When I started writing this blog it was never meant to be more than a personal catharsis, in that aim I think it succeeded as I've managed to get a few things off my chest which some of you guys have read and commented on. I haven't posted much over the last 6 months due to work, I've been getting a lot more into stuff I can't talk about and have hardly worked on team, and public order duties have lost all appeal. They say a change is as good as a rest and I'm liking how things are going even if it has meant I've been absolutely knackered, it just means I get to enjoy doing the family stuff and enjoying my rest days all the more.
Due to a combination of my work role changing, getting lots of cancelled rest days, and now more importantly because of the Times, I'm going to be calling it a day. I won't be posting anything new on here for the foreseeable future.
The Times decided for whatever reason to expose NightJack's real identity. After a written warning, the deletion of his blog and now a lost case in the high court, NJ has been well and truly burned by the media and I've no doubt his career prospects are going to be extremely limited for some time, and I have no intention of putting myself on offer for that one now that a judge has ruled on it. Personally I hope the ruling on anonymity in a public forum comes back to bite them in the arse with regard to anonymous sources, especially as the law of unintended consequences seems to favour anything to do with the Police or media.
For the 100k or so site hits in a the last year I'd like to say thanks for your support again, I'll probably speak to some of you on some of the other blogs but in the meantime, I'm out.
MCM
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As described in my first post, this should be required reading for every Police officer in the UK
235 pages of honesty, send one to your MP
A UK Police Officers blog, hopefully helping to explain why we do what we do and why the Police do things a certain way. There's probably going to be a bit of moaning and ranting but hopefully not too much!!
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About This Blog
All the thoughts and opinions in this blog are mine and do not seek to represent the official position of any Police Force/Constabulary or Service in the UK. Most of the opinions are going to be in contrast to official policy anyway but that is because I say things as I see them and believe that there must be better ways of us being able to do our job more effectively to the benefit of normal law abiding folk and to the severe detriment of criminals. If you’re reading this then you haven’t paid for a service so if you don’t like what you see then feel free to go somewhere else. I write about things I want to write about and the posts are long because I like them that way. The comments are from other readers who wish to comment on what I have written or offer their own opinion and as such I accept no personal responsibility for what they put.
Everything on this blog is Copyright, if you wish to use any of it then please ask me first, thanks!
Everything on this blog is Copyright, if you wish to use any of it then please ask me first, thanks!
About Me
- Metcountymounty
- Love catching criminals, public order, offroad biking and surfing. Hate sitting in an office whilst the airwave is going nuts, being spat at, seeing crims get pathetic sentences. Also getting bored of being told my family should die of cancer. Not the biggest fan of clowns or of people who subscribe to the belief that rank equals knowledge. Which it doesn't.
Police Blogs
- Area Trace No Search
- Belfast Peeler - gone
- Fighting the good fight - gone
- Inspector Gadget
- NightJack - gone
- No Offences Disclosed - gone
- PC Bloggs
- Pc BobbyDazzler - gone
- PC Michael Pinkstone - left the country
- PC SouthWest - gone
- Policeman's Blog
- Sierra Charlie
- Stressed Out Cop
- The Plastic Fuzz
- The Thin blue Line
- This End Bites
- TUPC - gone
- Twining
- WhichEndBites
Non Police Blogs
Blog Archive
Buy this book - On Combat
As described in my first post, this should be required reading for every Police officer in the UK
Then buy - Perverting the Course of Justice
235 pages of honesty, send one to your MP
Glossary of terms and jobspeak
- ABH - Actual bodily harm, level of injury beyond reddening of skin ie heavy bruising/minor bleeding
- ACPO - Association of Chief Police Officers
- ADVOKATE - Acronym for statement taking, Amount of time the suspect was seen, Distance, Visibility, Obstructions, Known or seen before, Any reason for remembering, Time elapsed, Errors in description/recall
- Airwave - Tetra Airwave radio system used by emergency services
- Ambo - slang for Ambulance crew/vehicle
- Amphet/Amphetamine - Class A prohibited drug
- ANPR - Automatic Number Plate Recognition system
- Area Car - more powerful response and pursuit vehicle, primary response unit
- ARV - Armed Response Vehicle (can be CO19 or DPG)
- ASNT - Area searched, no trace (radio result)
- ASP - expandable baton
- ASU - Air Support Unit
- ATS - Automated traffic signal, traffic lights
- beltkit - duty utility belt for carrying equipment
- BINGO - Bollocks I'm Not Getting Out. specific seat on a carrier
- Blue light run - a fast response call
- Blues and twos - blue lights and sirens on emergency vehicles
- brown - slang for Heroin
- C3PO - nickname for Police community support officers
- CAD - Computer Aided Dispatch system
- carrier - slang for Police Support Unit transport carrier
- CCTV - closed circuit television cameras
- Ch.Insp - Police Chief Inspector
- Ch.Supt - Police Chief Superintendent
- CID - Criminal Investigations Department, detectives
- CO19 or '19' - Central Operations specialist firearms command, pan London
- CPS - Crown Prosecution Service
- Crack Cocaine - Class A prohibited drug
- CS spray/gas - chemical irritant weapon part of officer safety equipment
- DPG - Diplomatic Protection Group
- DPS - Department of Professional Standards (Met Police)
- EG - Evidence gatherer, specialist public order post
- Fatac - Fatal traffic accident
- FIT - Forward Intelligence Team, specialist public order post
- Furry Exocet - slang for Police dog
- GATSO - speed camera manufacturer, slang for speed camera
- GBH - Grevious bodily harm, level of injury beyond ABH, serious or permanent injury resulting in medical treatment/permanent scarring
- GHB - gammahydroxybutyrate, controlled drug
- Glock - Glock 21 pistol, standard Police issue firearm
- Gunships - slang for armed response vehicles
- Guv/Guvnor - a Police Inspector, usually reserved for someone you like/respect
- Halon - type of fire extinguisher
- Insp - Police Inspector
- IPCC - Independant Police Complaints Commision
- IRV - Immediate Response Vehicle (usually same vehicle as a panda but driven by an authorised response driver)
- Kit Monster - an officer who wants every gadget under the sun, and has most of them.
- Landshark - slang for Police dog
- LAS - London Ambulance Service
- Level I or 'L1' - Specialist public order training reserved for specific units, see TSG
- Level II or 'L2' - Borough level public order training
- Level III or 'L3' - basic level public order training, all Police officers are L3 unless more highly trained
- LFB - London Fire Brigade
- MAST - Mutual Aid and Support Team, outside Met, L2 public order trained officers
- MDMA - ecstasy, controlled drug
- Medic - Specialist public order post, can be L2 or L1
- MP5 - Heckler and Koch machine pistol type 5, standard Police issue firearm
- MPA - Metropolitan Police Association
- NBPA - National Black Police Association
- NCRS - National Crime Recording Standards
- Nearside - kerbside of the road, undertaking
- NFA - No Further Action
- NSY - New Scotland Yard
- Offside - other side of the road into or through opposing traffic
- Op Safeguard - Government plan to house prisoners in Police cells due to prison overcrowding
- Ovies - slang for overtime
- PACE - Police and Criminal Evidence Act
- Panda - Police non response patrol car
- PC - Police Constable
- PCSO - Police Community Support Officer
- PDR - Performance and Development Review
- Pedx (ped ex) - Pedestrian crossing
- Peels Principles - Nine rules of Policing as set out by Sir Robert Peel
- PND - Penalty Notice for Disorder
- Polac/Polcoll - Police vehicle accident/collision
- Polfed - Police Federation
- POLSA - Police Search Adviser
- Positional Asphyxia - medical condition resulting from pressure on chest during restraint
- Probie - Probationer Police constable
- PS - Police Sergeant
- PSD/C&D - Professional Standards Department/Complaints & Discipline (outside Met)
- PSU - Police Support Unit, public order team
- PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Quickcuff/cuffs - Rigid handcuffs
- refs - Refreshment breaks
- RMP - Royal Military Police
- rock - slang for crack cocaine
- RTA - Road Traffic Act, also Road Traffic Accident
- RTC - Road Traffic Collision
- S.1 - Section 1 of PACE giving authority to search people/vehicles for stop search/crime investigation
- S.44/S.43 - Section 44 and 43 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act giving authority to search people/vehicles
- S.5 - Section 5 of the Public order act, threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior
- S.60 - Section 60 of PACE, authorising stop search for any person in a given area over a specific period
- SB - Special Branch
- SFO - Specialist firearms officer
- Shot - slang for firearms trained
- Shufflers - slang for crack addicts out looking to score
- Skipper - slang for a Police Sergeant
- SMT - Senior Management Team
- SNT - Safer Neighbourhood Team
- SOCO - Scenes Of Crime Officer
- SOP's - Standard Operating Procedure
- Speed - Class A prohibited drug
- SPG - Special Patrol Group, forerunners to the TSG riot teams
- Supt - Police Superintendent
- Swampies - slang for protestors
- Teeth - slang for Police dog
- The Job or just 'Job' - The Police as referred to by Police officers
- The Met/MPS - The Metropolitan Police Service
- TIC - Taking Into Consideration, confessing to existing crimes to get leniency at court
- Traffic Car - traffic response and pursuit unit, usually highest trained drivers
- Trumpton - slang for Fire Brigade
- TSG - Territorial Support Group, L1 public order teams
- Unmarked - referring to a covert Police vehicle
- Zombies - slang for drug addicts unable to function normally
39 comments:
I am sorry to hear you are closing your blog. I am not a copper so hope you havent minded that I read your blog. I liked it. I liked your view on things and your commentary. I feel sorry for Night Jack. He had a great Blog going and The Times are bastards for doing what they did. I hope NJ makes a fortune from books etc if his police career fails - which I storngly hope it doesnt. Good luck to you too. You do a job I never had the courgae to attempt when I was younger and now in later life wish I had.
MCM;
Mate, I will miss your candacy but understand where you're coming from. What the Times did to NJ was despicable & I for one will not purchase their sordid piece of filth ever again.
Good luck & stay safe buddy.
Bye bye.
good luck for the future.. have really enjoyed reading the blog.
The news about NJ yesterday, means that I can see most Police Bloggers in the UK jacking it in. In fact, I can see most whistleblowers calling it a day.
A great day for British Privacy laws :(
sorry to see you go MCM, it has been a pleasure. Like you, I write to get shit of my chest because no-one at work wants to know and the missus has no idea of what we go through. Its a sad day when freedom of speech is no longer free and actually comes at a heavy price. I'm not sure if I will stop blogging yet, but the nightjack ruling has certainly made me think twice. Like you i will not put myself on offer, so I am considering all options. No doubt there will be a witch hunt if this becomes bigger media than it already is, so it may be time to go code 11. All the best m8, its been fun. Good luck in your career, be safe and enjoy those quality times with the family. At the end of the day, they are whats most important.
Figured this was coming, and i doubt you'll be the last to go given that clearly home-office influenced ruling.
I agree with you - i hope the Times never manages to get another expose again after that stunt.
Best of luck to you MCM, it's been a pleasure.
Your blog has been very interesting to read MCM, and I'm a bit sad to see you finish it....over and out! Good luck, be happy, stay chilled, and I hope that you don't get any grief from anyone for doing this blog. You have a right to express your own opinion, even if you are a copper.
It's YOUR 'Uman Rights...Innit...
Don't let the "Orwellians" in government grind you down mate!
Best wishes to you.
M.T.M.
Mate, I can’t blame you.
The atmosphere in the police reminds me (before I escaped to Oz) of an incident I read about at a Party conference in the old Soviet Union. It was after Stalin’s death and Khrushchev was telling them all that Stalin was not “Uncle Joe” but a genocidal megalomaniac responsible for millions of deaths. Someone shouted out from the back of the hall “What were you doing when this was going on?” Khrushchev shouted “Who said that?” There was no reply (the heckler now in fear of his life). Khrushchev said “That, comrades, is what I was doing”.
It is career ending in the police to be “off message” or out of step with your SMT in any way. I am sure that Lancashire police would have liked to sack Nightjack and seize his pension if they could. I am sure they are that vindictive.
Like Khrushchev and his heckler…..keep your head down!
Very much enjoyed your blog MCM. Totally understand your reasons for going though. Good luck to you.
A sad loss. Please continue to comment on mine? Gadget will carry on, mainly because the journos know who I am already due to press stuff I did for the book, and if they want to burn me they can at any time. This is like 1950's Russia or Burma today. Thanks for your blog.
Good Luck with your career, buddy.
Sorry to see you leave the "bloggosphere". As a MOP I found your insights from the underworld both illuminating and worrying. Thank goodness society has boys and girls like you to protect us. What a pity that after the attack on Nightjack you have to close. It's the sensible thing for you to do but we're all the poorer for it. Good luck in the future and be careful out there.
Just wanted to say that I'm really sorry to hear the news. You offered a different take on police life to other blogs and it was a highly informative and enjoyable read - many thanks for your time and effort. Col
Bloody hell, I had no idea what had happened to NJ!
In light of that, I completely understand your decision.
I don't like the police and don't agree with a lot of what you've said; but your writing was very good and I always enjoyed reading your blog.
Rock on brother.
PS. I was a regular reader of the Times, but will certainly not be any more. (It'll have to be the Indi or (oh no!) even the Torygraph!)
It has been a pleasure and an honour to read your blog. Hopefully one day you can come back online in a blaze of glory. Until then keep up the good work of keeping our streets safe.
Thank you.
Hibbo said "I don't like the police and don't agree with a lot of what you've said; but your writing was very good and I always enjoyed reading your blog."
That's the saddest thing about NJ and MCM being closed down. These sorts of blogs brought people together who might not otherwise hear the other's point of view. There is always a person behind the stereotype and unless we talk to each other that can sometimes be forgotten.
Having weeks rather than years left in my 30 years in the job the thing I'm looking forwards to most is enjoying again the right to free speech and the ability to express political opinions that the rest of the population takes for granted.
All the very best MCM. It's been a pleasure reading your blog. Only time will tell what lies in store for the police, and our freedoms. Best wishes from over here in the NW.
Sorry to see you go. Good luck, whatever you do in the police, or out.
Yes, thanks for blog.
When NJ said some time ago he was quitting, I told him something to the effect that his was a well-written, even literary place.
This too has been a place to come for good writing.
I forget the circumstances, but one time the Guardian shopped one of their own sources. They have never had a scoop since. Much the same will happen to the Times.
Oh FFS, first NJ and now MCM. Daniel Frankenstein and his side kick, Prick Foster can go and f**k right off.
I understand completely why you are folding your tents and sodding off; but I wish it didn't have to be that way. Your blog was a wonderful read.
If I was you, I'd keep writing - start an offline journal or diary - because I'm sure you'll soon find you need some sort of venting outlet.
Cheers and all the best.
Sorry to see you go,yours was a thoughtful and intelligent contribution to our knowledge of the real state of our troubled society.I hope to see your name contributing to any blogs that manage to stay on and maybe in time you will see your way to resume.
Good luck
this is what happens now I dont read the papers anymore,I knew nothing about this and I'm another one sorry to see you go-especially as Im 'moving over' to your lot soon!!!!
All the best in the future
MCM
Sorry to see you go - you always put up a good case elsewhere on Fitwatch etc .. SOC
Sorry to see you going off line, as Kruschev said, we all fear the lost of getting our daily dose of foods etc, so mums the word , makes for a sad world, as Heroditus once wrote there is always two sides to history, the winner and the looser, I think also there is a third, the unknown.
But so many fear seeing the whole story as they be like wolves baying at the moon , for they, once every 28 days, they might see half the moon, full moon they call it, as they will never see the other side.
As A Bevan be misquoted, asked if did he read the Papers, his answer was to the effect that he read his daily dose of fiction.
Best of luck, keep the streets safe as you can and thanks.
dungbeetle
I'm sad to see you go MCM but like everyone else I don't blame you and I was wondering who would be the first. Stay safe :-)
Good Luck for the future. I read your blog often, and really enjoyed it. It was a great insight into the policing world. I feel really sorry for NightJack-his was a great blog, and he did a service to the unnamed, unvoiced masses. As you did. Good luck, I'll miss you.
I'm off too. My last post has gone out today. Just wanted to drop you a line to say take care and be safe out there buddy!
MCM
I have made the same decision too. Following an horrific few months , a nasty injury on me and the impending complaint/inquiry into the matter I really just do not want to open myself up for anymore. Best of luck for the future and I hope we can keep in touch on other blogs. Take care mate.
Max.
yep its all gone to shit now...
sorry to see go, i always enjoyed your posts. the funny thing is we could have met and we'd never even know, oh well.
good luck and keep safe out there mate.
byeeeeee
All the best for the future mate. Take care. You'll be missed.
Thanks for all your comments and encouragement in the past. I've enjoyed reading your blog and wish you well in everything you do.
I've started a smaller side project (none job related) so if I decide job blogging is a bit risky I'll still be about. Look my page hard enough and you'll find it!
Take Care
Louise x
MCM, a great shame to see you diving. As a total aside, but somewhat relevent a short story. In the run up to the hand over of Hong Kong from GB to China, there was a lot of concern that the media would be censored, that freedom of speech would suffer. However, it quickly became rumoured that companies that toed the line, might benefit from business that might not go their way otherwise. It very quickly became apparent that nothing as barbaric as censorship would be needed as everyone shut up.
It's a real shame to see you go, even if u were posting sporadically recently. The very best of luck to you, its been a pleasure to read someone else fuming as much as I do occassionally.
Run silent, run deep.
"Truth". The first casualty of war. Beware the friendly arm round the shoulder saying, `this is off the record mate, what really happened`.
I a not a policeman- I'm usually on the other side of that picket line. However, it is always interesting to see things from another perspective. It is also positive to see that the many police forces in the UK are made up of many different and varying individuals- most of whom are there to uphold the law and not be above it. What The Times did was ridiculous. I utterly support the ability of anonymity online, and their action has caused those who helped people see the other side of the arguement to retreat back into their shells. It is an utter shame.
MCM - just to add on the end, I'll also miss your posts.
And I still reckon you came up with the best blog name of them all.
I think that the lesson to be learnt from Nightjack being "outed" is perhaps his over confidence regarding contact with the press. But he came unstuck when he didn't half slag off every single NuLab Home Secretary, some of whom may well have deserved it.
However, I do believe that Jack Straw didn't deserve to be slagged off to the extent that he was by Nightjack. Jack Straw has tried to do good whilst in office, and he is the current Justice Secretary.
My guess is that he got some "justice", or perhaps payback.
Well you would, wouldn't you?
If you were in a a position of power and someone slagged you off rather unfairly on their blog.
I heard on the news earlier that Alan Johnson has done the right thing regarding I.D cards, and announced that they will not be compulsory for U.K subjects/citizens. The reporter stated that the new Home Sec would have scrapped them altogether, but Gordon would not let him do that.
Time for Gordon to GO......
A true, genuine shame.. don't go!
Very poor show by the press yet again!
Make sure you keep posting comments on our blogs though, it's always nice to hear your thoughts.
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