Why Do People Put Up With This?

Drivers are facing severe delays this morning with reports of tailbacks up to six miles long on the A47 at Postwick. A spokesman for Norfolk Constabulary said the rush-hour highway disruption was due to people being stopped for a traffic census.

When will people learn not to give the government this information?

They cannot compel you to do this or answer their questions (though you do have to stop for the police) and if enough people refused, they’d soon get the message.

Certainly, complaining about it on Twitter isn't going to achieve a thing!

This morning people were taking to social media site twiitter (sic) to register their frustration.

@dyblew said: “Stuck on the A47 and running late because of a census. Not a happy bunny”

@alexandrapow87 said: “Avoid the a47 to norwich like the plague this morning tweeps #traffic #standstill”

@staceymac16 said: “The stupid census they r doin in norwich has made me late again. 5 times now. Avoid a47 east bound between trowse & Broadland business park”

The police won’t care that they've held up motorists. Why should they? They can legitimately claim ‘Just doing my job!’…

dave123 Do what I would do and give them completely untrue information or throw the card away. There must be better ways of doing these things nowadays!!!

Well, quite. But I suppose they wouldn't give the Department of Transport staff the warm glow they must feel at holding up everyone so they can ask their pointless questions…

Do You Really Want To Set Targets For This?

Almost 400 police officers in North Yorkshire did not make an arrest last year. Figures obtained through the Freedom of Information Act revealed 383 officers made no arrests between the start of April 2011 and the end of March this year.

Well, that was a complete waste of a FOI request then, wasn't it? Because I can think of many, many reasons why a police officer wouldn't necessarily make any arrests!

North Yorkshire Police pointed to several reasons why some officers would not have made any arrests, saying the figure of 383 included those on long-term sick leave, on secondments, career breaks, maternity leave or in specialist roles where arrests would not be their primary role.

Well, quite!

Using arrest as a measurement of the quality of service we get from our police farces would mean that these charming souls from the Essex Farce would be exemplars, after all:

Lisa was in Corringham when she was approached by the man, who she has a five-year restraining order against. After Lisa ignored him, he followed her to a bus stop and allegedly began harrassing her again.

Lisa intended to report him when she got home, but the man phoned police himself first and claimed Lisa assaulted him.

And of course, they were round there like rats up a drainpipe!

Lisa said: “After I got home there was a knock on the front door.

“Two male officers told me they received a call from the man, stating I had physically assaulted him in the park and they were there to arrest me. I explained what really happened, showed them the paperwork for the restraining order, and told them I was ill with cancer.

“I said I was just about to call and report the incident, but they were adamant I had to be arrested and taken to the station to be questioned.

“I became very distressed and asked them if they had any common sense or empathy, but I was told to calm down.”

Well, it was a stupid question! If they had any common sense or empathy, they’d be working for some other organisation, wouldn't they?

Lisa said she was assured she would be dealt with as a priority and would not be left waiting.

Ahahahaha! Yeah. Right…

After arriving at Grays police station at around 11am, she was fingerprinted and put in a cell. Over the next five hours she kept asking when she was going to be seen, but no one could tell her.

Lisa was eventually interviewed at 4.15pm and told there would be no action against her.

*sighs*

When she tried to report the breach of the restraining order, Lisa said she was told it was a “your word against his situation” as she hadn't phoned police first.

They've got your fingerprints & DNA, they've ticked a box – that’s as much work as they can handle for one day!

She said: “I’m at a loss to understand why the police couldn't have dealt with this another way.

“It just did not matter to them that I have cancer and a restraining order. It all boiled down to the fact I didn't phone them first.”

Yup. Because some of them are jobsworths. And sometimes also bullies who relish the power they have over others.

And that's really all it is, although if you are a professional activist, any such action is likely to be interpreted as the result of dark forces seeking to silence you on orders from above. Which, given you aren't exactly a household name on everyone's lips should really be taken with a large pinch of salt.

So... Would G4S really be any worse?