Quote Originally Posted by InsaneApache View Post
In the UK the first duty of a policeman is too save life and then uphold the law. This is reminiscent of the two PCSOs who stood by and allowed a kiddy to drown in a lodge. Elf and safety you see.



I hear what you're saying but the fact is twenty years ago the bobbies would have been the ones to have a go at rescuing the family, not the onlookers. They certainly wouldn't have prevented others from trying. We've certainly lost summat these past few years.
You also have to realise that this is a different world. Every action that a police officer does is so deeply scrutinized now adays and if there is any way that they can, people will try to blame the police for doing something wrong. (like the imaginary headline Dutch guy wrote) How many times have policemen tried to save someone's life/did save someone's life and something went wrong or someone got hurt so A) they were villanized in the media and very often B) they were sued. If you do not treat the police like your image of an ideal policeman, someone who will sacrafice themselves to save the innocent, then they will not act like it. Why should someone give their own life to save someone else, and leave their family on whatever pathetic benefits they are getting when everyone thinks of them as monsters and any action they do could result in a flurry of negative media attention or a lawsuit?