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Brighton police officer resigns over internet blog
10:13am Thursday 8th January 2009
Comments (39)A special constable has resigned after posting foul-mouthed rants, threats and racist slurs on his website.
Rob Johnston, 22, a trainee special constable from Hangleton, Brighton, resigned on Monday after The Argus alerted Sussex Police bosses to his online blog where he listed Muslims and Chavs as things that “annoyed” him.
His blog, which has now been taken down, contained direct violent threats to an individual and was also littered with swear words and boasts such as: “I will do anything, no matter what it takes, to protect what matters to me, and my interests.”
Mr Johnston, who was accepted as a special constable in January 2007, writing about the individual, posted: “I am going to be watching you. Every move, every word, every look and every thought. You will not breath a word in her direction without me knowing about it ... nothing will go behind my back and I will act on any suspicion.”
He instructs the person to “keep out of my way.”
In another post, dated October 3, 2007, he wrote: “Things that annoy me. In no particular order.”
Number one on the list was “Americans (all of them)” number four was “teenagers with an attitude problem, chavs or emo’s (sic) or whatever – I love eyeballing them and making them squirm.”
Also on the list were Muslims, taxi drivers and Mercedes and BMW drivers.
In an ironic twist, Mr Johnston wrote about the danger of posting things on the internet which could get you into trouble.
In an article titled “privacy” he said: “We are living in an age where anything we do, anything we say, who we talk to, where we go, what we buy, what we watch, which websites we go on, whom we email, everything and anything is monitored.”
Until he resigned, Mr Johnston ran the Sussex Police user group on Facebook.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Sussex Police find the comments on the website wholly inappropriate and recognise they do not reflect the views of hard working special constables, police officers and police staff employed by the force.”
Your Say YourThe Argus
Hugh Janus, Bognor Regis says...
10:35am Thu 8 Jan 09
It was one of those people employed by the force that gave this fruit cake a job, so what does that tell you ?
Sweepster, Brighton says...
10:43am Thu 8 Jan 09
This bloke sounds as thick as sh*t!
Mr nothing head, Brighton says...
10:57am Thu 8 Jan 09
feline1 wrote:Agreed. A police officer who's racist, bigoted and thick as two short planks?! Shock horror! What an outrage!
lol
Typical policeman, of course, most of them have this mindset: racist, bigoted, macho thugs with a tiny intellect (obviously there's the odd good apple, but they're a tiny minority)
And we'll be giving these guys tasers...??
Sounds like a prime candidate to me.
ACAB
Cheese Rolls, Shoreham says...
11:13am Thu 8 Jan 09
censored, Brighton says...
11:17am Thu 8 Jan 09
Perhaps he was overqualified and has applied to be a judge instead.
BBBrighton, Brighton says...
11:54am Thu 8 Jan 09
mazria2000, Brighton says...
11:58am Thu 8 Jan 09
CosSpotish, Brighton says...
12:12pm Thu 8 Jan 09
I also think the writer of the article has rather... sensationalised the story.
Unfortunately however, a basic right like freedom of speech, is becoming less of a right and more of a privalige as this country becomes more and more of a Nanny-state. Nowadays you can't even look at someone or sneeze without it being politically incorrect or causing offense to someone.
Tye, worthing says...
12:18pm Thu 8 Jan 09
He probably used the same sort of Language as earlier posters here
So anyone here got a job?
anyone here got the sack for having those views?
feline1, Brighton says...
12:20pm Thu 8 Jan 09
adamski, Sussex says...
12:20pm Thu 8 Jan 09
hen fitter (or whatever he does) who sometimes puts on a police uniform resigns over internet blog".
But that's not quite so catchy is it?
Osama bin there, Brighton says...
12:35pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Anyway, he's right about a lot of the stuff.
“Americans (all of them)”
If he means as a nation rather than individually - I agree.
“teenagers with an attitude problem"
"chavs" - I agree.
"taxi drivers and Mercedes and BMW drivers" - Not sure why he's got it in for Mercedes drivers, but the others, by and large - I agree!
Come and write some stuff here, mate. We'll make you welcome!
feline1, Brighton says...
12:43pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Osama bin there, Brighton says...
1:23pm Thu 8 Jan 09
feline1 wrote:That's true, but on this website we don't really need them!
we don't have tasers, though, do we, Osama bin there?
I'm not actually sure whether 'specials' get to use the taser or not. I'm sure someone will let us know.
Arnie, Shoreham says...
1:31pm Thu 8 Jan 09
I wonder how many of you would publish your own website, declaring that you hate "chavs", immigrants etc. In full view all your friends, relatives and employers.
Bobster, Shoreham says...
2:17pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Jim BB, Brighton says...
2:55pm Thu 8 Jan 09
adamski, Sussex says...
3:17pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Let's get real.
jd2007, Haywards Heath says...
3:53pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Many people annoy and/or hurt us in life, but you need to learn to rise above them. They teach you by experience to appreciate how their behaviour affects others and how not to behave yourself.
http://www.theargus.
co.uk/search/3988463
.Couple_injured_by_h
it_and_run_cyclist/
BBBrighton, Brighton says...
4:05pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Acheron, Hove says...
4:09pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Acheron, Hove says...
4:11pm Thu 8 Jan 09
mazria2000, Brighton says...
4:14pm Thu 8 Jan 09
adamski, Sussex says...
6:17pm Thu 8 Jan 09
jd2007, Haywards Heath says...
6:32pm Thu 8 Jan 09
BBBrighton wrote:No thanks, I worked for sussex police before and would never go back.
ah good investigation work Jd! maybe you should replace him in the force,
mazria2000, Brighton says...
6:37pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Kickboxer, Worthing says...
6:40pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Arnie wrote:I do not need anonymity, everybody I know knows my views, and yes I do hate thuggish little yobs that go under the banner of "chavs" and I am of the opinion that immigrants are welcome to the UK only if they a)have a job to support themselves and their families,
People posting on websites like this have the safety and luxury of anonymity.
I wonder how many of you would publish your own website, declaring that you hate "chavs", immigrants etc. In full view all your friends, relatives and employers.
b)abide by the law of the UK.
as soon as they want to claim benefits or break the law put them on the first boat back to where they came from!!!!!.
serjkalakurian, Lancing says...
7:37pm Thu 8 Jan 09
I used to have a Wordpress server and I paid to use the server, which meant I could say whatever I liked, provided it didn't accuse any individuals of anything. I'm not sure about Blogspot, but I know that quite a few blogs allow people to own the site.
And I agree with what Adamski said: if it had been a builder or a plumber, it wouldn't have been nearly as catchy. And anyway, by slagging this guy off, aren't we as bad as him?
I'm technically an immigrant and I can see how we might irritate people from time to time! Even if I might not say the same myself.
serjkalakurian, Lancing says...
7:40pm Thu 8 Jan 09
I think it's a classic example of small-minded journalism, with nothing better to write about. never mind what's going on in Gaza, someone said something on a blog over a year ago! oh my god, how will people live if they don't know this ground-breaking fact?!!!
Where's the news in this article anyway?
Auld School, Brighton says...
8:11pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Albeit this has a restriction to freedom of speech in parliament, however as Marx would have said if our betters have this right so should we.
You will also find that the Bill of Rights (1689) restricts the powers of the monarchy in relation to those of parliament; so you will find out that we are in fact 'reigned over' by Parliament as oppose to the House of Saxe-Coberg........n
ice try though.
southsaxon, Terrigal says...
9:41pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Ozimandias, BRIGHTON says...
11:08pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Dave At Home, Brighton says...
11:58pm Thu 8 Jan 09
jd2007 wrote:Now that story rings a bell, the mouthy wantabe cop who wanted all bicycles to have registration plates and insurance, and was ranting on about how no one went after the cyclist when he and his bit of stuff flew across the road into the kerb. I thought then he must of been speeding along to end up where he did... but I do agree on some of his things "Also on the list were taxi drivers and BMW drivers"
I thought I recognised the name. He was in the argus last month. It was a silly mistake to make and I hope he learns from it and doesn’t do it again. At least he hasn’t lost his financial livelihood as a result, only his probable aim to join the regulars.
Many people annoy and/or hurt us in life, but you need to learn to rise above them. They teach you by experience to appreciate how their behaviour affects others and how not to behave yourself.
http://www.theargus.
co.uk/search/3988463
.Couple_injured_by_h
it_and_run_cyclist/
This guy carries more than the force on his shoulders...
code word safe-ride
zamo28, Brighton says...
1:42am Fri 9 Jan 09
Osama bin there, Brighton says...
8:45am Fri 9 Jan 09
Dave At Home wrote:"who wanted all bicycles to have registration plates and insurance"
jd2007 wrote:Now that story rings a bell, the mouthy wantabe cop who wanted all bicycles to have registration plates and insurance, and was ranting on about how no one went after the cyclist when he and his bit of stuff flew across the road into the kerb. I thought then he must of been speeding along to end up where he did... but I do agree on some of his things "Also on the list were taxi drivers and BMW drivers"
I thought I recognised the name. He was in the argus last month. It was a silly mistake to make and I hope he learns from it and doesn’t do it again. At least he hasn’t lost his financial livelihood as a result, only his probable aim to join the regulars.
Many people annoy and/or hurt us in life, but you need to learn to rise above them. They teach you by experience to appreciate how their behaviour affects others and how not to behave yourself.
http://www.theargus.
co.uk/search/3988463
.Couple_injured_by_h
it_and_run_cyclist/
This guy carries more than the force on his shoulders...
code word safe-ride
in this case he's right.
a_j95, bn2 says...
2:45pm Fri 9 Jan 09
CosSpotish wrote:Freedom of speech is not a right of a police officer who is in a position of trust and has a duty to be impartial and fair to all members of society, whether they be black white yellow and whatever their opinions on German cars. This guy is an idiot of the highest order, as are you for believing everything you read in the Daily Mail.
BBBrighton: I happen to agree with you. He was expressing his opinion, and that is something everyone is entitled to. I also think the writer of the article has rather... sensationalised the story. Unfortunately however, a basic right like freedom of speech, is becoming less of a right and more of a privalige as this country becomes more and more of a Nanny-state. Nowadays you can't even look at someone or sneeze without it being politically incorrect or causing offense to someone.
serjkalakurian, Lancing says...
6:29pm Fri 9 Jan 09
A warning for everyone then: be careful when posting, people might use it against you! You could be forced to resign!
I don't think the cyclist was a fake, I seem to remember someone I work with saying about it, before it had even got in the paper.
Just cos this guy apparently crossed a line, doesn't make him a liar.
And yeah, cyclists should have more documentation.
baye, says...
9:15pm Fri 9 Jan 09
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Pontop Pike, Tyne Tees TV City Road says...
10:20am Thu 8 Jan 09