When he was arrested, Rowe said, the officer pulled the trowel out of its sheath, and said: “That’s not a garden tool.”
“I said it is, because it was in the Niwaki-branded pouch that you get at garden centres,” Rowe said.
Rowe said police had questioned him on whether he was “planning on doing something” with the tools, and he said he was also asked to explain what an allotment was.
“I had to explain in very basic terms what an allotment is to this guy,” he said. “So it didn’t fill me with a lot of confidence that I was going to be let off.”
Manchester’s brightest at work. Experts enough to know what is and isn’t a garden tool but don’t know what an allotment is 🙄 ACAB
These cops are bastards. Some cops are nice and genuine. This isn’t America. Stop trying to import american trump degeneracy into our fair kingdom
ACAB is legitimate here. It’s not a Trumpism. Day to day community policing, yes, you can have good interactions with them. But they also have no qualms smashing a peaceful protestor over the head with a baton if they’re allowed as well. There’s been enough stories of corruption and abuse within multiple UK police forces, throughout its history and in modern times, to say ACAB.
Also, is it fuck a fair kingdom.
Loud minority. Everytime I have been involved with the police they went above and beyond.
Also, is it fuck a fair kingdom.
Privilege
Unfortunately your anecdotal evidence doesn’t change history. My experience has been very mixed bag. Some have been despicable bastards and some, as you said, have gone above and beyond. But their history, and government inquiries confirming institutional racism etc cements them still in the bastard category.
I do believe they’re improving, the force isn’t just 6ft+ white, straight, cis, British men any more. It’s diverse enough that homophobia, racism, etc are challenged and not tolerated like they once were, but it still happens. They’re still not good enough to throw off the badge of ACAB.
SCAB,SAAD
Some cops are bastard, some are actually decent
SICCMABRAHBTIOTPISCBVITTNWTDBTIATOWWACYHPTALRAMASTDILA
Some Individual Cops May Actually Be Reasonable And Honest But The Institution Of The Police Is So Corrupted By Vested Interests That There’s No Way To Distinguish Between Those Individuals And The Ones Who Would Actively Cause You Harm Plus They’re Almost All Racist And Mysoginist Anyway So The Distinction Is Largely Academic
Most aren’t. Every single police officer I have interacted with has been reasonable. I only hear about these issues when they make the news.
Don’t get me wrong, it needs improving, there shouldn’t be any racism or misogyny in there, but I think just dismissing them as bastards when these are the people who’d put their lives on the line for us if we were threatened is unfair.
The Guardian’s photographer had an absolute whale of a time with this article.
Look at those dreamy vegetable garden scenes.
Why couldn’t the cop just:
“Hey, love your music man!”
“Huh? My music?”
“Dude, you totally resemble Robert Smith from The Cure!”
“Ooh hahaha, thanks.”
“So, what I actually approached you for, we’ve had a call that reported a shady looking person carrying a knife in this area. You seem fine, but just double checking because, well, we see weird shit sometimes and don’t want to be negligent.”
“Aha okay, fair enough. Well these look like knives perhaps but they are actually professional gardening tools. I can show you my masterpiece actually.”
[…] after a 20 minute tour in his garden.
“So cool man, should get my ass into nature more too. Sorry for the trouble and thanks for your time and understanding. Have a good one.”
“Cheers, see you around.”
✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.
Because that’s the alternative universe where people are competent and think things through for more than 2 seconds before they do things.
A lot of police officers would be like this, and it wouldn’t make the news. Although the ARV would probably be called before the police could get there.
Reminds me of the cops that arrested a legally blind man for having his guide stick (I don’t know the proper terminology) folded up in his back pocket. He was able to see in daylight, but needed it at night. They called it a weapon. This was in the USA.
ACAB.
TCIAB
That Cop is a bastard
