Admitting you’re the victim of bullying is hard. But imagine you’re also a police officer who society considers must be immune to the trials life throws at us mere mortals.
Policing, by its very nature, is a demanding job and we’ve come to expect those who uphold the law are made of sterner stuff than you and I.
It’s easy to forget they’re only human and are as vulnerable to the same foibles, problems and tragedies as the rest of us.
You might have seen my story this week in which former sergeant Callum Peoples claimed he was driven from the police by bullying officers.
Callum told us of incidents that happened to him inside and outside the police station, including his locker being broken into and his radio being vandalised.
Even more worryingly, he talked about two crimes at his home. His car was damaged and human waste smeared over the front door.
A police officer’s job involves running towards danger while we run away from it. They have to deal first-hand with the worst of human behaviour and are confronted by traumatic experiences daily.
They’re the buffer between good, evil and the downright ugly side of humanity.
Crime dramas and fiction almost always portray the men and women of our police service as tough but flawed characters who broach no nonsense and almost always get “their man”.
So when I read some of the comments in readers’ feedback on the story about Callum, I was not surprised when people used it as a stick to beat the cops with and to mock his experience.
The treatment of officers like Callum or Rhona Malone, who was recently awarded almost £1million after suffering sexism and discrimination, should not allow us to tar all officers with the same brush.
And, of course, there were plenty of ignorant comments such as “man up” and “policing is a tough job so just dry your eyes and get on with it”.
I wonder if those same people would be happy if their home address was made public knowledge so any criminal could wander up to the door and create damage? It’s very easy to judge situations from the comfort and safety of your armchair.
The fact remains that Callum felt he had no option but to leave the force, citing “institutionalised bullying”.
He told me: “It wasn’t so much the tasteless jokes, the way I was spoken to or any of that. I’m not a child, I’m a grown man who can deal with that.
“But when you become a victim of crime on your own doorstep and hear a fellow officer is accused of leaking information about you, then it’s time to think about your career and the impact it’s having.”
It was, therefore, disappointing to note that the Scottish Police Federation said there was a lack of care shown to Callum as a repeat victim of crime.
Of course, these types of incident do not reflect on the police service as a whole and while I’m sure the allegations were investigated thoroughly, it does seem as if some unprofessional behaviour has gone unchallenged.
Police Scotland must do all it can to ensure inappropriate behaviour in its workplaces cannot be allowed to thrive at the cost of losing good officers.
The day after we told Callum’s story, a tragic story broke that showed another side of policing.
Officers had to force their way into a home after neighbours reported they hadn’t seen the householder for months.
They found the body of a 57-year-old male inside. It’s believed he had been dead for some time.
Can you imagine being the first responder to such a scene? Could you handle the trauma of dealing with such an incident? I know I couldn’t.
While policing is difficult, it’s right and proper that we highlight not just the successes of our lawmen and women but also the issues that can affect them doing their jobs.
It’s easy to criticise what we perceive as failings but we shouldn’t forget that they do an extremely challenging and gruelling job.
Hate crime stats don't reflect reality
This week, the Crown Office and Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain said the country is winning the war against hate crime – after a 0.2 per cent fall in reported incidents.
But in the same press release they revealed hate crime directed at the disabled and over sexual orientation is up.
I don’t think 0.2 per cent is something to be cheered at. Regardless of our race, gender, religion or sexuality, we are all entitled to be free from violence or hatred.
It’s heartening to hear Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain say they will “robustly” tackle the issue in the courts but it would be helpful if that was communicated to police.
Readers have been in touch to say when they tried to report a hate crime, officers told them “to pick their battles”.
Police budgets have been cut, officers are on the verge of taking action over their pay rise and there doesn’t seem to be any clear plan to make sure hate crimes are reported and punished.
It seems to me the 0.2 per cent decrease is more likely to be about people not bothering to report crimes against them rather than a victory in an ongoing battle.
Hold the line(s)
Whoops to the motorist who thought using his mobile while driving was a good idea when he also had £40,000 of cocaine in his car. Seriously?
Not only that, the driver was also found to be uninsured and disqualified.
How dopey do you have to be to think you are getting away with that? Hope the phone call was worth it!
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
