"...the cash from the EAP [the green-run East Area Parliament] secured the future of the bike bobbies...".
What our local Green politicians don't seem aware of is the role of these harmless sounding "bike bobbies" in our local community. They've fallen into the usual trap of imagining the police as some kind of neutral protectors of the public good.
Unfortunately - as anyone who's been on the receiving end of their attentions will know - the police are far from neutral. On a day to day basis these bike cops can be seen bullying the poor and vulnerable in our communities - and this latest development just shows how out of touch our local Greens' roles as politicians has made them.
Comments
Hide the following 11 comments
Sad but true....
18.10.2005 17:42
GG-Babble
nasty nsty policemen
18.10.2005 20:14
Laura Norder
Point Taken
18.10.2005 21:38
The Greens have taken up many cases of 'excessive' policing. Most recently, the very same East Oxford Green Cllrs criticised here took up the Robin Goodenough case - for which police are currently on trial (incidentally, none of the bike bobbies were involved).
We take all complaints about local policing seriously and pursue every one.
A Green Councillor
Laura Norder
18.10.2005 22:04
As for muggings and murders - a lot of muggings aren't reported, but you hardly have a choice with murder - the cops have a monopoly on crime solving, and they're pretty bad at it, as well as disempowering ordinary people to deal with the stuff they see happening.
None of which changes the fact that in face to face dealings with coppers, they are shit.
;)
Fitted Up
Laura the american
19.10.2005 01:14
Go home yanks
Reply to GP councillor
19.10.2005 11:25
In most cases, city police 'knowing their patch' means that they know whose interests they work in -- who to harass and who to protect. East Ox is being gentrified fast, and the 'bike bobbies' are just as much part of this process as police transported any other way.
Really, the idea of Greens supporting bike-mounted police -- simply because they are bike mounted -- rather calls to mind the old joke about ozone-friendly CS gas and renewable wood truncheons. I'm all for measures designed to increase residents' powers over the police, or to make the police more accountable to our needs, but I can't see that this bike measure actually affects this.
Random
Racist!
19.10.2005 12:51
Laura
Not everyone is a 'radical'
19.10.2005 14:45
Broad view
Missing the Point
19.10.2005 16:37
Basically, this is a question of fairness and accountability for both Greens and the Police. Think about it - why buy brand new bikes when there are so many, decent second hand ones to be had (and the Greens could probably have purchased 4 bikes instead of two). Buying new is hardly "Green"!
The argument here is that many people in the East Oxford area may not be able to afford bikes old OR new. Why should only two police benefit here whilst many others don't?
As for 'A Green Councillor's' point on:
"It is either bike bobbies or imported panda car hard nuts. Doing nothing would have meant more of the latter."
Then why not tackle the root cause (and culprits) then? Seriously, do you think that two bikes is going to stop these 'hard nuts' or lessen the police's ecofootprint?!
Theoretically, if you're going to preach a green political mandate why not buy the entirity of the TVP bikes?! If you're wanting "proper, accountable, community policing" then make it a priority in your dealings with the council. As 'A Green Councillor' admits - many people (be they Green Party members, working class Oxfordians or students) have been on the wrong end of police 'neutrality'. In stating: "Proper, accountable, community policing is the soundest option but - in the absence of this - local cycle bobbies who know their patch and are responsive to local communities are the best compromise" seems to be harking back to some halcyon by-gone days where community policing was like the script from Heartbeat. Sadly this isn't the case and I too have seen police harassing locals rather than dealing with 'real' crime (and here the debate floodgates can open for what people perceive 'real crime' to be).
Maybe the East Oxford Green councillors thought it was a nice idea, an early Christmas present for the cops, but I personally believe they have misjudged the situation. The reaction from the local community could be quite negative and this won't win them any votes.
Apis mellifera
Similar Idea For the London Greens
19.10.2005 18:04
Danny
Why not vote for someone relevant?
25.11.2005 03:23
You could take in some of the following:
However, the Green Party are terribly middle class and I'm not sure I'd like to vote for those nasty workers.
Not random