Hmmm, that's the only part where I'd take issue. I witnessed a LOT of violent crime in our old house. We lived in a local council estate, which was hell on Earth. I witnessed two violent assaults in 6 months, completely random, possibly racially motivated, but they happened. When combined with the local scum kids throwing stones and our house (more specifically the windows) which while Jayne was pregnant shot our nerves to pieces, our front wall was smashed in, and eventually the window was put through. This went on for around 18 months, and we weren't alone. We tried talking to others to get a fix, but they weren't interested, they were more concerned with not drawing any more attention to themselves.
We rang the Police, and I have to be honest, they did nothing. They gave us a crime number for the window, but it wasn't on their list of priorities. I rang the Police when I witnessed those violent assaults. I even gave them accurate descriptions as I was no more than 40-50 feet away. I even gave the Police the direction these guys were heading, and, having seen them previously, I actually knew where they lived. I gave them that information. This assault took place on a bus that had pulled up at a bus stop, 6 or 7 young black males, attacked a white male with his partner. The lady I spoke to was so disinterested I lost a little faith there and then. Didn't hear or see any Police cars head to the last known location even when it was given to them. So if gang assaults in residential areas isn't a priority, and the safety and sanity from the local yob scum kids wasn't a priority, it's hard to know what is deemed to be? I don't envy coppers one bit, and I don't say this out of malice, but rather out of feeling very, very let down and isolated as a tax payer, and UK citizen. When I said over the phone one day, after 18 months or so of the ***** we'd taken from these kids that I was gonna grab one of them and teach him the error of his ways, I was instantly told that I would be arrested for doing so. Great. So the Police won't come and protect you, and we can't do it ourselves. At one point, I was asked if I knew their names and where they lived, I had to point out that I wasn't in the habit of hanging out with 11 or 12 year old boys.
So, I'm afraid that I have very little time for the Police based upon mine and my family's direct experience over the last 2 or 3 years, and their total and utter inability to protect us. I have the utmost of respect for the individual that chooses to put on the uniform. However, the senior managers, politicians, and legal advisors that conspire to water down and remove the protection of the law abiding sicken me.