Pathetic cops.

Fuck almighty. That's all I can say about this:

Northumbria Police is getting rid of its £200,000 motorcycle fleet over health and safety fears.

That's so astonishingly pathetic that it bears repeating.

Northumbria Police is getting rid of its £200,000 motorcycle fleet over health and safety fears.
The police force decided to sell off all the Honda and BMW bikes after deciding that officers using them were "particularly vulnerable to collision".
The force has been criticised for losing a valuable resource but senior officers have insisted that the move will "maximise officer safety".

No surprise that this comes from elfin safety obsessed high ups, nor that the actual boys and girls in blue seem less than impressed.

Russ Watson, chairman of Northumbria Police Federation, said: "There are very few forces that do not have a motorcycle capacity.
"Used in the right context, motorbikes are an essential resource. They can get into places that cars have difficulty getting to such as in heavy traffic."
One serving officer, who asked not to be named, added: "I guess with all the health and safety red tape surrounding the police service these days their days were always going to be numbered.
"It's a great shame we won't be able to use them any more – cars just aren't the same. Maybe they'll offer us push bikes instead – as long as we can produce our cycling proficiency test certificates, obviously "

Against which we have:

Defending the move, Chief Superintendent Neil Mackay, head of Northumbria Police's operations department, told Police Review magazine: "A decision was taken on 7 April, with immediate effect, to dissolve the force's motorcycle capability to maximise the safety of officers.
"There will be no loss of service to the public. Everything that can be done with a bike can also be done with a car."

Ch Supt Mackay there, a senior copper who has clearly swallowed the blue pill - "Everything that can be done with a bike can also be done with a car." You don't have to ride bikes (and I don't) to see what bollocks that is. A rank and file copper suggests that motorbikes can get to places that cars can't and points out the obvious advantage they have in heavy traffic, obvious that is to any car driver who's been sat still in a jam and been passed by bikers. Meanwhile a senior officer sticks his fingers in his ears and basically says "nonononononono not true not true lalalalalalala I'm not listening lalalalalalalalala cars are just as good". Can he seriously believe what he's saying I wonder, or is he happy to just flap his lips while a useful bit of kit is sacrificed on the altar of elfin safety? Yet another argument, as if one were needed, for having locally elected police chiefs who'd have to consider how the public might see this sort of thing if they wanted to keep their jobs long term.

Northumbria Police - we'll investigate crime and patrol the roads, but Mummy says we have to be home before it gets dark. Pathetic.