Categories: uncategorized
Date: 07 June 2007 13:31:54
Following my rants on politics and Olympic symbols I thought that I'd have a change today. Hopefully this will be a little more humourous.
It appears that the police in N. Ireland are being trained in how to secure their police stations. This may seem odd to British readers who know what the province used to be like. After all, with both sections of a divided community targetting you with bombs, bulets and rocks, you'd think that they'd know how to secure their stations.
People have been complaining for years that the police were to remote from the communities they served. Then again if you have the locals behaving as they did you can understand why the police would like to be stand-offish from their local community. But one police station seems to have become carried away with the way of life.
Last month the officers of Ballynahinch went out on their regular patrol. There is not so much need now for armoured land rovers and constant vigilence. Things have settled down and life is becoming normal, or what we describe as normal anyway. Upon return they discovered that community relations had indeed improved. Some enterprising member of the local community had been to visit them while they were out of the office.
They were the victims of a burglary.
Yes, someone broke into a police station!!!!!!
The officers had left the station but forgotten to close the windows and activate the alarm system, which should be done as part of their SOP.
Thankfully no police equiptment was stolen in the raid. The Assistant Chief Constable has said that the message for police was the same as that for civilians - close your windows and switch on your alarm. However the matter is now part of a criminal and disciplinary investigation.
The local Assembly Member said that he applauds the police for their honesty in the matter. He was grateful that they were lucky that it was not the work of a terrorist or "hardened" criminal and that no weapons or sensitive papers had fallen into the "wrong hands" (insert your own pun, comment here).
So next time you have a police officer offer to tell you how to secure your home, remember this story and avoid their mistakes.