Don’t use policing as ‘political football’, federation tells Suella Braverman
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olicing shouldn’t be used as a “political football”, a physique representing the occupation’s rank-and-file has stated after Suella Braverman accused officers of partisanship on controversial points.
The Police Federation of England and Wales responded to the Home Secretary’s announcement that she has ordered a evaluation into “police impartiality” by suggesting the Government desires its members to “act like robots.”
Deputy chairwoman Tiffany Lynch stated: “Policing should never be put on any political agenda and is too important to be kicked around like a political football.
One minute they want police officers to be more involved, the next, they want them to act like robots
“Our members want to go out there and serve communities in the best way possible, but need help when the Government constantly changes the goal posts.
“One minute they want police officers to be more involved, the next, they want them to act like robots.”
Labour criticised Ms Braverman for commissioning a report “into her own political obsession”, and the Liberal Democrats accused her of utilizing the police “as a weapon in her culture war”.
It comes after Ms Braverman commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to evaluation what she described as “activism and impartiality” within the police.
Giving examples, she stated officers shouldn’t be taking the knee or “policing gender-critical views on social media”.
She instructed the Telegraph newspaper: “In recent years, we’ve seen an unacceptable rise in police partisanship and the police straying into politically contested areas.”
The Home Secretary, who as soon as railed towards the “tofu-eating wokerati”, is considered a divisive determine due to her remarks on “culture war” points.
She has beforehand drawn a distinction between what she calls “common sense policing” of high-priority crime and issues of “political correctness”, which she says are sometimes a distraction.
In her letter to policing leaders, Ms Braverman stated officers ought to deal with tackling crime slightly than being concerned in political issues.
“The review I’ve commissioned will explore whether the police getting involved in politically contentious matters is having a detrimental impact on policing. I will leave no stone unturned in ensuring policing acts for the benefit of the British public,” she stated.
A Labour spokesperson stated: “Instead of setting out serious practical policies to tackle Tory failures, all the Home Secretary is doing is commissioning reports into her own political obsessions – and while she’s doing this, more criminals are being let off and more victims are being let down.”
Lib Dem dwelling affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael stated: “For the Home Secretary to use the police as a weapon in her culture war while criticising them for being political is a new low – even by her standards.”
Ms Braverman’s announcement comes on the finish of the Government’s “crime week” of linked bulletins – a part of its summer season recess coverage blitz, after “small boats week” and “health week”.
The Home Secretary has requested that the findings of the HMICFRS evaluation are revealed by the top of March subsequent yr.
It has been requested to cowl issues similar to the choice course of for teams which can be consulted on revisions to coverage or course of and the involvement of workers networks in formulating insurance policies.