Old Fred does something stupid because ______.

Interviewer: Would you please describe your feelings towards criminals?
Superintendent: 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.
Interviewer: Uhumm.
Superintendent: You see, I know a person who has been caught so many times that he’s... he becomes part and parcel of the station.
Interviewer: Umm. He’s been brought in all the time.
Superintendent: 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... well, I say have an affinity with, that’s not the right word to use, but you have a closeness with, you know.
Interviewer: They are part of your work, aren’t they?
Superintendent: 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.
Interviewer: Which he likes?
Superintendent: 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. And of course, one has no sympathy for them.
Interviewer: British policemen are not armed, that is they do not carry guns. How do policemen feel about this?
Superintendent: 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.
Interviewer: Uhum.
Superintendent: The reason I say that is this, that the average policeman in this country feels that the average Englishman or Britisher is such a person that the use of arms and that sort of thing is foreign to his nature.
Interviewer: Um, he just wouldn’t think of using a pistol or something?
Superintendent: Of course, it is true to say that there are certain elements in the criminal world who are...er...resorting to firearms.
Interviewer: The organized professional criminals!
Superintendent: The organized professional criminals, this sort of people. Well, of course, one takes one’s chances which you don’t think about, you know?
Interviewer: But your impression is that England is not a violent society.
Superintendent: 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 are...er...we love compromise, you know?
Interviewer: Uhum.
Superintendent: Everything we do is a compromise and I think in that...er...because of that I think probably we are not so violent.
Interviewer: Have you faced a man with a weapon for instance?
Superintendent: I haven’t faced a man with a weapon. I have had an occasion where I have had a man he has... er... locked himself into a house and he wouldn’t come out and he was threatening people with all sorts of things.
Interviewer: What did you do in that particular case?
Superintendent: Well, you just go and sit down and have a chat with him. You talk to him. You start talking outside the building and you walk in and you eventually get to the bottom of the stairs and you talk and talk and you try to build up some understanding or some common point, some common denominator between you.
Interviewer: Understanding?
Superintendent: Understanding... once you do that then you have this...
Interviewer: You mean you have to get his trust first?
Superintendent: I think so.
Interviewer: This is what you did on this particular occasion?
Superintendent: Yes, and I hope this doesn’t sound pompous?
Interviewer: No.
Superintendent: And this is it and of course, everything works out quite well. You have got to be patient.