The writings of police officers are always an interesting part of the blogosphere to visit. There is always the chance that an officer may let slip something which the general public are not supposed to know – especially when most of the writers come across as George Dixons let loose on the global superhighway.
According to Life Style Extra :
A policeman’s online blog has lifted the lid on the life of a Met policeman and compared battling London’s crime to “fighting a hurricane with a hand held fan
(They like their colourful metaphors over at LSE.)
Unfortunately, that particular blog: The Law is a Donkey seems to have fallen foul of the powers that be, its author no doubt transferred somewhere that he could do less harm (such as an armed response unit perhaps.)
Several other coppers are, however, still revealing the ins and outs of their late-night visits to domestic disputes and seething resentments at not being able to stop and search anybody on demand.
The Policeman’s Blog described by it’s author as: A Journey into the mad, mad world of the British underclass and the Public sector, where nothing is too insane for it to be written down and copied in triplicate. seems a great example of the genre, (although with a recent post entitled : THE RISING TIDE OF FILTH you do have to wonder if they teach irony down Hendon way.)
Our hero also has a blogroll, and idly flicking through it I wondered why so many of the blogs stopped dead around the end of March this year. Luckily the wonderfully named World Weary Detective lets it slip (if not quite in full Chandlerese):
On Friday 3rd March 2006, the Management Board of the Metropolitan Police Service issued the following statement to all members of staff:
‘Recently the organisation has become aware of a series of web-logs or blogs – where authors – claiming to be police officers – have offered their views on a number of issues in a highly personalised, often controversial manner.’
This statement is followed by ‘guidance’ on writing blogs. In summary, this states that although ‘blogging’ cannot be stopped, the ‘impact of expressing views and opinions that are damaging to the organisation or bring the organisation into disrepute’ must be considered. Disciplinary proceedings may be considered against posters of material that may be (among other things) defamatory, offensive or otherwise inappropriate.
What is the world coming to when Big Brother is even silencing Mr Plod eh?
Seriously though, I’m wondering if you think that these public sector blogs are a good idea or not. Please let me know , Marlowe quotes entirely optional.
I’m all done with hating you. It’s all washed out of me. I hate people hard, but I don’t hate them very long.