Makes you smile.

Did anyone see Panorama yesterday? The bits we saw showed a woman, above, who had been severely bitten on the hand, (leaving a scar), and beaten about the eye, (leaving long-term trauma). And the offender, well they were given a caution for assault actual bodily harm. Don’t know whether this was domestic related, and/or whether the victim knew the attacker. A second case involved a man who was hit, whilst in a night club, across the forehead with an aftershave bottle, (a weapon). The resultant injury left long-term scarring and several stitches to the front of the forehead. Remarkably in this case also the offender was given a caution for assault actual bodily harm.

Having looked at both cases we wonder what were the offences actually classified as? Actual bodily harm (a lesser assault), or grievous bodily harm, (resulting in bad juju.) An ex CPS Lawyer was left numbed that the advice of the CPS was not sought in either case. Recording the assault as an ABH indicates that we live in a world which is reasonably safe, whilst recording as GBH adds to the soaring crime figures of violent crime. Recording as an ABH means that violent crime figures fall, showing just how good our current managers are, and assisting them in further promotion, (preferably outside their own Force Area where they continue to wreck policing and make further silly decisions designed to show they are doing a good job whilst leaving their previous Force and the service in dire straits). And so the games continue. This is not a pithy blog.

But it is the disposal decision that is like, er, what the? The Home office bods that devised this rough justice refer to it as “fast track.” we wonder how many disposals are dealt with via the penalty notice route. It would take a police leader with Kahunas to say both offenders should have been charged, (and we don’t have many with any kahunas), but then our magistrates don’t have the time and foresight to hear cases, and then our prisons are full, so when the offender is sanctioned, where do we send them? We can no longer send offenders to Australia.  This is truly rough justice. Our leadership, NPIA, and Bramshill are full of leaders with no kahunas.

We, here at The Chronicles, have had a review in a book, yes a book, and no ordinary book either; it’s a hard back book at that. Oh my word. This is what Professor Simon Foldaway, a leading expert in police community and race relations, had to say about The Twining Chronicles; your daily or weekly review on issues that affect British policing.

“As I write this final chapter I received two emails that sum up what seem to be the most appropriate points to make about their present situation.  One email from a ‘blogger’, a police sergeant from ‘Shireshire’, who writes a pretty pithy blog about current events in policing, reminded me of the positive changes brought by BPAs

(http://twining.wordpress.com/).[1] He had found a resume of my research findings and wrote the following in his blog,”

‘Just some thoughts for you Mr Holdaway. . . . . . ‘Black police associations (BPAs) represent a significant and successful change within British policing and warrant continued support in order to meet their objectives. A new study led by Professor Simon Holdaway of black police associations and the organisation of ethnicity within the workforce points not only to the importance of BPA’s but also highlights……’’

Well Mr Foldaway, that’s a picture of me above. I am indeed from a place known only as Shireshire; where the weather is cold, gloomy and raining, like most places in this country at this time. However, in Shireshire criminality is so bad that even the cats roaming the streets where hoodies. But what is this? I say, a pithy blog, a pithy blog? Thank you to Mr Foldaway. There will be more coming up in the posts to follow as I peruse some of the good Professor’s views.