Flashman wanted by the coppers

According to the Huddersfield Examiner:

A MAN indecently exposed himself in Birkby.

Police have issued a description of the man who carried out the offences in the Norman Road area on Sunday afternoon between 4pm and 5pm.

He is white, possibly middleaged, 5ft 7ins with short dark hair and he wore round glasses.

He has a distinctive large stomach.

I know some things are not supposed to be funny, but I couldn't resist this. West Yorkshire Police seem to be on the hunt for this man.

On a more serious note, I don't know what the guy is supposed to have done specifically, although I think exposing nudity is something that should only ever be done between consenting adults. What did make me post this though is to highlight how poor descriptions published by the police can cause more problems than they cause. How many fat, white men with glasses and short hair do you know? What do we do? Are we supposed to grass them all in or something?

While the lack of specifics is probably nobody's fault, the choosing to publish a vague description such as this can cause far more problems than it solves when it puts such a large slice of the Huddersfield population (and a fair few of their own coppers) under suspicion and effectively gives the police cause to harass pretty much anyone to meet their arrest targets.

It also reinforces the "fear of the other" that those who steer our society want to encourage. "Your next door neighbour is not a potential friend, but a possible pervert. Fear them!". Crap like this needs to be challenged as it is a significant reason why the working class has still failed to unite under a class banner in such a long time. It's that voice from the TV that tells us not to fear or question the cars on our roads, or the bankers in London, but the caretakers in our schools and the Asian man with a rucksack on the bus. Our rulers tell us what to be upset about and of course, that will never be them.

I wish the victim all the best in trying to make sure the guy doesn't go doing it again, but West Yorkshire police really should know better.