your village voice

Someone should be fired

As you may well have heard, an innocent man, Jean Charles de Menzes was shot dead by the police a few weeks back now. Initial reports seem to completely contradict what apparently actually happened. Despite this, despite an innocent man having been shot, and the police seeming to have been lying to us, John Prescott has this to say:

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told BBC News Sir Ian had his support.

When asked if the police commissioner had his "full and unqualified confidence", Mr Prescott replied: "Yes".

I hate that. Unqualified support is never a good thing. It may well be that Sir Ian Blair was always being honest with us, and had nothing to do with the blurring of the facts seemingly attempted, but that is for an inquiry to find out. The fact is, something has gone horribly wrong with the police's "shoot to kill" policy, and it must be someones fault. I cannot see the public's confidence, indeed my confidence, restored without a full inquiry, and someone losing their job. Preferably several people. It is the tendency of organisations like the police to, when there is a mistake, shroud themselves in secrecy and pass blame, and it is no wonder that people do not trust them. If the police want us to cooperate with them, they must be open about their mistakes, and someone must bear the blame for them.

posted by Mr K @ 7:44:00 AM