Monday 19 October 2009

Look up there in the sky, is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO, it's....

Super Cop

I read with great interest about Sgt Livingstone who has managed to become the UK's Super Cop with the highest arrest record of any Police Officer..
Then I wonder about it and just how it's done.

Between April 08 and March 09 a staggering 524 arrests. That is IMPRESSIVE to say the least. BUT.. they then go on to say that's an average of 2.2 arrests a day. Well on my shift pattern that's 2.5 almost 2.6 arrests a day.. none the less lets continue looking.

You can only arrest people that quick if you have a fast custody procedure and you have prisoner interview teams to hand your prisoner over to - whatever system Suffolk uses is whatever system we should ALL use! Otherwise, 2.2 arrests a day would take you longer than you've got hours to work!

But the story further goes on to say that Sgt Livingstone is making more arrests per year than 58 police officers put together!! WTF? Ok, I personally have seen a Sgt arrest 2 people in one night.. it was quite funny as well.. and he also handed them over (to PC's to deal with). But to be honest it is rare in our force, in fact I'd say it's rare for Sgts to leave the station!!

Onwards and upwards.

524 arrests divided by 58 gives an average arrest rate for those "58 coppers" of 9.03 arrests per year. Huh?
Does this mean I'm some sort of super cop too then? Because I arrested around 90 people last year and charged (with Home Office detections attached) around 40. The other 50 either weren't charged with Home Office detectable crimes or they had no further action taken. But I know that most of the people I arrested last year were charged so I'd say only 10% were NFA.

So as I arrested around 90 people does that make me 10 X better than the average?
WHAT???? 10 X better than the average police officer?
Nah, I don't think so. It just means I was either deployed to the job first. Or that I was in the right area at the right time. Or perhaps that I was trying harder to get a few more arrests....... I know that I also didn't arrest a lot of people that I could have! For instance the S5 Public Order in the High Street where I told matey's mates to take him away before he got arrested.. that sort of thing.

I don't think it's all about just going out to arrest people. I think it's also about using common sense, using discretion, using judgement and reasoning skills and attempting to educate the public so that they don't end up being criminalised for doing or saying something stupid.

I'd like to think that there are a few nicer and luckier people out there because I didn't arrest them. And a few people who are still alive because I didn't give them a seatbelt ticket but gave them a telling off. etc.. it's all about education and safety in my book!

6 comments:

  1. I'm assuming they're calculating the number of total arrests against the total number of police officers, and that works out at an average of 9 a year. The majority of constables in my force won't nick anyone as they're stuck in HQ on a 9-5 shift pattern.

    I would also hazard a guess that the Sgt in question could be a custody sergeant and is simply arresting those who hand themselves in on warrants.

    Maybe I'm just being cynical....

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  2. Anything is possible..

    Tell you what though, I'd love to have an arrest record like that but it's just not feasible with our custody system as it stands.

    He's obviously put in some very hard work and that's commendable but clearly it's easier in Suffolk.

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  3. I assumed the same as PC Fish Thief above. There must be many many officers who go for years without making arrests. Specialists, investigators, senior managers, etc..

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  4. Hey, Cone Boy - 524 arrests at an average of 2.2 per working day means 238 working days.

    Your proud boast of 90 per year means that you only put away your doughnuts long enough to make a single arrest (via the easy option of persecuting a motorist, no doubt) once every 2.6 working days.

    Assuming an 8 hour day - then for those 21 hours then you have just admitted to drawing your parasite's wage for doing absolutely *nothing*.... no doubt a skill you picked up in your glory days as an Argos security guard - before you were sacked when they discovered how you were even too incompetent for that job, eh?

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  5. Dear Jaques Lefavre.

    Fortunately they buy their own doughnuts, because they work and not convince DWP officials that it is vital they stay at home and criticise the police. However I hope you're pathetic skill is reflective of your glory days as a complete arse.

    Dam, more food for the 'Troll' to eat.

    Those numbers are somewhat alarming. How is it possible to do this level of arrest given that the Daily Heil says that one arrest is 50% of the shift on paperwork?

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  6. Jacques Lefèvre, (if you believe yourself to be a poorly spelled version of a French philosopher),

    Clearly you cannot read very well so I will give you a helping hand: "...on my shift pattern that's 2.5 almost 2.6 arrests a day..." that means that with the length of hours and the shift pattern "I" work on it would average out to be 2.5 or 2.6 arrests a day - see, it's all written there in my sentence.

    I bet the reason why you an Clotty are so "against" anyone who does anything traffic related is because you drive like a complete knob-ends (if indeed you are old enough to have a licence) and/or you've had your cars seized and crushed under S59 of the PRA. Alternatively you might be a drink driver who feels hard done by because they broke the law and the police persecuted them (oh sorry, prosecuted them) for breaking the law - which oddly enough is our job.




    Now everyone can see exactly why I just delete the trolls comments. In fact I think it'd be far easier to not have anonymous comments, I think I'll do that instead.

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