MAY 2024 

This month has once again been marked by a distressing array of police misconduct and excessive use of force. We have witnessed the tragic death of a man in police custody in Swindon, bringing the total number of deaths following police contact to 9 so far this year. Additionally, two police officers were caught strangling a woman in an alleyway, a former Metropolitan officer was convicted of 13 counts of rape, and another officer pleaded guilty to two terror offenses. Furthermore, there have been cases of constables sexually harassing female colleagues, engaging in discriminatory text messages, and blaming child victims. The Metropolitan Police has also seen a doubling of racism cases brought against them, and an officer was caught drinking on duty. It is disheartening to see such a range of incidents occurring within just one month.

In light of the overwhelming evidence, even the Metropolitan Police themselves have admitted that they are not adequately serving the people of London. This sentiment is echoed by recent performance reports on local police forces, indicating that this is not solely a London issue. As a response, local forces have resorted to increasing stop and search patrols, despite warnings from the president of the National Black Police Association that it is not an effective strategy. They have also implemented special powers, such as conducting weapon searches in private properties, and have embraced technologies like knife and facial recognition. It is evident that the police are becoming increasingly desperate, as evidenced by their request for a "Ghostbusters-style" weapon to combat e-scooters and e-bikes with electro-magnetic rays. It is questionable whether this is truly the solution they needed all along.