Are the police being constantly let down by the courts, and so the police take the blame from the public?

kinn2him

police blame the courts for letting their "collars" off and the prisons for not keeping the ones they get long enough.

the courts blame police for not "doing it right" and the prisons for the overpopulation and for reducing the sentences they hand down.

and the prisons blame the police for not taking care of the streets, for "doing it wrong" and the courts for giving the inmates all their rights "without regard" for the rights of the prison staff.

they constantly work at pointing the finger somewhere else rather than working together to fix things (or at least make things better)

stuart l

yes they get people to court for a pompus judge to say "oh your not all bad go home and be good"

Spawnee

The police are being let down by the Home Office, it is they that sentencing guidelines.
I don't blame the police

Mr. X.

Judges are reluctant to send too many poeple to prison because the prisons are overcrowded.
That's why it has been in the news lately about releasing loads of prisoners early, to try and make some room for new prisoners.

P H

speaking as someone with personal knowledge of the justice system i know for a certain fact that a lot of people feel very frustrated that they cant always take the right action at the appropriate time. a. because of government policy, the courts can only follow the guidelines set down by their political masters... and b. because of a complete lack of resources and suitable alternatives to prison. a lot of people are in prison today just because there is no where else to put them i.e drug addicts

A . Z .

I would say yes definantly. And that is from someone who would like to see all police lined up naked at -30 degrees to get hypothermia then left to die.

Ding dong, I'm Sparticus 2.

A simple YES, which I believe most police would also say is my answer.

pacer

Our court system is usually right but there is exceptions. Where I live there is many illegals and the court is saying that even person's doing something illegal has rights and this matter has to be handled by the Federal courts. In the mean- time our local already over worked police force is left to take the blame from the public on all the crime etc.. from these illegals with rights!

jim_n_ruth

There is a lot of plea bargaining in the process. Cops go into court with boatloads of facts & evidence. The lawyers offer to have their client pead guilty to this, if the proscecutor drops that. Happens everyday. That's life.

little weed

yes, the police work their butts off to catch criminals only to wait months to get them to court ,then either the case is postponed or these criminals get away with a few hours community service . This leaves the police feeling frustrated because they know these criminals will be re arrested the following week and the whole thing starts again.if these magistrates were allowed to pass stiffer sentences on these law breakers then things might change. The police need to be released of all the red tape and paperwork and be allowed to get on with fighting crime on the streets.More police on the streets and less PCSO's who have little or no powers .

So i sleep a lot

Whatever work iv done its been for a salary and always my choice.Dont lose sight of the very same fact whichever part of life your in.There is a simple view of this,no wood no carpenters,no cars no roads and so it goes There is i think this ideology of no thieves or anti social behaviour but no form of crime no police force.One thing cancels the other so they all need each other,sometimes right,sometimes wrong,but its the way things work and from time to time change comes

Bear

The police will always be in the firing line, thanks to the media circus. It was only the other month that I was subject to a racism allegation, whilst dealing with an Iraqi male. The newspaper printed his story, which in no way reflected what had happened. It was a joke but many will have read the story and believed it.

I also think that the police and more so the public are being let down by the courts. The whole Criminal Justice System needs a massive shake-up. We hear all too often of ridiculous sentences that in no way reflect the crimes. Where is the deterrent in that?

I also believe that the police service needs strengthening. We need more officers and much less bureaucracy. That way we may be able to give a service befitting of this country's police.

mike h

Yes, basically. They are on the front line and thus the easy targets for a frustrated public when they are not the real culprits. The bloody courts and liberal government are.

Frank

yeah, all the time the criminal justice system fails or the do gooders rally round to stop the criminals from being dealt with correctly...

If more of the people the police charged with offences were prosecuted England would be a better place.

joan k

It's the Government who are letting the Police down. Judges are appointed by the Lord Chancellor and who appoints him?. The GOVERNMENT!!!.

California Street Cop

Its not the police that are being let down by the courts, its the people.

We police do a job. If the courts want to "let them slide" or "go easy" thats on the system and that hurts the people, not the police.

Cliffe-climber

I agree with the sentiment of your question, but I think you've over-simplified the issue.

The word "constantly" is an exaggeration which can't be upheld by the facts.

The phrase "the public" is too all-encompassing. There will always be groups within society who complain about the police. The right feel the police are not powerful enough, and the left feel they have too much power.

It's no good trying to shift the blame onto the judicial system either. The real villains are the media, who like to sensationalise crime in order to sell their papers.

MANCHESTER UK

The Police are being let down and wrongly criticised by some people who believe the Police are to blame.
They are not. The Public believe that a sentence of 20 years should be incarceration for 20 years not being allowed out 'on licence' part way through the term imposed. If a Judge can impose a custodial sentence without parole, why not make all internees do the same?

It is probably a vote losing attitude to make wholesale changes to the judicial system because of the House of Commons but I well remember a certain Inspector Tom Dowland in the Manchester Magistrates Court prosecuting a 'lead miner' arrested the night before, having had a guilty verdict pronounced, reading the antecedents, looking over his glasses and saying to the Magistrates, "Shall I read out just the last three times this man has appeared for similar offences?".
Those were the days. Summary justice that meant the villain was off the streets the following morning, not being defended and allowed to commit further offences.
The likelyhood of a conviction used to be in the hands of the Police but trhe CPS is manned by Lawyers who are paid well for their service. The make the decision on prosecution or otherwise based of the probability of a conviction.

deltagremlin

the police are the public face of the british justice system.... so they take all the flack when it fails to bring criminals to justice

Silver Lady

I know lots of police officers because of the work I do in our community. They spend a great deal of time catching criminals, gathering evidence and proof for court cases and very often see these people let off with light sentences because they a) are on drugs b) are under a certain age c)their family is under the care of Social Services d)parents have 'influence' with someone somewhere.....the police officers that I know get very frustrated by the lack of support they get, and by all the cr**p they have to take from the public who say they're not doing enough. And please don't comment that 'they don't have to be policemen'. Someone has to be. And, in my opinion we're very lucky to have the majority of these officers, who do their best to do their jobs well.

groovymaude

Yes

Beau

Hello No the Police are let down by the public and take the blame for the Courts

tacomadc

I think you are right. It must be so frustrating for police to keep arresting the same dangerous criminals, and then having a jury let them go again and again. I was an alternate at an attempted murder trial, and this lowlife scumbag went free just because he had a slick lawyer who totally manipulated the jury (of very poorly educated people). It really made me wonder about our system.

joeanimal

they are becoming galvanized, there work requires them to let there emotional feelings about situations take a back seat!!!!

especially the larger city police!!!

Bertie

I sometimes criticise answers I disagree with in ref to the Police, but as such, on the flip side, can I say thank-you to some of the answers here.

I believe each department within the Criminal Justice System does what it can with what it has to work with. Police try to deal with criminals, CPS try to prosecute them, Judges try to sentence them. This does not always work, or seem like that but each department is so tied in it's own tape, policy and guidelines it can be difficult.

The public (I include myself) will always blame what they can see and in the majority of cases this will be the Police Officer they deal with. It is natural. I just hope that they can see that the majority of Officers want exactly what the person wants, an acceptable resolution.
They are but a small part the machine and it's not always their fault when that resolution is not found.

I believe we need a real overhaul. It would not be easy but these 'quick fix plasters' which keep being added are removing the ability to be effective. Unfortunately I don't have the answer though, hats off to those who try.

cheeky chappie

...ok...what about the deaths in police custody ?

SLAYER

YES!~!

eldude

I think that paints an accurate portrait. It might not be the 'courts' I think it's the judges. Prosecutors usually want to nail everybody as hard as they can for anything but judges want to be popular so they can get a better elected position. So, like democrats, they appeal to certain groups to build a support base. Judges have politics just like politicians, it shouldn't be that way, the law is not written to be interpretted however a person feels like, it should be literal. Anyway, thats life, politics ruin everything for everybody except politicians. Remember there is no honor among thieves.
Isn't it brilliant, they don't want people to fear going to jail so they keep letting them out sooner and sooner, basically like a bonus for going to jail, you don't have to do near as much time as you thought you were going to have to.

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