The second week without the boss is now over. I’ve managed to do a lot of stuff, under the aupices of an American colleage, but for some reason I’m still looking forward to the return of my UK colleagues. It takes a while to get used to working in a team who are spread over two continents and several states. The fact we only know each other by voice is positive if only because it limits the number of ways we can pre-judge each other. So far, all my American colleagues seem really sound and on the ball. I would say that I’m nervous to meet them all face to face…but I’m not. In fact I’m looking forward to it. There’s one guy in particular who seems to “understand” things.
That all aside, I’ve been hanging out with a lot of “old” workmates this week (still no IP there – BT reckon 5am tomorrow – I think we may well see Christ first). Last night a bunch of us met up for a drink in the Walpole and then some of the old guard continued down to Kaya House for the best meal I’ve had in many months; probably since the last visit there.
When I first heard about the shooting of innocent Brazillian Jean Charles de Menezes, I was more concerned that there were armed officers wandering around London in plain clothes. Let me tell you, if I was followed by a bunch of skinhead coppers in mufty I would run like fuck…just like Charles de Menezes didn’t. In fact he behaved like a proper law-abiding citizen.
The media seems hell bent on starting a public debate on the “new shoot to kill policy”…mainly because the debates take place at 50p a go on premium-rate phone lines and reverse-billed text messages. But everyone is missing the point! The police have always operated a shoot to kill policy! You can’t practically operatate anything else, ask SO19! And I have no problem with it. It means that if firearms are used within the Met, they are used to take out nutters in an almost surgical way. They also shoot to the torso because the torso is big, not because it’s more humane! I hate to tell you this, but all of those war films where they “go for the legs” are simply lies to make you feel better. Let’s not fuck about; guns are designed to kill. if they don’t, then it’s a mistake.
The new “Operation Kratos” was simply a “shoot to the head rather than the torso” policy…which makes sense if you are actually going after genuine suicide bombers! What’s more important is that he wasn’t a terrorist! Which does put a bloody great big question-mark over the concept of arming the police at all.
When tactical firearms start letting off rounds, the people they are shooting at die.
Also, history has shown that SO19 have an astonishingly good record for not killing innicent people – really! Which is why I knew that this shooting could have nothing to do with SO19.
Indeed, the Met claim it was SO13! Now, as much as I admire Jack Regan, this is not the 70s. They no longer dish out Glocks to pissed-up plain clothes officers…do they ? If so, then what the fuck for ? In a nutshell I reckon it comes down to two possibilities:
- It was SO19 and they were wreckless, which also reflects very badly on senior officers, means they didn’t follow training and broke the rules.
- It was SO13 and they were wreckless, which also reflects very badly on senior officers and probably panicked judging by the number of shots they fired into the poor sod’s head.
- It was nothing to do with the force, but was actually the result of MI5’s drunken incompetence, and the police have agreed to take the blame…in return for something…a K perhaps ?
As much as I dislike the whole concept of the police, I think the second option above is, sadly, more likely.
There’s more, but I can’t be arsed, and I’ll bet you can’t either.
Love.