'Woke' policing defended by top officer as he lashes out at Suella Braverman
New recruits marching during the Metropolitan Police Service's first passing-out parade on the redeveloped grounds at the Peel Centre in Hendon
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A top police officer has defended "woke" policing measures and praised efforts to welcome further inclusion.
Paul Fotheringham, who serves as president of the Police Superintendents' Association, made the remarks during the group's annual conference in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Detective chief superintendent Fotheringham was justifying current police measures after Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed confidence in policing is being eroded by officers pandering towards "politically correct causes".
The Kent copper told delegates: "She references 'dancing and fraternising with political demonstrators', which we assume relates to police attendance at Pride.
Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman with PCSOs and police officers in Essex
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"She talks about the displaying of the progress flag and the wearing of badges.
"These are deeply personal and passionate matters for our staff and our communities."
He added: "What I have actually seen are plenty of examples of effective community engagement and a desire to promote and welcome inclusion in all its forms.
"Trust and confidence starts with how we treat our people; if they cannot be their true selves at work, how can we expect them to police our communities in the best way possible."
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An image of Paul Fotheringham
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Fotheringham went on to criticise Rishi Sunak's Government for the language it uses to talk about policing and crime.
Braverman, who succeeded Priti Patel as Home Secretary last September, wrote to chief constables across England and Wales to express her concerns about woke policing.
Explaining her concerns, the Home Secretary told The Telegraph: "Police deserve respect, they deserve public confidence - but in too many instances that confidence has been eroded and needlessly damaged."
She added: "When I see police chiefs at some forces declaring that they are institutionally racist, I think they should be more concerned about tackling knife crime, catching burglars and stopping anti-social behaviour.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman meets police recruits during a visit to Northamptonshire Police's Giffard House Training Centre
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"It's not a helpful term and doesn't do anything for the public who the police are there to serve."
Despite challenging Braverman over her "woke" criticisms, Fotheringham also revealed that 21 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales still have fewer officers now than in 2010.
The limited numbers comes after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson backed a recruitment drive to bolster bobbies on the beat by 20,000.
Fotheringham also attacked the current national framework, which divides forces into 43 regions, as he warned it often left local issues at odds with the national interest.
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