Although they were probably just repeats, I am old enough to remember watching Dixon of Dock Green on television. Of course, that was when we had real choice - BBC1 or ITV. If it was shown today, Dixon of Dock Green would invoke widespread mirth. A policeman walking on pavements and questioning people? How silly and dated would come the refrain.
I raise this issue on the day the modern day police service has been shown to be a mere shadow of its more boring predecessor. Today, the High Court found the South Yorkshire police force to be guilty of hiding the truth and failing in their duty on the day of the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989. I was living in the Anfield area of Liverpool on that fateful day and will never forget the deathly atmosphere which engulfed the entire city for the ensuing days and weeks. The now infamous headline printed in the Rupert Murdoch Sun in the immediate aftermath will linger long in the memory like a bad taste in the mouth. This publication remains an object of scorn and derision in Liverpool to this day and rightly so. Publish and be damned it is said. How Mr Murdoch must regret not paying heed to this very old adage.
It also transpired today that a serving police officer in the London Metropolitan police force sent an e mail purporting to be present when the Andrew Mitchell was alleged to have labelled duty policemen as plebs while trying to exit Downing Street on his bicycle. He has since admitted that this was not the case. He lied and for that he has been suspended from his duties on full pay.
I am not writing to label all police as lying, untrustworthy people because I am certain this is not the case and nor would it be reasonable to think so. However, I do wish to make a few general points. These are public servants from whom we can expect honesty and integrity as a bare minimum. Granted we none of us are perfect, but honesty and integrity in public life go with the territory. Above all else, I can't see who they are accountable to. If a doctor gives the wrong drug which results in death, he is absolutely accountable and will be struck off. If a mechanic fixes your brakes and gets it wrong, he is accountable for the consequences.
The High Court judge presiding over the Hillsborough affair today advised that criminal action will be taken against individuals found guilty of hiding or fabricating the truth. I hope this is true and that the families of the dead are able to see a semblance of justice being done. The unforgivable crime is that it will have taken nearly a quarter of a century to achieve this. The governments of Thatcher, Major, Blair and Brown will all have failed to deliver. Shame on them all but praise to Andy Burnham the Labour MP who has been instrumental in putting this whole sordid business to bed. I hope those found guilty have enjoyed their liberty these last twenty-three years and can only marvel at their utter lack of conscience and remorse.
I am absolutely certain that we have not heard the last of the Andrew Mitchell story and it is difficult not to suspect another shameful cover up by the boys in blue. For the good name of all those policemen and women who can hold their heads up high, I hope this does not transpire.
This is 2012 in the UK and put bluntly we deserve far better. It takes years to acquire reputations but five minutes to lose them. The police force have a mountain to climb before they can hope to be mentioned in the same breath as Dixon of Dock Green.
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