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Institutional racism in the police?

(569 Posts)
trisher Sat 27-Jun-20 09:31:51

The news about the murdered sisters in London, the police's first lack of action then the photographs taken at the scene must have shocked everyone. The dignified and measured interview their mother has given couldn't fail to impress. So is she right can these photographs be compared with those taken at lynchings in the US? And is this the real proof that there is still racism in the police?

Whitewavemark2 Mon 06-Jul-20 14:55:28

Oh annie the police have replied perhaps you haven’t seen it?

Their reply doesn’t fill me with confidence.

Anniebach Mon 06-Jul-20 15:34:33

Yes the police have replied Whitewave , they viewed the film
from a body camera, we are not allowed to see it,

I question , forget colour of skin, a driver refuses to stop, drives off, police follow, car finally stops, perhaps at drivers home, driver refuses to get out of the car, Woman in back seat
refuses to get out of the car.

Colour of skin, this doesn’t happen to drivers of white skin?

I hope this couple take this further than twitter and tv interviews , only then will we know the truth

AGAA4 Mon 06-Jul-20 15:35:38

All the above mentioned events have involved the Met and it seems that the whole of the British police force is being condemned for the actions of these officers.

I mentioned earlier that 48% of stop and search is carried out by the Met. which is a huge amount for just one police force.

trisher Mon 06-Jul-20 16:03:32

I have watched the video and I wonder if it is common practice for officers to draw their batons. In fact I looked up the use of them and officers are only supposed to draw them when they anticipate the use of force against them. So why is the officer standing next to the car with his baton drawn? Why did he anticipate the person driving would use force against him? Could it possibly be because the driver was black?
Stop and search should not usually involve the use of handcuffs, which police instructions advise should only be used when there is a threat of violence. Now perhaps they can say that the driver looked violent but a woman sitting in the back of a car with her son? that really isn't likely.
The Met appear not to follow police instructions.

AGAA4 Mon 06-Jul-20 16:16:42

Trisher. It seems to me that Cressida Dick needs to take a close look at what is happening in the Met.

There seem to be too many of these incidences in that police force.

I feel it is unfair to drag every police force in the UK into what appears to be shambolic behaviour of some Met officers.

Eloethan Mon 06-Jul-20 18:05:56

I don't think it's just in the Met. I've lived in London, outer London, Sussex, Essex and Lancashire. During that time I have worked with women married to police officers. From one woman's surprisingly unguarded stories, I gathered there are certainly some police officers who take the law into their own hands and some who are most definitely racist.

Davidhs Mon 06-Jul-20 18:20:29

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Whitewavemark2 Mon 06-Jul-20 18:25:26

Oh let’s blame the victim!

If you say the actions were correct then the police need a re-think.

It was quite dreadful, and if I thought that my daughter and grandson had be subjected to such behaviour well hell would have no such fury!!

Iam64 Mon 06-Jul-20 18:34:56

Whitewave, your comment that police seeing the worst of life etc but 'training should help' is an interesting one. My experience of over 40 years working closely and being involved in training programmes for police officers is that they aren't much different than the rest of us. Yes, they are the one's running into danger when we're all running away from it so there's something either in their character that encourages them to join, or they learn as they progress.
Some of the courses I was involved in ran over 10 days, the nature of which meant trainees who were not all police officers, would find it difficult to hide their true feelings. I continue to have respect for the vast majority of police officers I worked with or trained. I didn't find more jaundiced attitudes than you'd find in any multi disciplinary training course.
Police officers face things in the course of their working lives that most people remain unaware of. I am not defending racist, bullying, individuals who need getting rid of but I do feel empathy for those men and women, facing the kind of personal attacks, physically in some situations and professionally and personally in many others.

lemongrove Mon 06-Jul-20 18:44:49

This latest incident has been looked at and the officers involved have committed no wrongdoing according to reports.
You have to stop immediately when asked to by the police, if you don’t it confirms suspicions.
Yes, it must be galling to be stopped many times, and although you shouldn’t have to, must say there is something in what Davidhs says.....next time buy a silver, pale blue any other colour bar black; with no blacked out windows either.
Anything for the police to not think you may be a drug dealer.Apparently they had been stopped in this car in London quite a few times, again, according to a report.

Anniebach Mon 06-Jul-20 18:50:24

Why don’t the couple sue ? If the police didn’t keep within the
law it will be on their Body cams

MawB Mon 06-Jul-20 19:00:03

Davidhs

Ms Williams and her partner were driving their Black Mercedes with Black windows, the police said they were acting suspiciously and the actions taken were correct in every way.

A Black Mercedes or BMW is a stereotypical drug dealer car, you can expect to get pulled up - so why drive one. What are police supposed to due, ignore suspicious behavior.

Are you seriously suggesting that a persons right to drive a black/white/sky blue pink car should be negated by the colour of their skin?
That is a totally unacceptable remark.
I know a few people with vehicles such as you describe but oddly none of them have been pulled over.
Oh, of course, they’re white.
And also - are you implying that all drug dealers are black?
On shaky ground Davidhs

trisher Mon 06-Jul-20 19:00:34

I'd say go out and buy a black Mercedes with tinted windows! Why should one car be the preserve of drug dealers? (did that come from the police?) Do more Black people drive them perhaps?

MawB Mon 06-Jul-20 19:01:55

If I wanted to be a drug dealer and remain undetected clearly all I would have to do is drive a pastel green Lada.

Whitewavemark2 Mon 06-Jul-20 19:07:39

maw??

Callistemon Mon 06-Jul-20 19:08:22

When DH bought his new car (not a BMW or a Merc) I remarked on the tinted windows Davidhs.
I said 'ooh, that looks like a drug dealer's car!'

He has not been stopped once on suspicion of drug dealing in 5 years. He's an older, white male.

Yes, I've seen the drug dealers working out of a local car park and the police must know it takes place.
They're white young men. Can't remember the car.

MawB* grin

I've just seen the footage and it was shocking. Especially bearing in mind there was a tiny baby in the car.

Iam64 Mon 06-Jul-20 19:08:36

Good plan MawB, the pastel green Lada. Our drug dealers tend to drive Audi 3 or BMW series.
Davidhs is on shaky ground on comments about race in every thread.

lemongrove Mon 06-Jul-20 19:15:48

Callistemon you are more streetwise than me, I had no idea what drug dealers cars looked like!

Callistemon Mon 06-Jul-20 20:19:58

grin
I could tell a tale or two!

trisher Mon 06-Jul-20 20:27:22

The dealers I know about tend to operate in little used car parks and don't have cars. Can our NE drug deallers be less successful than their southern counterparts? Oh there was one who seemed a nice family bloke in a school I once taught in. Not sure he had a car though.

Iam64 Mon 06-Jul-20 22:00:38

Maybe your NE drug dealers are more discreet than ours in the NW trisher. They don't all drive Audi's and BMW's, the lads who sell from our car park at our local park operate out of an old Corsa. I expect they're saving up for an old Audi.

Anniebach Mon 06-Jul-20 22:23:40

why are they not reported Iam ?

merlotgran Mon 06-Jul-20 22:44:47

DD1 drove a black Landrover Discovery with blacked out windows.

The only time she was waved down by the police was when we went to our local EMMAUS together to search for a bookcase to upcycle.

We didn't know there was a Royal visit planned that morning and the policeman laughed and said he had mistaken us for Camilla Parker Bowles. We did wonder which one of us he was referring to. grin

We did a U turn and as we pulled out on to the main road Camilla turned up....in an identical vehicle. The only difference was hers had two outriders. grin

trisher Mon 06-Jul-20 22:53:56

Annie the police know who the local dealers are. They don't bother much with them unless they are seen as some sort of a threat and perhaps trading to very young children.

Eloethan Mon 06-Jul-20 22:58:23

I expect they have been reported. There seem to be drug dealers everywhere. A couple we know reported to the police that people were dealing in an alleyway near their house. Nothing was done. We have a rather nice little park near us - a playing field where people walk their dogs and a children's playpark. There are often solitary men sitting on the seats, looking constantly at their mobile phones, obviously either waiting for a delivery or waiting for a customer.

I think the issue probably is that they are seen as "small fry" and the only reason the police might be interested in their movements is to see who, further up the line, is supplying the drugs for them to sell, and so on up the chain. In order to arrest and charge people, the police need to follow exactly the right procedures and obtain proof of a drug transaction involving money taking place, which can be quite tricky.

I'm inclined to agree with Professor David Nutt who the Labour government got rid of. He said the whole drug culture should be de-criminalised and drugs sold, in a controlled way, out of pharmacies. At least it would cut out criminal involvement and the grooming of children to transport drugs around.