We're accustomed to the military being called in to do any dogsbody job the government wants at that moment. Stacking sandbags in a flood, driving fire engines or lorries or whatever. Now it seems they want the police to do the same and drive ambulances while paramedics are on strike. Is this a good idea. The chief constable is not happy. Of course the idea is not that the poor cop just 'drives' the ambulance - if that were the case, they could just hire a load of Uber men to do a bit of driving for a day or two. They want the cop to attend the casualties also. I can understand their objections. That is not their job. They are not trained for that. They are not healthcare workers. As tbe head cop points out, they're really supposed to be attending to crime and they're already stretched. I know some cops like to refer to us as 'civvies', but they themselves are civilians. They are NOT military, despite the power-crazy fantasies of some of them. They are civillians policing us public by consent and enforcing the laws. One other good point the chief cop made is what happens when someone dies with the cop there in attendance? He has to immediately take him/herself of duty and report him/herself to the police complaints authority.
Added to the fact that there are not enough boys & girls in the 'military' to do the actual 'military stuff' they're tasked with/joined-up for. This is really hitting retention rates as the armed forces aren't getting the training/courses that they were promised as part of their terms of service...
Those squaddies must get so fed up. This week you're all going to be postmen! The government treats them like their private handymen and odd jobbers. Any old thing that they need shifting or lifting or rescuing or unblocking or driving - send for the squaddies! They can do that! The cops are complaining they can't go on strike and of course they have those military in the same position. They have to do what they tell them to do. My kids were in the army and air cadets growing up and I made sure they both knew to not join that, despite the strong offers.
