As I seem to have been the main person offering comments in response to PC Smith's entries on the Forum I suppose I should feel some responsibility for his decision.
I do not!
I, like everyone else on this Forum, have read his posts and taken in some of the serious aspects that he has chosen to mention. However, in certain instances I disagreed with his manner and approach to the problem, incident or the conclusion he has reached. Accordingly, I chose to put my view of the situation, as indeed did others. If PC Smith, you, or indeed any other Member of the Forum, felt that what he, or I said was wrong and worthy of further debate, then you all had the opportunity to do so. I have not seen many comments until today!
I believed in everything I said. What I said was done without malice and in an effort to add balance to the debate. If you are content to listen to only one opinion and accept every comment from the Police Officer as a fair reflection of every situation he discusses, then so be it. I probably have a different outlook to his comments and despite his position and his conclusions, I am still entitled to my own judgement and thereby my opinion, and right to comment.
PC Smith also had the option to contact me via a PM, he chose not to do so. He has now left the Forum which was his choice. I certainly have no objection to his use of the Forum to enhance relationships twixt the Force and the Public or to assist in the detection of crime. All I would suggest is that he restricts certain comments to the facts as they exist, respect the privacy of his "clients" and refrains from passing judgements in advance. The requirements of PACE should always be considered.
If the Officer is unable to take or accept comments from the public, be it me or someone else, then he has made the right choice.