat.the likes of noel trotter,hughie jones etc.

There is already a few on the beat in Guernsey and the one we have on the Bridge, who also patrols Delancy Park seems to be doing a good job.

Most people I have spoken too are happy to have a single police officer that they can talk to and relate too, even the youngsters seem to be accepting him as someone that they can talk too.

Also the area seems to have calmed down a bit.

Any police presence is better than none , the only problem we have now is the political correctness gang which somewhat ties the polices hands.

karma wrote:My dear late father (and his father before him) were Metropolitain Policemen. They both walked the beat in London and in those days just an 'allo, allo, allo, what have we here' would stop micheif in it's tracks - nowdays unless they (the police) are allowed to 'feel your collar' there will be no change.....all their powers have been removed and even really young children know they are beyond the law.......there needs to be change of the 'root and branch' type!!!!

Trouble was some of them felt more than your collar.A few too many were "accident prone" with people in custody!

They still are - but you listened to the old time copper - 'cause if you didn't they threatened to tell your parents!!!

Aaaah Noel Trotter....them were the days!!!
I saw him lift a couple of squabbling drunk,by several inches off the ground, one in each hand, holding them by the collar...LOL
All he said was "Are you two going to start behaving and go home?"
Yes , sir...came the tremulous reply...so he put them both down and they scampered off home...LOL

Mind you...I was also sent flying across the room by Karma's Dad..LOL
I was playing with a cigarette lighter in the shape of a gun (remember them?), heard thethe door open...so I twirled around in true Cowby style ...ready to fire!!! LOL
and the next thing I knew I was being helped up and checked over from any damaged!!!What a beautiful person he was and what reflexes....LOL
He was retired at the time, if I remember correctly....

Yep he was retired.........but never really off duty!!!! :)

You are right...it was such an istinctive reaction, on his part ...and a totally silly prank on mine!!!
I might sound "old fashioned"...or just plain old...but I wish we had more 'common sense" policeing(?)I am sick of being pulled over and
having the riot act read to me...simply because I commit the hineous crime of not wearing a seat belt!!!When somebody that was trying to break into my son in law's car...while they were evacuated and camping, did not even rate a second glance from the police...because he "had not stolen anything" YET!

But in those days, if Noel Trotter for example stopped you on your bike going a bit quick you were just as worried that he would tell your father who would more likely dispense proper justice!

...........absolutely (been on the receiving end of that once or twice via Noel) but nowadays neither the police or the parents can do anything - and until someone is given back the power to correct - kids know they are on the 'safe' side!!!!

Human Rights and leftie soft views, making the world a better place - NOT!!

After all........ we don't want to criminalise naughty people now do we?!?










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