As it has warmed up a little bit recently I decided to leave the confines of the office and accompany some of my team who were executing a search warrant.
The warrant was at the home of a family that are well known to us. It is a five bedroom council house occupied by mum, dad and five children. There are actually eight children but the eldest is in prison and the next two are being looked after by other relatives as the parents cannot cope with them. The remaining five are aged between 2 and 12. Neither mum or dad have worked for at least 15 years and live on benefits.
We had information that to supplement his benefits, dad deals cannabis and cocaine, largely to local teenagers. Apart from the serious risks to the users, this is undermining our reputation in the community, hence the search.
On arrival, the back door is open and we go in. There isn't a carpet anywhere. The house is filthy and absolutely stinks. There are two piles of dog faeces in the house and a recent pool of wee. The kitchen is disgusting with dirty dishes all over the place and stale food. The kids are sleeping on mattresses with a blanket or sleeping bag. Not a sheet in sight. Police officers will not think this is anything unusual and I have been in far worse houses.
Dad gets arrested with a bit of cannabis. There is not enough to consider a charge of dealing. But hopefully the message will get through to him.
I have mentioned before that I attend a regular meeting with partners where we discuss those young people that are causing problems in the community. Usually those committing crime and anti social behaviour. Two of the children of this family were on the next agenda. I felt it was appropriate to mention that we had executed a drugs warrant at the address and the state of the house. The Local Authority were very interested as they have been trying to get into the house to inspect it for over a year. Children's Services and the Youth Offending Team took a different view.
I was rebuked for judging people by my own values. Apparently, living in a filthy slum doesn't make them bad people or parents and if they choose to live like that we should not criticise their choice of lifestyle. Because I choose to live in a clean environment and wash up regularly and clean up dog poo immediately that does not make me a better person than them.
I pointed out that if the family chose to live in a filthy mess and their children were model citizens who were not being arrested almost daily and involved in local anti social behaviour. If the children attended school regularly and the parents were not drug dealing but set a good example they might have a point.
No I was told. They have just chosen a different lifestyle with different values and I must learn to understand and respect this. I was losing it at this point. They haven't chosen a lifestyle. They are lazy, idle people who have decided that a life of benefits and banging out children beats working. Setting boundaries and being a role model are vital facets of parenting. What are they teaching their children? Perhaps if these parents washed their children's clothes, they wouldn't smell and they would attend school as there would be less risk of them being ostracised by other children. Perhaps if the parents introduced a bit of order and discipline and put them to bed instead of allowing them to run around all night until they dropped they might stop committing offences and get some education and the chance of a job and a future.
I was stared at as if I was some right wing bigot for whom there was no hope. I was obviously never going to see this light that they have found. After a further brief conversation these services decided that the 'work' they were doing with this family was perfectly adequate and they didn't need to be doing any more. They are always 'working' with families. This usually means seeing them once every week or two and having a nice chat.
I hope to God that the new Government addresses the liberal (small l) cesspit that has been allowed to take over all levels of the criminal justice system and we get back to some common sense and reality as soon as possible.
For a moment I thought I was reading "The Welfare State We're In" when you wrote about the Children's Services folk.
ReplyDeleteI consider myself fairly liberal, in as much as if you aren't hurting anyone (including yourself) then you should be able to get on with it. However you are quite right with regard parenting.
Good to see confirmation with regard their attitude from an outside source. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, I think I know that family. It's funny, that when you have such well established "welfare states" (Like the UK and the US) you will always have turds like this.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right. That people "deserve" respect is baloney. Even a single adult housed and paid by the state should have some obligation to keep the place clean.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that it's possible for a large family housed and funded like this to live decently? They can cook good food at home. Keep the place clean. Do their schoolwork. Hire DVDs. Go on day trips occasionally. The parents have got a full time job right there if they want it.
Is there a functioning vacuum cleaner, washing machine and clothes dryer in the house? Do they have laundry and dishwashing detergent? If not, why not? These are must haves and must be used no two ways about it. Surely these things could be monitored without offending anyone's precious "values".
Some people just need to be taken out and shot. And I am not talking about the family in this case. These "social workers" will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes.
ReplyDeleteShame, shame, shame on you all!
ReplyDeleteThese people don't feel shame for adopting an alternative lifestyle; they don't feel shame for raising children as independent beings, free to learn and discover without the fetters of school; they don't feel shame for doing what will get them by, sell a little weed to help them pay for some to help them escape an oppressive society that condemns them for their alternative choices.
Of course right wing judgemental bigots like you are ashamed of not sending your children to school; you are ashamed if your car is filthy; you are ashamed if you don't hoover up and do the dishes before friends come round; and you would be ashamed if your friends came round expecting to skin up in your house.
That's the problem with society today, to many ashamed people.
One of my favourite books- for no other reason than it is a good read, is Robert Heinleins Starship Troopers.
ReplyDeleteThis book is set some time in the future where we are all residents of a great Republic. Probably for this reason the book took some flack for aledgedly dubious political leanings.
The reason I bring this book into the equation is that the main character Juan 'Jonnie' Rico reflects on his education. One of his subjects was History and Moral Philosophy, taught to him by Mr Dubois, a retired 'veteran'. In his recollections he recounts how Mr Dubois explained about the downfall of the pre Republic civilisations. One of the reasons for the downfall of society was the way it pandered to the 'sensibilities' and rights of those that caused the societies problems.
Sound familiar?
This book was written in 1959! 50 years ago someone was writing about exactly what this thread highlights.
Of course, we musn't stand in the way of 'progress'.
I'm sure any serving or retired UK police officer can recognise this "family", for want of a better word.
ReplyDeleteA very similar story in Winston Smith's blog at http://winstonsmith33.blogspot.com/2010/05/danger-of-imposing-values.html
ReplyDeleteDread UK. I think you have missed the point entirely. There are so many people in this world without shame. That is the real problem. We need more shame not less, more humility, not less. Shame is almost entirely absent in this country.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing noble in leaving rotting food and excrement in the areas in which your child plays. There is nobility in sacrificing your own comfort and leisure in order to provide and care for your child.
There is nothing noble in lying down for 75 years, achieving nothing, and finally being consumed by death, a physiological process that cares nought for your sensibilities. There is nobility in taking time to better yourself, lifting yourself out of depression, and achieving something good in your life.
There is nothing noble in producing children for your own selfish welfare state maintained ends. There is nobility in raising one to be a productive member of society.
And lastly if the selfish fucker can sell weed he could get a job to provide FULLY for his family, and not let them just "get by".
We need more shame, and shame on you for trying to justify this sad pathetic selfish existence, in an effort to justify your own selfish political agenda.
Yes, utterly ridiculous for you to suggest that they hold themselves to basic standards of cleanliness and order. Unreal.
ReplyDeleteIf an adult wants to live in a pile of shite then that is their business. It's when that person starts to impose their pile of shite on other people that it becomes a problem. If the parents' inability to raise their kids in a sensible manner starts to affect others (e.g. by their anti-social behaviour) then it becomes everyone else's business how they conduct themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't rocket science.
I am quite surprised you didn't arrest and charge both parents with child cruelty or neglect. I've seen it done before and where children are being forced to live in a slum covered in shit and piss it is a perfectly appropriate charge to bring.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the people at your meeting would have said about that.
By the way, I am speaking as a defence solicitor not a policeman or member of any of the various services you mention.
Hopefully the count of stupid myopic c*nts will decrease now that the New Labour contagion has been reduced
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I've just come across this blog and it's ab great read, keep uo the good work!
ReplyDeleteCareful mate - you might finish up like Nightjack:- in the doghouse for bringing our esteemed public servants into disrepute.
ReplyDeleteJust out of interest, in a disagreement of this nature, would you expect to have the support of your superiors?
ReplyDeleteIt is wrong to refer the their way of living as a "lifestyle choice". It is unlikely that these people have ever made a decision (choice) in their life! All very well if I and my family did not have to pay taxes to enable them to proliferate!
ReplyDeletePrivate Frazer was right.
Would it be crazy to think that social workers WANT this sort of nonsense to continue on so they continue to rake in x amount of dollars per annum to "work with" it? There's not a whole lot of incentive on their part to do anything about houses like this is there? Other than that it's their job, but you know, you clean up too many troubled homes and someone could get let go.
ReplyDeletePlease, please go back to Childrens Services and make a fuss higher up till someone acts. Do as Phatboy says and threaten to arrest the parents if that helps. It is not true that this dept is doing what it should. It is the duty of such departments to protect children from abuse and neglect. Elsewhere (in other local authorities) identical situations exist and the kids are removed to a place of safety. Some, especially the younger ones, are eventually adopted and grow up to be normal responsible people. How the adults in this house live is up to them, but the children need rescued from this situation. If the 2 year old is blinded by the dog pooh (there is a known disease here) or a "high" drug user(maybe Dad) lashes out and the "littly" is killed, how will you feel? This is why the papers have child death reports where "nobody did anything" despite knowing what went on. If you don't do everything that you can, that is you.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me that your in the wrong line of work old chum. Todays plod come across as more social worker than 'the Sweeney'.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with your views about this 'grouping of oxygen thieves' but lets be honest here. You may have arrested one of them but I doubt that your organisation will have bothered to follow it through and refer to the CPS (Criminal Protection Society)- be honest it ended in a fixed penalty didn't it. And he probably got twenty years to pay.
If by some minor miracle it got to court the equally useless judiciary will in all liklihood have dismissed of the case in some manner. My cousin is an usher at a Mag. court. He tells me he sees the same people day in day out, year in year out. There are two doors out of the court. One leads to the cells one to the street. If they go out the latter as far as the perps are concerned 'they got off'. The end.
Until we drop the social worker justice in favour of 'you are surrounded by armed barstards' policing, then as a nation this country is utterly finished. We might as well hand it over the underclass because we have not got the gonads to take our nation back.
I mean go after the real criminals not the easy targets the drop a fag end get fined £75. Neither the police, judiciary council or politicians will EVER choose the former.
No your values are 100% right, it is the do-gooders' values that are wrong. This family's lifestyle is not deserving of respect because they clearly have no respect for themselves or for others, and there are unfortunately millions like them because of pathetic "liberal" namby-pamby handwringing bleeding hearts and the creation of a benefit-dependent underclass.
ReplyDeleteLove this blog!
ReplyDelete