Ruralshire Constabulary, England 2009. Fiddling while Rome burns. (Perverting the Course of Justice - Inspector Gadget)

Member Name: h27gooner

Product:	Perverting the Course of Justice - Inspector Gadget
Date:	30/06/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A real insight into the barmy world of the Police.

Disadvantages: Blinkered, rose coloured view of fellow officers

This book is a compilation of anecdotes and observations on the state of modern day policing in Britain. It is written by an anonymous Police Inspector who is responsible for authoring a blog called "The Police Inspector Blog" (http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/).

Inspector Gadget hides his real identity behind the fictitious county of "Ruralshire" and comments on Police operations within that county and, sometimes farther afield - "Metrocity" being the closest metropolitan area. Gadget has been a long serving policeman having previously served in the British Army. He is in charge of a response team and he gives his views on experiences of a whole range of issues from the Political Masters, for whom he has little but disdain for their constant tinkering, league tables and rafts of legislation and "initiatives; he discusses the Judiciary and the "liberal elite" whom he blames for weak sentencing and hand wringing Guardian readership which allows criminals to continue their ways at the expense of law abiding citizens; he comments on his experiences of the underclass living in "the swamp" with their feckless ways, scrounging habits and lack of respect; and he laments the demise of real policing and the brown nosed, ladder climbers amongst the senior ranks who care more for the latest management buzzword than the old lady who's been mugged.

His commentary is well thought, highly articulate and extremely thought provoking. Much of what he writes would make you scream with frustration but it should also be remembered that he often sees the world from a skewed point of view and that he rarely sees the failings in his own colleagues. His blog comments on the issues of the day and has many contributors. If you regularly read the blog, you will recognise much of the content of the book but, if you haven't, I highly recommend you both read the book and the blog.

With the recent "outing" by the times of the detective behing the "Nightjack" blog, Gadget may well consider it safer to end his commentary so get a look while you still can!

Summary: Gordon Brown should take some time out to read this.