..."an alternative location..."

I see that the Enabling Services Directorate of Warwickshire Police have produced a mission statement for HR, IT and communications.   With me so far?  Splendid.   Included within this document is the comforting assertion that "Warwickshire Police aims to protect people from harm with a range of outcome focused functions that are professionally competent and understand the operational policing context of their services, ensuring that they are quality assured, effective and efficient.`

The force has also advised its officers not to use the word `black` in a negative context, such as `black day` and also to avoid `terms of endearment that may cause offence, such as `my love` and `my dear.`

So that`s alright then, all good stuff and no doubt the good folk of Warwickshire can sleep safely in their beds knowing that their boys in blue are on the ball and up to speed with contemporary phraseology and sensitive inclusiveness.   Just a pity that in the whole of the `mission statement` the word crime doesn`t feature at all.

If it was me, I suspect my mission statement for the police would be something along the lines of "Nick criminals."   But next time I happen to be loitering with intent in Rugby, Leamington Spa or even Stratford-on-Avon, I might expect an awfully nice police officer to respectfully request that I `move along, please Sir, perhaps you would be so kind as to remove your personage to an alternative location as you will have observed that there is nothing of significance to be seen at this one.`