Now I'm banned from joining the police

I'm not sure if anyone knows this, but if I wrote out a long list of jobs I'd like to do, Police would be at the top. Of course pro-monkey or director would be really at the top, but I'm listing jobs I could sign up for tomorrow.

The problem is I can't afford to. I have a mortgage and bills to pay, and the police don't pay as well as my current job. If it wasn't for that I'd join tomorrow.

My wife has always been against the idea, but now that WPC was killed in Bradford I'm officially banned. It's a bit freaky seeing it all on the news. I went to university in Bradford (and still live there'ish), and know the area well. In my student days, I would pass the place where it happened at least half a dozen times a day. One of my favourite night clubs is about 30 yards away (ahh Pickwicks, fun memories), and my best friend lived about 10 yards from where the woman was shot. I heard on the travel news all the streets that had been closed off and they have closed a strip of the area about 1/4 to 1/2 a mile wide (morley street, great horton road, and little horton lane are all closed at the bottom for those who know the area).

I'm not exactly shocked, I just find it a little wired that places I knew in every day life in dull old Bradford were constantly on the news for about 36 hours solid.

I did find a number of comments shocking. One community leader said he was shocked that there was an incident of gun crime in the area, and said it has never happened before, that it was a totally safe area, and that every one gets along. HA! UTTER CRAP.

Now, it has been a while since I've frequented the area, so things may have changed, but I know of numerous incidents involving guns. If I had a pound for every time I had the phrase "White bastard!" shouted at me by local youths, I wouldn't still be paying off student debt. People say that that is just the younger generation, however there was always adults in view most of the time (often the parents of those doing the shouting), and not a thing was done. One of the favourite past-times of the local youth was to go "Student bashing", late at night. I has a chuckle when they tried it on a friend who was rather good at martial arts (can't remember which one).

Anyway, that turned into a bit of a rant, but in short, I'm not shocked like that community leader was, I just find it wired to see my old stomping ground on the news. And now I'm not allowed to join the police :(