Are the Police as bad as John Boyega says ?

[Spartacus]

John Boyega has spoken to the BBC about his new role in "Small Axe"

As part of the article he talks about the stop and search experiences he and his father experienced.

BBC News - John Boyega says father was stopped by police on way from church

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54878662

In it he is quoted as saying

"Everybody knows, especially if you grew up in Peckham, somebody who's gone through the darkest scenarios with the police," he added. "I do. I know a few people."

Does this imply that the Police in Peckham are / were more racist than other police officers or is it just written solely from his viewpoint and experiences?

[JohnL]

If they improve the actual statistics but people still feel like they are being picked out - that's still an issue IMHO.

[malumbu]

I suspect that there is an issue with unconscious bias, reflecting the police intake in terms of demographics. Met Police acknowledged institutional racism many years ago, reflecting that they tended to draw from the white boroughs and counties. They looked to address that by encouraging a more diverse intake. I've worked with the police on and off over the years and found them excellent in terms of command and control, practical response, but not so great at the lateral thinking. It also used to amuse me when in a pub close to a cop shop you could tell the off duty police, neat hair, ironed jeans, clean boots, tidy shirt etc. Sweeping generalisations of course and I do have mates who are or were the OB/filth (my joke with them). I also spent time at one of the training colleges, they are a very close knit society, often marrying within the force, hence less experienced in dealing with a diverse society apart from at crime scenes etc. I remember drinking with the cops after a course, but not feeling particularly included, and generally speaking they would not form a friendly relationship outside of work - eg let's have a coffee sometime. I had the great pleasure of very briefly working with Leroy Logan - a character (i will have made no impression on him) who incidentally Boyega plays in a film to be show soon. As said generalisations, the world changes, and when volunteering at Glastonbury last year i worked with an ex cop and an acting cop, who couldn't have been more different - stereotypical and none-stereotypical. The Somerset and Avon police were wonderful joining in the festivities. Nice one. Disclaimer - some personal views and posted for debate.

[malumbu]

An earlier police training video helps to explain more:

[Sue]

Spartacus Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> John Boyega has spoken to the BBC about his new

> role in "Small Axe"

> As part of the article he talks about the stop and

> search experiences he and his father experienced.

>

>

> BBC News - John Boyega says father was stopped by

> police on way from church

> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-5487

> 8662

> In it he is quoted as saying

> "Everybody knows, especially if you grew up in

> Peckham, somebody who's gone through the darkest

> scenarios with the police," he added. "I do. I

> know a few people."

>

> Does this imply that the Police in Peckham are /

> were more racist than other police officers or is

> it just written solely from his viewpoint and

> experiences?

Afua Hirsch's excellent book Brit (ish) has some upsetting stories about stop and search.

[uncleglen]

Maybe more effort in joining up would've made a difference

It's ok criticising...as they say- if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/workforce-and-business/workforce-diversity/police-workforce/latest#by-ethnicity-police-officers

A friend has a son who has always wanted to be a cop since he was young. He was told they aren't recruiting this year. There were advertisements on the tv at the time calling for recruits...he is white- speaks volumes

[Blah Blah]

Recruitment is decided by area UC. Some local forces are indeed not recruiting, while others are. I suggest you ditch your race baiting accusations and do some actual research for a change. There are 43 Police forces in England and Wales, of which 30 are currently recruiting. It really wasn't that hard to find that out.

https://www.joiningthepolice.co.uk/which-forces-are-recruiting

[edcam]

Uncleglen up to his usual nonsense I see.

[KidKruger]

What is it that makes facts like these get interpreted by some people as positive discrimination ?

Special kind of mind made up.

Blah Blah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Recruitment is decided by area UC. Some local

> forces are indeed not recruiting, while others

> are. I suggest you ditch your race baiting

> accusations and do some actual research for a

> change. There are 43 Police forces in England and

> Wales, of which 30 are currently recruiting. It

> really wasn't that hard to find that out.

>

> https://www.joiningthepolice.co.uk/which-forces-ar

> e-recruiting

[uncleglen]

So you don't think they are targeting then with the ads

[uncleglen]

Anyway- who the hell would want to join whilst they are not even DOING the job....just pandering to the woke

[malumbu]

Difficulty is Uncle that what you say is hate crime. I love to have a pop at hair shirted liberal lefties, no matter how much of one I am myself. Nothing wrong with an adult conversation but the second you go down your well trodden lines such as if "if you are white you are discriminated against" you have lost any high ground.

Here is a real example, in talking to some of the police I worked with in the 00s one of them said "that Stephen Lawrence he was no saint". I've not come up with any evidence that he was a gangster, dealer and the like. Yet this was indicative of institutional racism/self protection (after the complete F up with the handling of the case) that was (hopefully not is) typical of years gone by.

To add balance there was an excellent documentary a few years ago on the Lawrence case. There's an old Dixon of Dock Green character and you think here we go again, police institutional racism. And he is clearing out Deptford nick which is being closed, and finds boxes of documents connected to the Lawrence case - probably for disposal. He decides to go through them and this act is pivotal in subsequent investigations. Yet the cop's appearance was that he would be old school and the last thing he would do is expose police corruption.

I wish I could find the specific link to this police officer (anyone help), as I am doing this from memory. But do take a look at yourself and your prejudices, and rather than just chuck 'wokes' into the debate try to see it from both sides. Yes I am being patronising but I try and be aware of my bias, and boy have I made some mistakes in the past (sorry to all those I unintentionally offended).

[Blah Blah]

UG has been called out on his racism more than enough times that if he was interested in addressing his own prejudices, he would have done it by now.

[malumbu]

Was hoping for a Road to Damascus moment.

Interestingly why no police posting on this thread? Does our demographic included the boys and girls in blue? Police do have their own on line chat rooms but maybe another sign of how insular their world can be. Or is it simply that they all live in West Wickham - I have statistical proof..... Another reason not to move to the outer boroughs.

[Siduhe]

Some police force social media policies restrict serving police officers from identifying themselves as such when they are posting on private social media accounts and internet boards as a safety measure. They aren't supposed to identify their employers, places they work, times they work or their home location, places they frequent and regular hobbies if they are identifiable as a serving officer. The Met policy is a bit less restrictive.

https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2018/december_2018/information-rights-unit---mpss-social-media-policy

[malumbu]

That will apply to inappropriate use of social media https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28844500

I expect most cops have Facebook accounts etc. Nothing wrong with posting factual stuff on this web site, "I have a friend" or maybe a bit more clear if you are retired. So my experience is that things will have progressively improved over the decades, softer touch, a gay police officer on duty proposing to his partner during Pride (expect he had permission to do this). https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/jun/26/police-officer-proposes-to-boyfriend-at-londons-pride-parade-video

But that there are still barriers in part due to the intake and lack of diversity or cultural sensitivity.

[Siduhe]

It's a safety thing, entirely separate from inappropriate use - so people don't know where serving police live or spend time, in case it puts them or their families at risk.

[malumbu]

Ahh but you don't know who I am, where I live and who my family are. I could be a police officer, I have certainly worked with them.

[malumbu]

Cress has commented about racism in the police - still there, but zero tolerance and in the summer she was quoted as saying that the MPS was no longer institutionally racist.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54917571

As a youngster I was always being stopped by the filth. Young person driving an old car. I remember being pulled up when on foot near football matches in the 90s and 00s - I didn't fit the football hooligan profile so this was just down to abuse of power and ignorance. Once was for having a can of beer near the Spurs ground and ordered to pour it down the drain. When I said why are you allowing touts to sell tickets, which is illegal, I was invited down to the station to discuss this further. The other was when I was chatting to a copper walking back from the Boleyn and literally got tugged by another PC. When I say talking I was literally having a chat and joke with the first officer who was stewarding the away fans to the tube, at a time when ambushes by the locals was regular. No it was not West Ham Millwall....

I wrote to another constabulary praising them for their policing in a match last December so hope I am balanced.

[malumbu]

Did anyone watch Red White and Blue on the Beeb? Recommend it, here's a review https://www.culturewhisper.com/r/tv/small_axe_red_white_and_blue_review_bbc_john_boyega/15996

[Pugwash]

I watched Red White and Blue and found it a true version of what SOME police officers were like. Racism was rife in London - at the time my partner was black, and not only did he attract racial comments, but I as a white woman was also subjected to this. Police frequently stopped us when in the car for no apparent reason - my partner had a very good job with high wages and his car was new. We were never searched or subjected to verbal abuse, I was frequently upset by these incidents but my partner took it as a matter of course explaining that the police thought every black person with a newish car was a thief.

In those days, racism was more blatant, barman refusing to serve drinks to my partner, but willingly served me.

I have worked in a voluntary capacity over the years with various members of the police service and have met many officers from BAME groups as well as white officers and they have acknowledged there are a small minority of officers who are racists.

What would be interesting to see broadcast is to have an interview with Leroy Logan as he is today, and to see how he progressed through the ranks.

[ianr]

Leroy Logan himself was interviewed by Stephen Sackur on HardTalk (BBC World Service + World News) in October, and the TV version was repeated yesterday.

Audio version: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszbxw

Video iPlayer version: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000q1vs/hardtalk-leroy-logan-former-superintendent-metropolitan-police

Video clip: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nb8q