'Be careful what you wish for - if we constantly kick the police we won't have a force left' - Kevin Hurley
"I make no excuses for bad police conduct. Whether it's corruption, unnecessary violence and bullying," says Kevin Hurley
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Outrage at an armed police officer kicking a Asian heritage man on the ground at Manchester Airport once again fuels the liberal media, activists and politicians with their soundbites. No thought is given to what preceded this event.
It was at an international airport; armed police are there because of terrorism threats. No armed police officer will countenance any form of physical challenge, once attacked they will respond with extreme violence.
Why? Because they cannot risk their guns being taken from them. To be clear, try and fight an armed police officer, don’t be surprised if you are ‘neutralised.’ Perhaps at best beaten unconscious at worst shot dead.
I will not comment on the level of violence used in this case except to say that police use whatever force is reasonable in the circumstances. It will be for the investigation and the officer concerned to demonstrate what he did was reasonable or not.
In the meantime, he is suspended from his colleagues who will again learn the lesson of ‘don’t get stuck in’ because you could lose your job. Our patrol officers follow this case intently.
They know that three police officers were hospitalised and in an act of misogynistic violence - a young policewomen had her nose broken.
The officers will also know this was an airport where there is a heightened risk of terrorism.
They will also know that the UK has faced terrorist threats to airlines and on the railways by Islamist terrorists. Remember the Manchester bomb was just up the road at a transport hub.
Reports are that some of the Asian heritage males obstructed a decision by officers to search a woman in a hijab. If ever there was a red flag for terrorist officers at an airport that would be it. Whatever the outcome of this investigation is and whether the allegations of racism will hold up remains to be seen.
Only last week we saw police in Gipton, Leeds let themselves be chased away from an estate. They had been there assisting social services taking children into care after a baby had been seriously injured. Of course, all the usual accusations of racism followed.
Black mothers see what this apparent weakness means more than most. They know that their sons are as much thirty times more likely to be murdered than white youth.
The consequences of knife and gun crime have been devastating to black families. Not only do they see their sons killed but they also see them sent to prison for life in large numbers. Black males are generally shot or stabbed by black males.
The lessons of incidents like Manchester Airport or other police interventions with persons of colour have been understood by the patrolling police. Avoid dealing with bad behaviour or crime by them. Do not stop and search them. There is no win in it for the street police.
They will face a normally frightening confrontation; they will be surrounded by hostile videoing mobs. There is a good chance that they will be physically assaulted. They will be accused of racism. They will be investigated and could if it goes badly be sacked or even face prosecution.
Why would anyone risk that? The answer is that increasing numbers of police officers don’t. Lots of experienced ones are leaving.
You don’t know the levels of violence, abuse or threats they deal with. Unless you have been there in the dark, alone at first, probably surrounded, you are unlikely to understand.
Many of the police chiefs who are now wringing their hands in self-abasement, throwing their officers under the bus, whilst promising the police will do better have never done it either.
I make no excuses for bad police conduct whether it's corruption, unnecessary violence and bullying. Or bigoted behaviour against people who look different, are LGBTQ+, or in the case of male officers, show misogyny. In short, behave badly. There is no place for that in policing.
I’ll ask you a question however - what impact do you think engaging in these current levels of castigation of police officers is going to have on the safety of you and your family? Do you think coppers will get stuck when they see their colleagues suspended without all the facts being known to appease communities and local politicians?
If you think the police will be better because of continually kicking them, then you are sadly mistaken.
MORE OPINION:
Every single police officer is expected to think and work alone for the most part. Whether patrolling on a pedal cycle or in a car. If they are a detective investigating crimes, the same applies. Yes, we all see them in vans or numbers from time to time. But that is not normally how they work. It’s essentially a solitary job with colleagues on your team to fall back on…sometimes.
There is no win for them. They will not get paid more or be promoted because they catch the burglar or a rapist. You cannot force the police to be nosey or courageous.
On patrol, no one makes them look out of the car window for the offender who has just turned your life or family’s life upside down. If they do, no one can make them approach the suspect on the street or go and smash in their door the next morning as they attempt to detain them for what they have done to you.
Our police officers do this because they give their discretionary commitment – their goodwill to go the extra mile to help and serve you. No one gets charged with rape, domestic assault, child abuse or burglary by the RSPCA. Why do they still do it? The answer is, that most still care passionately about protecting the weak and vulnerable and want to catch the predators, the wicked and the evil for you.
Ask yourself one question, do I work better if I am getting continually slagged off by my boss? I doubt it makes you better at your job. So be careful what you wish for. You might not like it when more police join the increasing numbers of their colleagues and give up.