Where Do They Get These Daft Chief's of Police?

Another silly spokesman for the increasingly out of touch Association of Chief Police Officers has emerged blinking into the light to tell us we should all be drinking out of plastic glasses. Chris Allison, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ (ACPO) lead on licensing, told thepublican.com he wants polycarbonates to be “seen as the norm”. "Why does everyone hold on to the concept that you have to drink out of glass? What is the difference?” he asked. Bet he doesn't drink cask beer!

The perceived problem here is "glassing" a horrendous way of assaulting someone by striking them in the face with a glass. Now no-one, least of all this writer, condones such atrocious behaviour, but it has to be said it is an extremely rare occurrence. Is it really a correct response to say everyone from one end of the country to another should be made to drink out of plastic, rather than using the new powers police have under the Licensing Act, to target potential trouble spots and either close them or order the use of polycarbonate? The trouble with this idiotic approach is that it will penalise the many to help the few. Increasingly this is what we have come to expect from our Police Forces. Why don't they just get off their arses and apply targeted responses to problems, based on risk assessment? Instead of ridiculous broad brush approaches to issues that penalise the innocent, why don't they just do some good old fashioned police work, or is that too much to ask?

Good beer tastes bloody awful out of plastic and there are far too many sensible people around to let this happen, so it won't. It has been rightly condemned by CAMRA and by the Brewers and Pubs Association. Maybe not the most sensible people in the world on some subjects, but at least more in touch than ACPO!

My thanks to The Publican for reminding me of this issue and giving me the chance for a good old fashioned rant and to Boak and Bailey for the beer glass photo.