Grassed up by criminals
By Victoria Raymond / Sun Online
Police have dropped rollerblades as a mode of transport - because they could not chase criminals across grass.
Officers who patrol London’s Royal Parks have gone back to traditional bicycles as the best way of getting around.
A senior officer said the inline skates were hung up for good after the criminal community realised their fatal flaw.
Superintendent Derek Pollock, who is responsible for policing the parks, said the idea was “not an awful success”.
He said: “Not an awful lot of officers were interested because it hurts when you fall over.
“It didn’t work. The minute people realised they were being chased they would switch to a soft surface.”
The skate squad was introduced in 2000 and was based on a successful police idea already seen in Florida, Paris and Holland.
The officers were issued with black inline skates as well as special police helmets and protective padding.
There are 17 Royal Parks in London, covering about 6,000 acres, which are patrolled by 131 officers and 42 community support officers.
The Metropolitan Police said four officers were given the skates and trained in their use as an “experiment”.
A spokesman said: “They were used very occasionally by about two officers and within a few months they no longer used them.
“They were introduced as an experiment to see how it worked. It didn’t work and they are no longer used.”
He added that the officers were given 14 bicycles to use instead last
December.Dawn Irwin, a qualified in-line skating instructor who helped introduce the idea, trained the officers in ways of safely grabbing suspects.
But she insisted tight budgets, and not problems with chasing criminals across grass, had led to its demise.
She said the rollerblades could be removed from the police officer’s boot very quickly should they need to give chase on foot.
She said: “It was good while it lasted. It was fun going round on patrol but you would have had to stick to the paths.
“There are specific sets for downhill, but there is nothing for going over
grass. It’s just a friction thing.”The Metropolitan Police began working with the Royal Parks Constabulary in April 2004 and they are expected to merge formally within weeks.
Policing in the Royal Parks dates back to 1872 when the Parks Regulation Act created a force of Royal Park Keepers.
For the merger with the Metropolitan Police to be completed there will need to specific legislation passed in Parliament.
March 29th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Haven’t they ever heard of a grass roll.
March 29th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Damn thats not right..!
Rollerblading is not for fucking pigs
March 29th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
they need some xsjado’s so they can jus unstrap an run lol. they could have basics coz they need black skates. that would be proper funny, seein a copper in london goin round on xsjados lol
March 29th, 2006 at 7:28 pm
xsjado with a freeskate frame or a flat setup so, cause a freestyle frame or antirocker setup make you loose way too much speed to caught a man who run ;)
March 29th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
I dont like the idea of cops on skates because that promotes physical fitness for police. IF I cant have my fat cop sterotype, well, where is the fun in being busted an in shape cop??? You cant call him Office Fatty, or tell him he is exceeding the maximum weight requirement for his belt.
March 30th, 2006 at 1:43 am
haha i was thinking xsjados too. they woulda had to put a break on then tho
March 30th, 2006 at 3:26 am
haha rocking the xsjados with heel stoppers haha
fucking to rite that be amazing! get dustin latimer to chase cunts he can do all sorts, skating up buildings haha.
March 30th, 2006 at 4:55 am
hahahahahahahahahahahaha fokin pigs..
March 30th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
“The skate squad was introduced in 2000 and was based on a successful police idea already seen in Florida, Paris and Holland.”
hahah so succesfull in paris hahahahahahahahah
March 30th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
why is it so funnt??was it not succesful in PARIS??and i can run on grass just as easily as i can on foot the only problem is you have to clean all the wheels and bearings and crap afterwards:(:( all you have to do is turn your feet sideways or if its really firm grass you can just run!!!its soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo easy!!!