Mark Steyn: Thames Valley Police living in Neverland

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 06/14/05 | Mark Steyn

[Pokey78]

Steyn ping!

[Mears]

Poor old Morse is rolling over in his grave!

[ken5050]

This piece, while superb, has soooo many local refeences that one should be half plotzed before attempting to wade through it..i'm considering running it through Bablefish..(g)

[eureka!]

Continuing thanks for the Steyn pings, Pokey...

[hattend]

Not one of Mark's better columns, but...

Steyn BTTT

[expatpat]

Well, 'quid' is pound sterling, a draught horse is like the horses that pull the Busch beer wagon. They got rid of the county organization of police forces, putting them into larger segments with these weird names like Thames Valley, Humberside, West Mercia (a name from King Arthur's days). Any other help?

[45Auto]

When an estranged husband threatens his wife, they send round helicopters and "armed response vehicles" and contingents of officers in full body-armour, and then let them sit around at a safe distance until the estranged husband has finished killing everyone in the house. "

"That's what they did when Vicky Horgan and her sister were shot and bleeding to death in Highmoor Cross, declining even to enter the village, never mind the house. And that's what they did when Julia Pemberton called 999 at 7.10 one evening, racing round in response, arriving at 7.50 and then waiting until 1.20 in the morning before deciding it was safe to enter. It was: Mrs Pemberton and her son had both been dead for some hours."

That's just frickin' great: disarm the law abiding citizenry to make sure that criminals can go about their business without fear that some irate homeowner will blow their damn brains out or that a fearful battered woman might be able to defend her life and then set up a police force that is either powerless to act to too damn afraid for their own miserable lives. Whatever happened to "Protect and Serve"?

[ken5050]

THanks....I think the Horgan and Pemberton cases resonate over there, but have no relevance here..but are obviously powerful examples of the errors that SDteyn is trying to point out. Same reaction if you ask any NYer over 50 about the Kitty Genovese case..

[FreedomCalls]

TVP home pages here:

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/

http://www.tvpa.police.uk/

[ken5050]

Thanks...a far better read thank all the MJ crapola..

[alwaysconservative]

Thanks for the ping, Pokey!

[stands2reason]

I think the Horgan and Pemberton cases resonate over there, but have no relevance here.

see: Columbine

[ken5050]

Ah..thanks, that's what I meant in my original comment..I didn't connect with the refeences..

[1066AD]

Sounds like Columbine HS response.

[nothingnew]

Thanks Pokey.

FMCDH(BITS)

[Gritty]

After reading this, I can see why the ruling elite in Britain have completely disarmed their subjects.

This civil war wouldn't be between the Lancasters and the Yorks...

[rogue yam]

Within minutes, young Mr Brown was surrounded by six officers and a fleet of patrol cars, handcuffed and tossed in the slammer overnight, after which he was fined £80. A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told the student newspaper Cherwell that the "homophobic comments" were "not only offensive to the policeman and his horse, but any members of the general public in the area."

Hey guys, how about again telling all of us stupid Yanks about the comprehensive right to free speech enjoyed by the lucky subjects of Her Majesty the Queen?

[Renfield]

"Yer 'orse is a Poof!"

"Roight!...Off to gaol with you, then!"
(Mental images of Graham Chapman in a police uniform...)

It would be worth the effort to become a credentialed diplomat from our delegation to Britain, just so I could taunt their police like that, and have diplomatic immunity....

[Tax-chick]

Bttt