Old Fred does something stupid because [originaltext]F: Would you please descri

F:  Would you please describe your feelings towards criminals?
M: It is true to say there are criminals, certain types of criminals who policemen have er...I have to be very careful with what I say.
F:  Uhum.
M: You see, I know a person who has been caught so many times that he’ s .. he becomes part and parcel of the station.
F:  Umm. He has been brought in all the time.
M: He’ s always in and he’ s a cheerful sort of character. And it’ s his way of life. And this sort of people of course are people that you.. well, I say have an affinity with, that’ s not the right word to use, but you have a closeness with, you know.
F:  They are part of your work, aren’ t they?
M: You know, Old Sam is always in. and you can always guarantee that Old Fred will do something stupid about a week before Christmas so that he can spend Christmas in a certain prison.
F: Which he likes.
M: Which he likes because he has a good Christmas. Then, of course, you go to the other end of the scale where you have a hard-core minority who are the professional criminals.
F:  British policemen are not armed, that is they do not carry guns. How do policemen feel about this?
M: I don’ t think the average policeman really thinks about it, you know. I honestly think he does not think about it at all. I am sure if he did, he would probably be a worried man.
F:  Uhum.
M: The reason I say that is this. That the average policeman in this country feels that the average Englishman is such a person that the use of arms and that sort of thing is foreign to his nature.
F:  So your impression is that England is not a violent society.
M: Well, I don’ t think we are a violent people. You see, I think as a nation, if I can put it that way, we love compromise, you know?
F: Okay...