You know, often I wonder whether I would ever want the job of police chief, and what the job would so to me. I think that is a question everyone on this blog needs to give an answer to: under what conditions would you take the job of minister of the Interior, or of police chief? How about being an enforcer by taking a job as a police officer? What would you do to the job and what would the job do to you? What if nobody took those jobs?
Maybe I should make it a diary. We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo
Here's the mission statement from Finnfuzz:
"The Finnish Police maintain public order and security, prevent and investigate crime and forward investigated cases to a prosecutor for decision (consideration of charges). The police also provide the public with various licence services. The objective of police operations is to ensure that people can exercise their rights guaranteed by the judicial system and social order."
The objective of police operations is to ensure that people can exercise their rights guaranteed by the judicial system and social order."
I point to the example of Brian Paddick, in a former life the head of the Metropolitan Police for the inner city London area of Brixton. He pioneered a system where the police reduced effort to arrest cannabis offenders, so they could rebalance operational resources to take on more serious crimes. (I am not inviting a discussion of the merits of such a policy, but using this situation as an example of liberal policing).
Mr Paddick has now left the police force and is currently the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London. I suppose I should also remark that he is openly gay, although that had no direct bearing on his style of policing.
