i found out a few days ago about a copper who was famous in the 80s, but whose reputation failed so thoroughly to be passed down to me that i only found about how he existed from the obituaries. even the people posting about how glad they were he was dead had a sort of “how did i forget about this swine? quick, remember!” air.
huh looks like another chief constable died a month ago but by his own young hand rip
anyway, james anderton, floruit 1975 to 1991, classic reactionary type, hated gays and gay pride, but very pride in coppers beating people up loudly and publically rather than doing it shamefully and quietly as was the rising and current style, went from being a methodist preacher to roman catholicism for moral reasons which is pretty psychological i’d say
obviously a terrible fellow who would be a liability to any police force, and apparently *was* even at the time. the news stories focus on how he was wicked to the gay community, which he was, but even looking on wikipedia it’s obvious why he was valued: he was a good friend of the incipient 80s security state and was allowed to import tactics from Northern Ireland: big vans and snatch squads
and, of interest to the bee in my head that buzzes about the british gun control programme:
Anderton was particularly criticised by members of his Police Committee for his attitude toward armed police. In 1983, he announced mobile armed patrols to counter an increase in armed robberies in Greater Manchester. These patrols later became known as Armed Response Vehicles and are now routinely used by police forces across the United Kingdom. In 1986, Anderton issued 9mm MP5 carbines to selected officers based at Manchester Airport on security patrols. Following the riots in Brixton, Tottenham and Handsworth in 1985, Anderton announced that the Greater Manchester Police would be equipped with plastic baton rounds. Anderton justified his decision with police casualties suffered during these riots:
“We have two choices in the police force – either we stay where we are and die or we ignominiously cut and run. As long as it is in my power, I have no intention of leaving my officers unprotected… I shall never abandon the citizens of Greater Manchester to the mercy of rioters, rapists, looters and criminals.”
which made me extremely sure that this man had a great deal of influence in the gun control programme which nobody ever talks about