This was on FB yesterday.
There's no denying, this is yet another dark day for policing.
However, it would be remiss of us not to offer a comment...
Let us not forget about those that get up in the morning and put on their uniform, those that tuck their warrant card into a back pocket, those that perform all manner of roles safeguarding the vulnerable in society... It may come as a surprise, but they aren't actually superheroes. They're normal people from society, just like you and I. The difference is that they stood up and decided to put themselves in harm's way to keep the rest of us safe.
"The police are the public, and the public are the police."
- Sir Robert Peel, 1829
It's a romantic notion, but it's inherently flawed. The public is all of us, and "all of us" includes "some of us" who choose to commit crime, from petty to the most heinous.
Police vetting is under the spotlight, but unfortunately it's not a magic bullet that will eliminate anyone who has an underlying evil within them.
Society will always be flawed, ergo, policing will always be flawed.
Let us not lose sight however of the VAST majority of people in this country who are GOOD, both in society AND in policing - and let us not get swept away and forget that they both exist.
There are some evil cops out there, just like there are evil outliers in every single sector.
But who catches them and holds them to account?
The good cops.
Let us not forget the sentencing remarks from Lord Justice Fulford as he handed Couzens a whole life order at the Old Bailey:
"... this has been the most impressive police investigation that I have encountered in the 30 years I have been sitting as a part-time and full-time judge. The speed with which the evidence leading to the arrest of the defendant was secured is highly notable, as has been the painstaking reconstruction of these events using electronic material along with more old-fashioned methods of policing. It cannot be suggested in my view that the Metropolitan Police, even for a moment, attempted to close ranks to protect one of their own. Instead, remorselessly, efficiently and impartially the investigating officers followed all the available leads, resulting in an overwhelming case against the accused.
Meriting particular mention are Detective Chief Inspector Catherine Goodwin, Detective Kim Martin and Acting Detective Inspector Lee Tullett. Mr Tullett has been a key figure in the investigation and the preparation of this case, going well beyond what could properly be expected of any police officer, and his role deserves high commendation."
AS LONG AS THERE ARE GOOD COPPERS, BAD COPPERS WILL BE HELD TO ACCOUNT AND BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
And finally, if you ARE one of the few who doesn't deserve to wear the uniform, carry a warrant card, or hold the trust that we, as a society, place in you... leave now.
Your days are numbered.
That came from a page run by the polis themselves. It was also stated that nobody hates a bad cop more than a good cop.
I hope that they manage to 'fix' the situation without causing many caring and effective officers to leave the Met.