Comments on: A policeman’s lot http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/ Our UK correspondents' insights Sun, 7 Sep 2008 08:10:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Amy Barnes http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3023 Amy Barnes Thu, 22 May 2008 18:08:30 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3023 Police officers are tax payers..thats right Clive - tarnish them all with your bland statements Police officers are tax payers..thats right Clive - tarnish them all with your bland statements

]]> By: clive helm http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3016 clive helm Thu, 22 May 2008 08:52:33 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3016 Jackie Smith is quite right in not giving the police their full pay rise - they don't deserve it. Take into account in the Menezes shooting, several other recent high profile failures, cock-ups (and atempted cover-ups) and the fact that a lot of people are very dissatisfied with the response they get from the police, and it's quite clear that they're not delivering the service they are paid to or providing value for money. It's also clear that a lot of them are just not up to the job. When they start delivering a proper service to the taxpaying public, then we can start thinking about giving them a pay rise. Jackie Smith is quite right in not giving the police their full pay rise - they don’t deserve it. Take into account in the Menezes shooting, several other recent high profile failures, cock-ups (and atempted cover-ups) and the fact that a lot of people are very dissatisfied with the response they get from the police, and it’s quite clear that they’re not delivering the service they are paid to or providing value for money. It’s also clear that a lot of them are just not up to the job. When they start delivering a proper service to the taxpaying public, then we can start thinking about giving them a pay rise.

]]> By: Ian http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3015 Ian Thu, 22 May 2008 07:46:47 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3015 Typical hypocrisy of the home secretary and the government. They cannot give the full rise because of financial restraint, yet PCSO'S were given a 2.5% pay rise backdated until September 2007. They are paid from the same police budgets. The government purposely picked on the police because they cannot strike. The previous paydeal (which the government unilaterally reneged on) took into account that officers cannot strike, work to rule, have restrictions placed on their private lives. Police Officers are far more important, They are officers of the law, whereas PCSO'S can only assist the officers. Unfortunately in a lot of cases not very well. If you work in any public service, (Police/Fire/NHS) the attitude of this government is we have to have it but lets do it as cheap as possible and damn the consequences, we can always blame the staff for it going wrong, as opposed to standing up and admitting "We got it wrong". For a government that is supposed to support working people I find it rather strange that over the last 30 years industrial action has been on a larger scale when labour are in power as opposed to conservatives. Typical hypocrisy of the home secretary and the government.

They cannot give the full rise because of financial restraint, yet PCSO’S were given a 2.5% pay rise backdated until September 2007. They are paid from the same police budgets.

The government purposely picked on the police because they cannot strike. The previous paydeal (which the government unilaterally reneged on) took into account that officers cannot strike, work to rule, have restrictions placed on their private lives.

Police Officers are far more important, They are officers of the law, whereas PCSO’S can only assist the officers. Unfortunately in a lot of cases not very well.

If you work in any public service, (Police/Fire/NHS) the attitude of this government is we have to have it but lets do it as cheap as possible and damn the consequences, we can always blame the staff for it going wrong, as opposed to standing up and admitting “We got it wrong”.

For a government that is supposed to support working people I find it rather strange that over the last 30 years industrial action has been on a larger scale when labour are in power as opposed to conservatives.

]]> By: Alex http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3014 Alex Thu, 22 May 2008 07:21:04 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/05/21/a-policemans-lot/#comment-3014 Well done to the police federation for making a strong stand. - morale in the force is at an all time low and no amount of government spin or gloss can chnge it. This government has taxed us through the nose and spent the proceeds terribly. - the rank and file of such key areas as the police, the army and the nhs are all struggling with a goverment that uses words of praise freely but will not back it up with real measures. We are all sick of it. Well done to the police federation for making a strong stand. - morale in the force is at an all time low and no amount of government spin or gloss can chnge it.
This government has taxed us through the nose and spent the proceeds terribly. - the rank and file of such key areas as the police, the army and the nhs are all struggling with a goverment that uses words of praise freely but will not back it up with real measures.
We are all sick of it.

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