Thought police?

Have you seen that the Metropolitan police has published new rules on policemen who use blogger? Effectively this means that a number of coppers have now stopped using their blogs, just in case they break these rules:
"Recently the organisation has become aware of a series of weblogs or blogs where authors - claiming to be police officers - have offered their views on a number of issues in a highly personalised, often controversial manner", the rules begin, befre going on to say that there is now a ban on "expressing views and opinions that are damaging to the organisation or bring the organisation into disrepute".
So, effectively, if you are an employee of the Metropolitan police you are not allowed to express an opinion (if you state you're a copper anyway) just in case it makes the Met look bad.
Fucking hell, I think back to some of the posts I've written in the past, particularly those on the thorny issue of process and I realise that if a similar law was brought in countrywide to stop people commenting on their workplaces, then half my rants would be pretty much fucked too..
It's not as if these coppers compromised Police work or investigations or anything, it's not as if they'd be typing:
"Yeah gonna do a big dawn drugs raid at 22 Acacia Avenue next Thursday, so we can finally put Mr. Big behind bars" - although, if they were I could at least understand the ban..
Warning - thought crime can only be around the corner!!