Englands Top Copper

[Rinrada]

I know its the FUNNY season but.......

We keep having a go a Bangkoks finest but when I read this......O well.

Hands off – Top PC is told to stop arresting..(By Alan Hamilton.with thanks Times)

ENGLAND’S most zealous policeman has been told to stop feeling quite so many collars because he is scaring the suspects off.

PC Diederik Coetzee, who holds the national record for the number of arrests in a year, has been ordered not to make any more in a particular street in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, despite its reputation as a haunt of drug dealers.

Managers of the Sherwood Street day centre and YMCA hostel complained that PC Coetzee was nicking too many of their “vulnerable” young clients and frightening away the needy who sought refuge from a life on the streets.

While the average officer manages only 9.5 arrests a year, PC Coetzee has already smashed the existing record of 305 held by a Northumbria police dog handler and has received an official commendation.

He had set himself a target of 380 by the end of this month, an aim which will now be more difficult to achieve.

“Everyone has a lot of respect for PC Coetzee, but there is no point in having a centre like this if the very people it is meant to help stay away,” a source at the day centre said.

Chief Inspector John Eyre said: “PC Coetzee is an enthusiastic, tenacious and pro-active police officer. Recently his work, including arresting people who have failed to appear in court, has led to concerns from managers at Sherwood Street day centre that his actions may deter vulnerable members of the community from using the service.”

Chief Inspector Eyre added: “In a spirit of co-operation with the day centre, police have come to an agreement that extra care and consideration will be taken as to where any such arrests take place.”

Known locally as Robocop, PC Coetzee, 48, a married father of two, came to Britain from South Africa eight years ago after 24 years as a police explosives expert and dog handler in Johannesburg.

Two years ago, was among the 30 most deprived areas in England and Wales. The latest crime figures show 26 violent attacks per 1,000 head of population compared with a national average of 16.5; 10 house burglaries against an average of 6.4; 7 vehicle thefts against an average of 4.5 and 17 thefts from vehicles compared with 10.

When he joined Nottinghamshire Constabulary five years ago he set about cleaning up the Ladybrook estate on his mountasin bike, unlike his bulletproof vest and firearms days in Johannesburg.

Speaking recently after his commendation PC Coetzee said: “I’ve got to know the criminals and they all know me. They don’t even try to run from me any more, because they know I’ll catch up with them.”

At the time Inspector Samantha Wilson, his area commander, said he was an outstanding officer who had made a significant contribution. Now she has had to tell him to ease off.

Down at Mansfield nick yesterday the talk was of little else. “It’s ridiculous,” a source said. “He’s officially the best copper in Britain but he’s been told to stop arresting people in an area where drug dealers and burglars are known to hang about. His trouble is he’s too good at what he does.”

The same cannot be said for Nottinghamshire Constabulary, which two years ago was named the second-worst performer among the 43 forces in England and Wales.

A police spokeswoman said that the award-winning centre was a successful drug treatment facility that was working to stop addicts getting involved in crime. It was being run by the force and other agencies and PC Coetzee was not aware of the police involvement in the centre because it was not officially on his beat.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1939098,00.html

[opothai]

this is precisly why we are going down hill in this country,

what sort of message does this send out.

in north wales we have a record making chief constable with motorist fine twice his nearest rival, but crimes solved disaaterous set of figures, if my memory is correct without looking it up it is as low as 4.5%.

the sooner i can leave this f++ked up country the better

[redrus]

There's 2 sides to this though I think.

In 1 sense yes he's cleaning up the streets yes but, if he's just making up his numbers by nicking people that are just addicts and need help then, yes he needs to slow down.

Get to root of the problems. Not waste tax payers money by dragging the same people through the system time after time.

redrus

[Morden]

As Opothai says, this story just about sums up what going wrong in England. It sits alongside the other story about a surgeon who was told that he was doing too many operations and must slow down.

Then there's Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridgeshire. They haven't been able to make appointments for patients because the computer system's servers in Hertfordshire were too close to the oil depot fire last week. What, no disaster recovery plan in the NHS? The same hospital has been double booking out-patients in order to meet government targets on delays. As a result, when double booked patients need more than the allotted 10 minutes the rest of that day's out-patients are kept waiting for more than the permitted 30 minutes!

However, we know that if we drive at 72 mph along certain dual carriageways we shall pick up enough penalty points for a ban.

It's all a game, surely. The authorities are all laughing at us as they spend our taxes on their wages and final-salary pensions and do as much as they can to cause us misery.

What really hacks me off, though, is that people complain about Thailand as if it's that country that's got it all wrong. At least when I'm there I can park in town without some traffic warden on commission waiting for me to leave the car for one minute over time. And I can see a doctor without waiting days for appointments.

[meemiathai]

There's 2 sides to this though I think.

In 1 sense yes he's cleaning up the streets yes but, if he's just making up his numbers by nicking people that are just addicts and need help then, yes he needs to slow down.

Get to root of the problems. Not waste tax payers money by dragging the same people through the system time after time.

redrus

Agreed

[OlRedEyes]

There's 2 sides to this though I think.

In 1 sense yes he's cleaning up the streets yes but, if he's just making up his numbers by nicking people that are just addicts and need help then, yes he needs to slow down.

Get to root of the problems. Not waste tax payers money by dragging the same people through the system time after time.

redrus

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed. An overzealous copper from SA who can't get a job locally anymore, or left because of the new dispensation? Dunno.

[Morden]

Agreed. An overzealous copper from SA who can't get a job locally anymore, or left because of the new dispensation? Dunno. 

[right][post=587454]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]

Maybe I'm a bit out of touch here but I thought that people carrying illegal substances were breaking the law and, if caught, were arrested. I'm sure that many people in Mansfield were delighted with the officer's work.

[opothai]

ok fella's

some of you seem to think he's over zealous, try and live in one of those streets where the addicts go for thier fix and the petty thieves that fund thier habit and young girls fund thier habit through prostitution all in on area, your life would soon become a nightmare 24 hrs a day. do not forget the copper is only trying to help the community by cleaning up the streets, what is he doing wrong.?

if more coppers did the same as him then communities would be better and the addicts and pushers would be driven elsewhere or the government would have to address this problem instead of thinking it does not exist or if lucky it will go away.

one question to ponder

has criminal activity grown over the past 15 years or is it better.

then think where we are going wrong

[redrus]

ok fella's

some of you seem to think he's over zealous, try and live in one of those streets where the addicts go for thier fix and the petty thieves that fund thier habit and young girls fund thier habit through prostitution all in on area, your life would soon become a nightmare 24 hrs a day. do not forget the copper is only trying to help the community by cleaning up the streets, what is he doing wrong.?

if more coppers did the same as him then communities would be better and the addicts and pushers would be driven elsewhere or the government would have to address this problem instead of thinking it does not exist or if lucky it will go away.

one question to ponder

has criminal activity grown over the past 15 years or is it better.

then think where we are going wrong

Defiiately grown.

I don't diagree with ya fella, as I'm sure the others that agree'd with me don't too.

I used to live in area of South Manchester far worse than any area of Mansfield I ever went to. Police there started to understand that if the people had no-where to go to get their gear, they were much more responsive to finding and completing rehabilitation. There-fore able to come back and try to make a good contribution to society not, just being banged up for petty possesion offenses then being released to commit the exact same offenses. Buying the gear from the same dealers who are laughing all the way.

England is not South Africa. We do not act or respond the same way or have anything like SA's history. We have our own history. It makes us different, very different.

I'm not saying Manchester has all the answers though, its still a rough ol town but, we need to look at things differently.

redrus