Blog:Shame On Lancashire Police
From Bolton Interweb
Dai Harder, Lancashire Correspondent, 1st October 2009
Shame on Lancashire Police. Shame on Blackpool Magistrates. They are a disgrace to the decent people they are supposed to serve and heads should roll.
The case of Renate Bowling, a 71-year-old widow in Thornton Cleveleys, charged with assault, convicted, and fined £50 by magistrates for poking in the chest a teenager who was chucking stones at her house, defies belief. Mrs Bowling had been terrorised for months, with rocks and stones thrown at her windows, and verbal abuse being hurled at her. She confronted her abusers and got arrested and taken away in a police van.
In the last couple of weeks the tragic story of Fiona Pilkington who killed herself and her daughter following years of harassment and abuse that went unchecked by the police and authorities has been prominent in the news. Claims have been made by the police and local council that they have learned lessons. But Mrs Bowling is evidence to the contrary. The elderly, the disabled, and ordinary citizens across the land are subjected to horrendous abuse on a daily basis and not only do the authorities regularly ignore their plight, but in Mrs Bowling's case the victim is turned into the criminal. What kind of message does this send? To other victims. To the kids that chuck stones and harass them.
It seems like a small case on which to demand heads to roll. But the fightback has to start somewhere. If this had been a simple mistake, a police officer making a simple misjudgement then Mrs Bowling would have been released with an apology and a promise to do something about those victimising her. No, arrest was followed by charge, followed by prosecution, followed by conviction. Not a mistake, not a misjudgement, but deliberate policy. Someone in that chain should have stopped and thought about what they were doing, should have realised how wrong wrong wrong they were.
The police want public support, need public support, wonder why they don't get respect not only from kids but from the middle classes. This case shows why. And it is largely unfair - most police officers and most magistrates would have pursued the real criminals not a scared and terrorised 71-year-old widow. But one act of gross stupidity reflects negatively on them all. And that is why an example has to be made of those responsible. Re-training is not a credible option - if you don't know right from wrong then you cannot be a police officer or a magistrate and it can't be taught to grown adults in those positions.
It is also unfair to blame the Government for this particular case but ultimately they are responsible for not providing direction that the people want rock-chucking, foul mouthed teenagers taught a lesson in respect by locking them up, and their victims provided with protection and respect. Zero tolerance of anti-social behaviour and we all know ASBOs don't work so don't try that one. The Home Secretary could start by issuing a pardon and apology to Mrs Bowling, and issuing some strong orders to police forces across the land. Our Home Secretary is a decent man with more empathy with the ordinary citizen than the rest of the Cabinet put together. If Labour want to begin their own fight back they can start with Mrs Bowling. Otherwise it is another opportunity for the Tories to win votes.
© Evrose, 2010
