Dear Charlie

I am writing an open letter to you via this website partly because
there is no contact email for you on the Bromley Police website (and,
while I'm about it, the 'Safer Neighbourhoods' online questionnaire
didn't seem to work when I tried it just now).

You may remember me from the Pineapple Club in Anerley, where you
turned up in number to inform the largely black membership about the
new non-police police (what are they called again? 'Community Safety
Officers?').

I questioned you personally about the powers of these individuals, to
which you replied that, for example, they had no powers of arrest.
When I pointed out that that wasn't altogether correct, because even
ordinary citizens have certain little-known limited powers of arrest,
you corrected yourself, but totally without apology and without any
deference to the fact that I was right and you were wrong, on a
matter as fundamental as this.

When you, as the head of Bromley Police, display this level of
ignorance and bad manners in the performance of your duty, what can
we expect on the ground from your more junior officers in less
convivial situations?

Sincerely,

Richard Comaish
21 Eastwell Close
Beckenham