Officers told not to arrest people who scream obscenities because courts won't convict
Police have been banned from arresting foul-mouthed yobs who abuse them with the most offensive swear words in the language.
The rule change, which has sparked a revolt in the force and anger among MPs, is revealed in secret advice issued to officers and leaked to The Mail on Sunday.
Scotland Yard has issued a card to its officers, telling them to do nothing if they are subjected to a torrent of obscene abuse.
The card, which the police are told to keep on them, secreted behind their warrant badges, says: ‘The courts do not accept police officers are caused harassment, alarm or distress by words such as ‘f**k, c**t, b*****ks, w*****s’.
The guidance has been issued despite existing laws that sanction the fining of people who swear at police and the jailing of persistent offenders.
The ‘licence to swear’ edict has enraged senior officers, who describe it as a sign of a collapse in respect for the police. They say it will make it harder for them to deal with public-order problems and cope with the increase in drunken yobs outside pubs and nightclubs.
The rule change was also condemned by MPs. Tory MP David Davies, who serves as a Special Constable, said: ‘This is a threat to law and order. When I trained in London four years ago, if someone swore directly at you – I was called a “f****** pig”, for instance – you would give them one warning, then arrest them if they refused to stop.
‘It is vital that you take action in such circumstances. The police should not have to put up with this behaviour.’
The rule change, which has sparked a revolt in the force and anger among MPs, is revealed in secret advice issued to officers and leaked to The Mail on Sunday.
Scotland Yard has issued a card to its officers, telling them to do nothing if they are subjected to a torrent of obscene abuse.
The card, which the police are told to keep on them, secreted behind their warrant badges, says: ‘The courts do not accept police officers are caused harassment, alarm or distress by words such as ‘f**k, c**t, b*****ks, w*****s’.
The guidance has been issued despite existing laws that sanction the fining of people who swear at police and the jailing of persistent offenders.
The ‘licence to swear’ edict has enraged senior officers, who describe it as a sign of a collapse in respect for the police. They say it will make it harder for them to deal with public-order problems and cope with the increase in drunken yobs outside pubs and nightclubs.
The rule change was also condemned by MPs. Tory MP David Davies, who serves as a Special Constable, said: ‘This is a threat to law and order. When I trained in London four years ago, if someone swore directly at you – I was called a “f****** pig”, for instance – you would give them one warning, then arrest them if they refused to stop.
‘It is vital that you take action in such circumstances. The police should not have to put up with this behaviour.’
