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BLUNKETT'S BOBBY BLUNDER
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14th March 2002
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Police Demo
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10,000 police officers protested outside parliament over Blunkett’s decision.
David Blunkett has decided to lower police overtime pay and in force civilian wardens. These officers will have power to use force and detain suspects. Tony Blair has tried to reassure police that community support officers would not impose on any force that do not want them. Most of the current police officers disagree with this action. It is reported that a retired West. Midlands officer dressed as John Bull has said, “I have spoken to officers all over the country and morale is lower than a snake’s belly” and his placard read, “New Labour the boys in blue are sick of you- bullies don’t scare us, we take them on.”
At 3:30pm yesterday 7,241 officers were present at the largest protests since 1993 when 20,000 officers protested about Sheehy’s report on policing.
Angry police stretched over half a mile outside the Commons. Although, there was nearly 10,000 off- duty officers from all 43 forces in England and Wales. The protest was under control and there were no banners or disturbing shouts. At one point in the protest an officer switched a police siren on and received a huge cheer from the crowd.
Tony Blair has finally announced that street crime has increased recently, although other crimes have decreased in the past year. So where the car crimes and house burglaries are getting rare, shootings, muggings and car- jackings are leaving the nation scared and vulnerable. Tony Blair should have got the employees on the same side as the Government before he ordered a reform because it is now predicted that it will go the same way and with the same problems as Britain’s schools and hospitals.
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Hannah Johnson
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