Christmas never has been a favourite time of the year for me (see previous). People think that a contrived smile, some goodwill gifts and a few hours spent with family and friends excuses them from their failings during the previous twelve months.

All platitudes designed to disguise personal traits of self-interest, self-importance and self-indulgence over the previous year. I’m sorry, none of it cuts the mustard for me, the true nature of many people in our society still shines through.

We have disgusting levels of excess and waste; enough food purchased on Christmas Eve to feed a small third world nation, much of which is discarded before New Year. Increased levels of booze fuelled violence, increased levels of domestic violence and child abuse and to top it all off, we also have the seasonal travel and weather chaos. All that before you even consider the associated injuries and deaths that occur on our roads every winter!

This year (just to add insult to injury) many families face bleak prospects for 2011. The austerity measures will really start to bight in the new year and more and more people face job losses, especially in the public sector. Whatever your views on the public sector (many know mine), spare a thought for those who devote their life trying to help you sort out your shit.

Despite the dire times ahead, many frontline emergency service staff won’t be sat at home belching and farting after an excess of food and drink. They will be facing abuse, violence and belligerence whilst continuing to try to help and support those individuals in our screwed up society, the ones that like the proverbial lemmings, just love to make an arse of their life…

 POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG: Next year is going to be a rollercoaster. More student riots in London, maybe some terrorist incidents, the loss of our pension rights and more wage cuts for police officers. Our support staff are under threat and our senior officers will become ever more vicious in their desperation to keep the ever decreasing numbers of gold-plated top jobs, bullying us for performance targets the government think they have abolished. At the Police Inspector Bl … Read More

Although I’m no longer a copper I was still working yesterday, my wife is still with the police and is working today. Like many others will both be working tomorrow and on the Bank Holiday Monday/Tuesday for no enhanced payment. Christmas a period of relaxation and spending time with the family? You have got to be joking? I’ve had less than half a dozen Christmas days off work since leaving school, one due to injury and two of them since I retired…

Merry Feckin’ Humbug!