Who’s the real Supercop?

The Met are apparently in danger of piling on the pounds, not just from the overtime from recent events, but to the waistline as they are thanked by communities for their bravery with home baked cakes and even three course meals. I suspect the Prime Minister would need to take a food taster if he was to accept such offers at the moment, such is the contrast with the public’s views of their response to that of the police.

All our mutual aid officers have returned with tales of heroism and gallantry, they saved the capital from the mobs. It’s back to home soil and domestic familiarities.

Some officers rarely see service in more than one force area but the chief is already on his fifth force. He reckons it takes a few months to get used to each one but they are all different and provide unique challenges. In fact, he has recently taken the opportunity to scout the internet and see which chief’s jobs are up for grabs in the United States, there appears to be an exchange programme in the offing at the moment.

New York is taken, but Castle Rock, Colorado – with 55 officers and 20 staff – is available, as is the City of Miami. You only need five years’ experience for Castle Rock but 15 years will suffice for the big city job, both ticked.

Somehow, the chief doesn’t fancy either; the weather was appealing but he didn’t think his view of neighbourhood policing and getting officers into communities on bicycles would transfer so easily.

Besides, even Miami, one of the biggest police departments in the US, is only paying a maximum of £112,000. And the last chief only lasted two years. It’s no wonder Mr Bratton is keen to come to the UK to take on the Met job, it is a step up in every regard.

Apparently, he thinks this green and pleasant land is being overrun and he wants to come weeding. I do hope he is not referring to ACPO.

We all know people who think grass is greener elsewhere. You have to have some sympathy for poor Stewart Gull though. After feeling the heat of the world’s media spotlight on him as he led Suffolk’s serial prostitute murder investigation, he must have thought he got one of the cushiest numbers as Head of Crime on Jersey; they hadn’t had a single homicide in the past four years. I’d give a fiver for his thoughts when, after just a month to get his feet under the table, he received a call that told him more people had been stabbed to death in one incident than had been killed on the island in the last ten years. At least Mr Gull can count on the respect of officers to make life easier.