44 replies to this topic

[Future_officer]

Hi All,

Just out of curiousity, who would join DPS if they had a chance? Why would you join DPS?

Would you ever snitch to the DPS if you witnessed corruption or misconduct?

DPS secretly headhunt officers to work covertly for them, would you do the job if asked?

Have you all watched the TV programme Line Of Duty?

I personally could never do that kind of work, you would have no friends from work. And be hated by thousands of officers. But on the other hand you get to deal with bent coppers which could be very interesting for some people.

[Übèrnamè]

No. I don't want to threaten someone's career, mortgage and savings over petty little things that have no practical bearings.

[crunchybits]

You also might find on the other hand that a number of officers who have worked with their DPS colleagues find them as a necessary fundamental part of professional policing. There is nothing worse for the service than the proverbial 'bent copper' - and in an organisation of over 30,000 officers it is an unfortunate fact of life. Yes - I have friends in the DPS and it most certainly isn't 'Line of Duty' stuff. There are some outstanding officers in DPS ...

[IndiaTango]

Hi All,

Just out of curiousity, who would join DPS if they had a chance? Why would you join DPS?

Would you ever snitch to the DPS if you witnessed corruption or misconduct?

DPS secretly headhunt officers to work covertly for them, would you do the job if asked?

Have you all watched the TV programme Line Of Duty?

I personally could never do that kind of work, you would have no friends from work. And be hated by thousands of officers. But on the other hand you get to deal with bent coppers which could be very interesting for some people.

I can't be the only one to think that they're just doing a job? Members of the public think the same about Officers, but I'm pretty sure that there's at least one Officer who has a friend who's not job

I can't speak from personal experience, but I know that I'd rather have an anti-corruption/PSD unit than not have one.

[BazzaBill]

Would you ever snitch to the DPS if you witnessed corruption or misconduct?

Of couse I would. What's the point of becoming a police officer if you don't?

There's no place for corruption in the police.

[Fenix]

No. I don't want to threaten someone's career, mortgage and savings over petty little things that have no practical bearings.

Do you have any examples of someone who has been sacked for petty little things with no practical bearing??

What kind of things are you talking about ???


I for one think the DPS are essential, what's the alternative. If I thought a colleague was corrupt then of course I would report them. I would have hoped that all my Met colleagues felt the same but it appears maybe some don't.

[Simply Special]

I thought about doing it, but i heard their no life in the job after leaving the DPS. No one will offer you roles in other units, as they are scared you might snitch.

[Fenix]

I thought about doing it, but i heard their no life in the job after leaving the DPS. No one will offer you roles in other units, as they are scared you might snitch.

I wouldn't base your career plans on rumours from people who clearly have an axe to grind against the DPS.

Many see service in DPS as a sign of your integrity

[Übèrnamè]

Do you have any examples of someone who has been sacked for petty little things with no practical bearing??

What kind of things are you talking about ???

Two colleagues were investigated for 18 months for calling a prisoner a tool. Bear in mind they were at one end of the custody suite and he was at the other and was your typical racist, obnoxious drunkard. Both were placed on a final written warning due to the fact that called the prisoner a tool and the other didn't challenge it.

They were busy investigating another complaint and happened to pick up on it.

I agree DPS are essential for investigating serious complaints and decline in professionalism but I don't see the need to go through such stringent investigations and threaten people's careers and pensions for the sake of something minor that at most could be dealt with words of advice.

[Fenix]

Two colleagues were investigated for 18 months for calling a prisoner a tool. Bear in mind they were at one end of the custody suite and he was at the other and was your typical racist, obnoxious drunkard. Both were placed on a final written warning due to the fact that called the prisoner a tool and the other didn't challenge it.

They were busy investigating another complaint and happened to pick up on it.

I agree DPS are essential for investigating serious complaints and decline in professionalism but I don't see the need to go through such stringent investigations and threaten people's careers and pensions for the sake of something minor that at most could be dealt with words of advice.

Seems ridiculous, I see your point.

[callsign-kid]

I would but I don't have a 2:1. Ok I'll remove my tongue from my cheek. I think the DPS do vital work in many regards and having spoken to people who are current DPS and have been in that role they all seem very nice and personable. Obviously that doesn't count for a lot by itself I suppose. Maybe the DPS do go after the wrong people some times but then like any organisation, or part there of its going to have its victories and its downfalls. In many ways I'm glad they're there because it means I don't have to work with people who clearly shouldn't be in the role a lot of the time.

[jvt1]

The DPS aren't there to be liked or hated, they are there to do a job just like any other police officer and from my current perspective I'd prefer them to do it rigorously and look petty than to do something half-arsed and miss a bad apple.

[Übèrnamè]

Seems ridiculous, I see your point.

I wouldn't say the whole point of the DPS is a bad thing, it's an integral part of the job but in the same way as Traffic, I couldn't see myself doing something that I morally disagree with.

[ococircusboy]

Would you ever snitch to the DPS if you witnessed corruption or misconduct?

I wouldn't call it snitching at all. Corruption isn't like an incivility complaint which to be honest wouldn't worry.
If you knew someone was being corrupt and did not say anything, you can wave goodbye to your job too now.

[Numpty]

Hi All,

Just out of curiousity, who would join DPS if they had a chance? Why would you join DPS?

Would you ever snitch to the DPS if you witnessed corruption or misconduct?

DPS secretly headhunt officers to work covertly for them, would you do the job if asked?

Have you all watched the TV programme Line Of Duty?

I personally could never do that kind of work, you would have no friends from work. And be hated by thousands of officers. But on the other hand you get to deal with bent coppers which could be very interesting for some people.

Having watched Line of Duty, are you saying that you wouldn't be happy to work to take the corrupt officers out of action? Even if they had got into the mess that Gates and his buddies have got themselves into? For the reason that you would worry about how many friends you would have in the job?

Astounding, really. Are you sure you wouldn't be more suited to a different profession?

I wouldn't say the whole point of the DPS is a bad thing, it's an integral part of the job but in the same way as Traffic, I couldn't see myself doing something that I morally disagree with.

You morally disagree with traffic law enforcement and anti-corruption??

Wow.

[Fenix]

Surely nobody is saying they wouldn't report a fellow officer if they were corrupt?? That makes you as corrupt as them??

[Numpty]

Surely nobody is saying they wouldn't report a fellow officer if they were corrupt?? That makes you as corrupt as them??

Agree. I think there is a pretty worrying undercurrent in this thread.

[SkinSte]

Hi All,

Just out of curiousity, who would join DPS if they had a chance? Why would you join DPS?

Would you ever snitch to the DPS if you witnessed corruption or misconduct?

DPS secretly headhunt officers to work covertly for them, would you do the job if asked?

Have you all watched the TV programme Line Of Duty?

I personally could never do that kind of work, you would have no friends from work. And be hated by thousands of officers. But on the other hand you get to deal with bent coppers which could be very interesting for some people.

I wouldn't join personally as it's a more office based role which I do not find appealing.

The whole "no friends from work" is just rubbish. The "hated by thousands" could apply to any group, be that Rats, Thick & Stupid Group or whatever; police officers seem to love forming cliques. I've a friend in DPS, it's no big deal.

[Übèrnamè]

You morally disagree with traffic law enforcement and anti-corruption??

Wow.

No, if you read my replies properly, I don't agree with investigating petty incidents.

[Numpty]

I did read your reply. I even quoted it in my comment.

[callsign-kid]

Hi All,

Just out of curiousity, who would join DPS if they had a chance? Why would you join DPS?

Would you ever snitch to the DPS if you witnessed corruption or misconduct?

DPS secretly headhunt officers to work covertly for them, would you do the job if asked?

Have you all watched the TV programme Line Of Duty?

I personally could never do that kind of work, you would have no friends from work. And be hated by thousands of officers. But on the other hand you get to deal with bent coppers which could be very interesting for some people.

OK I'm going to go through these questions here.

No I wouldn't join the DPS, its not my cup of tea. I'm not that interested in the detective side of the job in all honesty. Although that with time could change.

If I witnessed corruption then yes I would tell the DPS. "Snitching" makes it sound like playground stuff. A bent copper is not playground stuff.

If they pay me! Seriously though I'd have to think about that if it ever came up and it would depend on the potential consequences.

Actually I watched it last night on iplayer. It was interested. Although very heavily dramatised for interest it did seem fairly accurate in many ways. Apparently they pulled a lot of information from blog's like Inspector Gadget.

[Übèrnamè]

I did read your reply. I even quoted it in my comment.

So you think it's respectable to ruin two people's lives over calling a prisoner a tool?

[Numpty]

I was actually replying to the comment I quoted where you said that you would never join DPS or Traffic because you are morally against the work those OCUs do.

But since you ask here are my thoughts on the issue you have mentioned:

- Do I think that all complaints should be investigated thoroughly, however much of a nuisance the complainer is? Yes.

- Do I think that it should take eighteen months to complete an investigation? I don't know, I don't know what the circumstances were. It does seem odd that it would take eighteen months to investigate, maybe there was more to it than that.

- Do I think that people should be calling their prisoner a "tool"? No. You might think that some obnoxious drunk is a tool. I may think the same person is a tool. That doesn't mean it's professional to say so in front of that person or in public. We are supposed to be professionals, that sometimes means keeping our views to ourselves in public. If I told some of my day job clients what I thought of them I wouldn't get paid for much longer! Just because some of our police customers are a bit harder work doesn't mean we are allowed to be rude to them.

- Slightly hypothetical: Would I choose not to go into the DPS just because some of the complaints are a bit off the wall? No, I would try and do a good job whatever the complaint was. If it's spurious I would investigate it thoroughly so that there could be no suggestion that the complaint had been brushed under the carpet so that the officer concerned could be left with a clean bill of health.

Does that answer your question?

[Donatello]

So you think it's respectable to ruin two people's lives over calling a prisoner a tool?

So you think it's acceptable to call a prisoner a tool? Also I suspect by the fact that DPS were investigating them for something else it's that what ruined their lives for 18 months and caused the final written warning, as that seems excessive for what you're saying they did. I've known people do worse and get less than that

[randombobby]

Two colleagues were investigated for 18 months for calling a prisoner a tool. Bear in mind they were at one end of the custody suite and he was at the other and was your typical racist, obnoxious drunkard. Both were placed on a final written warning due to the fact that called the prisoner a tool and the other didn't challenge it.

They were busy investigating another complaint and happened to pick up on it.

I find this hard to believe...for minor incivility it would get passed back to borough not DPS. DPS would have much bigger fish to fry than to stick people on for calling a prisoner a tool.