Go On Copper, Go On Get Down…
“What’s This? It’s Got A Good Beat!“
Police in Avon and Somerset are being ridiculed for using placards in Bristol’s Kingswood area written in Ali G-style text message terminology. One says: ‘Du ur olds knw whr U r o wot ur doin coz D bil wl tel em’, which translates as ‘Do your parents know where you are or what you are doing? Because the police will tell them.’ Another reads: ‘D bil cum arnd hre n wl vzit ur olds if ur messin bout’ – or ‘The police patrol this area and will pay your parents a visit if they find you are misbehaving.’
The signs, intended to reduce crime, have been attacked for straining too hard. Guy Bailey, a Jamaican community leader, said: ‘It is wrong for the police to single out any one particular group, especially in a manner such as this. These signs should be written so everybody can understand them.’
Ian Anderson, executive director of the charity Avon Youth Association, added: ‘The police seem to be falling over themselves to appear trendy when the simple truth is a sign written in plain English would get the message across just as well, if not better.’ A police spokesman said: ‘This was considered the best way to reach people.’
Bless.
