Andy Hodgson 🇪🇺 🔭🛰️🚀💚

Most anger towards us comes from not understanding what we can and what we can’t. 👀 Legislation is a complicated thing. 📚 For example did you know under S50 Police Reform Act 2002 if you’re considered to be behaving anti socially by a PC or PCSO you can be required to give your name and address and if you don’t you’re arrestable to confirm those two things? 🤯 Most people haven’t got a clue. 👀 A lot of Cops don’t know that legislation either. 🤷🏼‍♂️ But it’s important, because if you don’t know that and don’t listen to the Officer, you’re heading to a Police Station. 👮🏻‍♂️ Anti Social behaviour is something we receive thousands of calls about everyday. It ranges from people drinking and urinating in the street to people taking drugs in communal areas of residential buildings which understandably upsets residents. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Why do we take it so seriously? If a resident is identified as complaining by a particular group, they may become a victim of harassment which can take a serious toll on their Mental Health and have further offences committed against them. 🕵🏻‍♀️ Thankfully once we know about the behaviour we can use S35 Dispersal Powers, Community Protection Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders. 📚 All of this is why your Safer Neighbourhood Teams are so important. Without them the regular faces aren’t known and can’t be dealt with robustly. And all of this stems from being considered to be ‘behaving antisocially’. #ThinBlueLine 🚨

Essentially, you no longer can have “an honest held belief” as a Cop, because someone who wasn’t there can decide retrospectively that your belief was honest, but ‘unreasonable’ & therefore you’ve committed misconduct in public office. Time to leave my friends. #ThinBlueLine