Police hypocrisy

^ His funeral should be a private affair, obviously with a police presence and attending senior officers etc^
Merlot I feel sure that had the family wished his funeral to be private, that would have been respected. There could have been a memorial service at a later date for the public and police forces to pay their respects.

I understood it was to be a private cremation aferwards.

No, I really do feel sorry for her starting in the job today. I suppose it will make her remember what public service is all about.

According to the wife of a serving Essex police Officer a lot of the officers from other forces are on their rest days or otherwise off duty and they choose to attend to show respect for a fallen colleague.

We'll - I'm with Anya, Ana and Whitewave on this issue. The police force reflects the society it serves, so of course not all it's officers are wonderful. When a terrorist attack occurs, or bombs are planted/ explode, they are the people running towards the danger while we all run away. Of course I acknowledge the role firefighters, medical staff etc play but it's the police in the front line and first to be criticised when the get it wrong.
My father died twenty years after retiring and wasn't involved in any retired officer groups. Despite this about forty police officers attended his funeral. The GMP flag draped his coffin. These things helped my mother and all the family appreciated his police family uniting to recognise his death. So I don't criticise the Met, one of the senior officers spoke soon after the officers death of the Met family, the loss of one of their own.
Thousands of officers came from the rest of the country to line the route for the funerals of the two young policewomen murdered in the line of duty in recent times. It's a tradition.

Yet didn't attend the funerals of the police officer recently mowed down by a car

I'm another one who doesn't think this thread should ever have been started.
However, ABs posting of 17:22 today has made me decide to comment.
If the Police Officer, mown down by a car, who AB is referring to is PC David Phillips, who was killed in October 2015, she is very wrong in her statement that Officers from all over the country did not attend his funeral. Hundreds of Officers turned up in full dress uniform, and there were also very many retirees from all three emergency services present.

Annibach could it possibly be because the family of the policeman to whom you refer just wanted a private funeral? Unless you are aware of all the facts i think it is unfair to judge.

Juggernaut, I don't know about Anniebach, but the Police Officer I was referring to who was also mown down by a stolen car, was after the events at Westminster. It shows up in the book in which the Westminster policeman is remembered. It was on the lunchtime news.

It's getting a bit big-brotherish to suggest that a thread should not have been started. Whatever happened to free speech? Of course, there are limits but, in my view, none of the comments on here are so dangerous or offensive as to warrant censorship.

retrolady2
Gareth Browning was the Police Officer who died on April 1st, but he had actually been seriously injured in November 2013. I don't think his funeral has been held yet.
I mentioned PC Dave Phillips as his funeral was the last 'big' Police funeral.

So BBC news were wrong when they said the number of officers today was unprecedented

I think even in our 21st century society, there is a place for symbolism.

PC Keith Parker was a decent man doing his everyday job, a brave man doing his duty to protect parliament. It is right that he should have this honour, not just for the man, but for what he symbolises.

It is especially symbolic that he was an unarmed policeman in our country where most of our police personnel are unarmed.

We should all be proud of him, of our unarmed police force and of the United Kindom.

Very well put varian

I've just watched Channel 4 news coverage of PC Parker's coffin and following cars on route to the funeral service. As well as thousands of uniformed officers, interviewers found officers from e.g. Greater Manchester, in plain clothes who'd travelled down to show respect. The pavements were lined with members of the pubic, doing exactly that.
As varian says, even in the 21st century there is a place for symbolism. RIP Pc Parker.

I think they remembered all police officers who died in the line of duty today anniebach and I hope we thought of them all and remembered them with gratitude.
The police who attended from here and overseas came to pay their respects to a colleague who was killed in the line of duty in a very high profile attack.

RIP Keith Palmer and all those who have sacrificed their lives for peace and freedom.

I think it is totally repugnant that Anniebach exploits this mans death to pursue her own political agenda, to create division and to gain for herself the attention that she craves. "By their fruits shall ye know them."

Well said Jalima

We should be proud of our police force, but not proud that they are unarmed outside Westminster ( MP's voted against armed police near the doors at Westminster some years ago. They need to think again now.)
PC Palmer would be alive today had he been armed.
What if the terrorist had been armed with a gun? He may well have got inside and killed a number of people.
It's no good at all police walking around with a baton! Not outside a prime target.

I also agree that this thread should never have been started.RIP Pc Palmer.

I have not exploited this man's death, I believe the Met has

I agree with Eloethan.

I think to some extent his death and funeral have been the 21st century equivalent of the unknown soldier . Someone who represents the many who have died in the performance of their duty, and so it was not just one man who was honoured today but all policemen and women who have suffered this fate - and not just from this country but police personnel came from other countries as well. I didn't think your OP was well considered anniebach.

I gave it a lot of thought BadenKate , I expected the reactions but I still hold the same opinion.

even more so now he has been classed a symbol, he was a husband, a father, a son, he was not a symbol .

And sorry all but it reminded me of Diana's funeral,

I don't think the circumstances that gave rise to the high profile nature of Diana's and PC Palmer's funeral are similar.

The "establishment" - and in particular the royal family - were loathe to make a big deal of Diana's death but the outpouring of anger and grief from the general public, not just in the UK but around the world, thwarted that.

Free speech Eloethan also includes the right to say I don't think this thread should have been started.