the weather is the best of policemen

I am probably a bit more distracted than usual, as I was out with the Strathclyde police last night, seeing how they police the Glasgow night time economy. They do quite a lot of these tours for people, letting them see at first hand how to police a major British city.

It is only fair to say that I have been apprehensive about the trip for some time, but on the night it was hugely informing and I would recommend it to anyone. The police have been working with various partners to ensure that the city is well lit, well covered by CCTV, safe zones exist with orderly taxi queues and paramedics on hand.

Of course with all the technology and police in the world, the weather can still be the best of policemen, the night was cool and wet, so folk drifted off home steadily, rather that waiting for the mass mayhem of all exiting clubs at 3am in the morning.

By the time that you had seen the initial briefing, seen people watching vast concave walls of CCTVs, control staff directing the troops on the ground, you could not help feeling that this was a well ordered process, with people knowing their roles and very effectively keeping control of what could be mayhem. It was also clear that the police themselves relished the work, they were on the front line, perhaps getting overtime, they knew what they had to do, and that if required their back up would be with them within a minute, in that sense they were the biggest and best organised gang on the street.

I got back home after 3am, and slept soundly in my bed.