…By Joseph Benjamin for TDPel Media.
Suealla Braverman, the Home Secretary, has renewed her call for a “common sense” approach to enforcing the law, claiming that police are sometimes seen to be “supporting militant protesters.”
She stated that this perception is damaging, and officers need to be seen as serious and responding actively and swiftly to the crimes people are experiencing.
Braverman also highlighted that police should not show support for critical race theory, intervene in gender critical debate online, or take the knee.
Setting out her vision of “common sense policing,” Braverman emphasized that fighting high-priority crime should be the focus of the police rather than political correctness.
She denied that there was any mixed messaging in her call for higher standards within police forces and an avoidance of political correctness, despite Baroness Louise Casey’s report into racism and misogyny in the Metropolitan Police.
Cultural Changes in Policing Required
While acknowledging the need for cultural changes within policing, particularly in light of Baroness Casey’s report, which found that the force is institutionally racist, misogynistic, and homophobic, Braverman argued that this should involve addressing the issues identified in the report while ensuring that the “public understanding and expectation” of police priorities is reflected in their work.
According to the Home Secretary, this means less attention paid to “hurt feelings,” no intervention on “contested narratives” or political issues, and more focus on targeting serious crime.
Contested Narratives and Police Recruitment
When asked to clarify what counts as a “contested narrative,” Braverman gave the examples of gender critical debate and critical race theory.
The Home Office is expected to spend £3.6 billion on its police recruitment campaign by March, with a total cost of £18.5 billion over the next 10 years, according to Whitehall’s spending watchdog.
The National Audit Office warned that the surge in additional officers joining police forces would “exacerbate pressure” on a criminal justice system already under strain in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
It also suggested that hiring police community support officers (PCSOs), special constables, or police staff to fill the roles could lead to vacancies elsewhere in the service.
Commentary
The Home Secretary’s comments reflect a growing concern among some conservative politicians that police forces are becoming too politicized and not focusing enough on fighting high-priority crime.
However, critics argue that her call for a “common sense” approach to policing is vague and could lead to officers discriminating against certain groups of people.
The call to avoid “political correctness” has also been criticized as a dog-whistle for supporting views that are considered discriminatory by many.
Additionally, the cost of the police recruitment campaign has raised eyebrows, and concerns have been raised about the impact of the surge in police recruitment on the criminal justice system.