No One Was Listening

Who are the real victims of police prejudice, malpractice or incompetence? The answer, as this starkly frank insider account reveals, is every one of us. Christine King began her service with the Cambridgeshire Constabulary with the highest of ideals and the best of intentions. Fourteen years later she had no choice but to take early retirement - her health wrecked by the anger and disillusionment brought on by a ceaseless fight to improve moral and professional standards within the...
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Who are the real victims of police prejudice, malpractice or incompetence? The answer, as this starkly frank insider account reveals, is every one of us. Christine King began her service with the Cambridgeshire Constabulary with the highest of ideals and the best of intentions. Fourteen years later she had no choice but to take early retirement - her health wrecked by the anger and disillusionment brought on by a ceaseless fight to improve moral and professional standards within the force. No one, it appeared, was listening; nothing, it seemed, was ever going to change. She tells stories of rampant sexism, covert character assassination and sheer lack of commitment, presenting the police force of that time as a dreadful employer, especially for a woman of integrity. But interspersed with her own story is the author's vivid description of a murder case in which the killer was left free to strike, despite having made copious threats to his victim. The message is clear: unless our police are required to observe proper standards of conduct - and are held responsible when they do not - avoidable crimes will be committed, and all those affected by the consequences will be appallingly let down.