by Harry Fenton

Created on: October 14, 2009   Last Updated: October 17, 2009

The difference between police officers and civilians is that they have legal powers which we do not. Otherwise, they are subject to the same laws as everyone else. Speaking as a retired police officer, I can say without fear of experienced contradiction, that there is little that some officers will not do to benefit themselves.. The old image of Dixon of Dock Green was a myth created to reinforce the post World War II image of dedicated men and women, with loads of experience and common sense, and ready to give up their lives for others. I would say that probably about 0.5% fit that description, but not for long. They succumb, resign, or plod away for the rest of their pensionable service. After U.S. law enforcement agencies, the U.K. comes a close second for being bent, dishonest, brutal, prejudiced, and anything else you can throw in. They even have an official name for it...Noble Cause Corruption.

The Rhino Whip business in Sheffield in 1963, the much publicised collapse of the West Midland Crime Squad, following its exposure as thoroughly corrupt, The Birmingham Six, Guilford Four, and thousands more which never made the headlines, are all testament to the institutionalized corruption of the British Police.

Once the myth was exposed, politicians, anxious to distance themselves from it, began to create 'political correctness' with all the dreadful consequences which followed. We now largely have a 'tame' police service, tied down with bumph, most of which was designed to protect those in power.

We have even resorted to bribing prisoners to accept early discharge from their sentences.

My advice to those who still believe that their police force consists of heroes and heroines, is not to watch The Bill, Frost, Midsomer Murders, and all the other propogandist television programmes, and start looking beneath them for the small print consigned to the inner pages of half decent newspapers.

In 1962, I saw a police officer, 572 Alan Seedhouse, enter a public house during the early hours to confront the landlady, who had just shot her husband with a shotgun. I stood behind him in the doorway, and looked over his shoulder. The landlady held the double barreled shotgun ready to fire, and one breached was cocked. P.C. Seedhouse really did a P.C. Dixon imitation by gently talking the lady down, handing the gun to him, which he then handed to me to break and remove the one live cartridge. He told me to make tea, 'and put a drop in it', he said, and cuddled the lady all the way to the kitchen, where they sat waiting for the tea 'with a drop in it'.

The lady was eventually taken away for questioning by C.I.D. two officers of which tried to claim the credit for disarming her. I was having none of that. I submitted a report with the truth, and begging the 'powers that be' for some recognition of Alan Seedhouse. I hoped he would be going down to the Palace for a gong, but it was not to be. My Superintendent said, 'He was only doing his job lad'.

The two C.I.D. officers, neither of whom had actually been at the pub until after the lady had been disarmed, received the credit. Why? Because they were under the protection and influence of a senior officer, and Alan was not.

My point is that the image of P.C. Dixon was incompatible with policing methods, but the myth served to reassure the public that there was a hero in every uniform.

God Bless Alan Seedhouse, and the few, the very few, like him.

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