Institutional racism in the police?

Racism is fed by those who want to claim the police not turning out to search for a woman age 45 at a party and didn’t
answer her telephone - were racist , choosing not to acknowledge the police do not turn out when a woman at a party isn’t answering her phone.

Their mother's account was eloquent, considered and very touching.

If I could post a link to it, I would.

All praise to that woman for her composure.

On the other hand, the fact that family members visiting the site found the actual murder weapon, is disgusting

Why on earth didn't the police search the area? Perhaps they didn't think it mattered, and would rather take "selfies" with the dead women!

Shame, shame, shame!

They deserve to be publicly named and shamed, expelled from the force with no compensation/payoff whatsoever!

Racism is fed by peole who fail to recognise or act when they see it.

Some will see racism everywhere and in everyone, this will feed racism not starve it.

I agree with Sodapop, this case is very strange. These poor women were seemingly murdered by a stranger but there has been no general warning for the public to be aware of their own safety?

The party they held was small, just ten people, not a mass gathering and it was in a popular part of the park. I’d have thought that two women missing for 24hrs at the same time in the same place should have raised flags, especially at this time when so many people were staying at home so places are relatively quiet. I’ve read that it was the boyfriend of one of the women who found both bodies and the murder weapon.

As for the selfies. It’s unspeakable. What on earth goes through their heads? Is it some sort of day out at the funfair for them?

Mrs Smallman is just so incredibly dignified. I don’t know how she retains her composure.

There seems to be 2 issues here:

The response of the police force regarding the initial reports that they hadn't come home from their party in the park, seems to be in line with usual police practice. These were 2 adults out at a party, not minors, and it wouldn't have been unreasonable to think that they had gone on to another event elsewhere. No one could have foreseen that they had come to harm, there was no reason to believe that they had. I do not believe that the police acted any differently in this case than any other.

The actions of the 2 police officers who took photographs of the 2 sisters is a different matter and, in itself, was a horrible and unforgivable act. It's difficult to conclude that racism didn't play a part in their actions.

Washerwoman I would have thought any element of racism in the police would undermine confidence and that would make it harder for conscientious police officers to do their job successfully.
Callistemon Yes I think two white women last seen in a park late at night and not heard from for 36 hours would have been treated more seriously. And remember it wasn't the police that found the bodies it was the family. So no action after 36 hours.

Is this an indication of the calibre of police recruits these days? Don't they have to undergo some sort of character assessment? Are the police really so desperate that they are accepting young men of this sort?

not a small town park

trisher

The two women were left in the park after the party ended, they were then not heard from or contactable for 36 hours before the family found the bodies. Two women last seen in an open area and no officer could be spared to simply walk through the park? And yes I do think the fact that they were black was probably influential. I suspect two white women last seen in a park on Friday evening would have been more of an issue.

Probably not, it's a a small town park, it's over 250 acres of country park.

And I doubt very much if that would happen, so are you turning this into a racist issue?

Two adults not contactable by their parents; has it never happened to anyone else?

The world is full of isms.

Any racism in the police needs stamping out.Fact.However I'm getting heartily sick of the constant negativity towards police officers in general .Having SIL who spent 5 years voluntarily going out at all hours as a special and is now a member of the force in a tough ,inner city area never knowing what they are walking into with gun,knife and drug crime,suicides you name it how many of us would want to deal with some of the stuff they see.Of course I'm biased.He is family.But he's a lovely lad who genuinely wants to make a difference.Sorry I'm just feeling a bit p**d off today,and wonder what the families of officers dead and injured in the line of duty must feel when the police seem to be arch enemy number one to some people.Every profession has it's rotten apples,or incompetents.I worked with a fair few in my time.

In my paper today it says they left the party on 5th, not 6th.

The two women were left in the park after the party ended, they were then not heard from or contactable for 36 hours before the family found the bodies. Two women last seen in an open area and no officer could be spared to simply walk through the park? And yes I do think the fact that they were black was probably influential. I suspect two white women last seen in a park on Friday evening would have been more of an issue.

I agree Annie and Callistemon
It would seem to me to be very unlikely that a huge search would be instigated for adult women until a few days had passed. Police would not search for adults immediately unless they were vulnerable. However that does not excuse the actions of those two police officers, and clearly they should, and are, being dealt with, and should never serve as police officers again.

Nonetheless the focus of the police must now be to find the murderer. Such a heinous crime needs the full weight of the law behind the investigation. Apparently they were stabbed multiple times, but there were two people murdered. That raises the question, was more than one person involved in the murders?

My sympathies lie with the mother. To lose two children, however old, will bring a grief that will never heal.

No, they wouldn't of course Anniebach .

no police officer would trot off to a park where there was a party because a 45 year old woman wasn’t answering her phone. Fact.

I suspect that 2 black women partying in a London park were viewed as of little consequence are you saying that this disgusting behaviour from the police who were involved, did this as an act of racism trisher?

Is there any evidence whatsoever that this is a racial crime and that the arse holes involved wouldn't behaved so appallingly if the poor victims had been white?

Is everything now to be considered racist whether or not that's the case?

I agree with Annie bearing in mind the sisters ages and they were at a party, an immediate response from the police when they didn't come home IMO isn't an issue.

As for the selfies, I just hope there's some provision within the law that can have them locked up.

It's wrong anyway. The party was on Friday. The bodies were found on Sunday
The sisters' bodies were found shortly after 13:00 on Sunday and post-mortem tests revealed they both died from multiple stab wounds.

Anniebach

trisher the sisters were at a party in a park, they were not of
vulnerable age. The police forces receive so many calls for people not coming home after being out for an evening , they
can’t respond to every call, they do respond immediately when a child is missing but a woman in her 40’s and a woman in her 20’s at a party

Annie is quite correct, a child going missing overnight is another matter, but they were grown women attending a big party.
The police do not routinely get involved until after a much longer absence.This has nothing to do with what colour people are.
The two officers guarding the scene and taking selfies is appalling, and to me epitomises the trend for taking pics of anything happening, no matter how awful.Instead of helping when there is an incident, the public at large often take pics on their phones.
Listening to their Mother ( of the murdered sisters) on the
radio I was moved by how dignified she sounded and any mother would empathise had this been even one daughter, let alone two.A shocking crime compounded by shocking behaviour of the two officers.I hope they will catch the murderer, but it may not be soon as there were so many people at the party in the park.

I saw Cressida Dick questioned about this appalling behaviour by two police officers. She made no attempt to hide behind the ongoing investigation into the actions of these two men. She issued what seemed a heart felt and genuine apology on behalf of the Met.
Absolutely shocking. There will be some racist officers in the police. The police reflect society and sadly, we do have racist members in our communities. Just read some of the discussions on gransnet and be stunned by some of the comments.
My experience of working with the police is that their training programmes make every effort to ensure racism isn't tolerated. Yes of course, more needs to be done. In the current case, anyone involved should lose their job and where possible, be prosecuted.

It doesn't take much for a community officer to simply check the area Annie particularly as it was a park. It must be on someone's beat. They didn't even bother to look. That's why community officers are there to check public places. One call, one officer, little time.
I watched a video the other day of a young black man who was stopped and searched in London. He didn't say "no" he simply asked why the officer wanted to search him. The officer responded by trying to handcuff him and calling for back up. There were ten officers there in no time. That's 12 officers, the young man was searched and nothing was found. He was let go. But no-one could look in a park?

trisher the sisters were at a party in a park, they were not of
vulnerable age. The police forces receive so many calls for people not coming home after being out for an evening , they
can’t respond to every call, they do respond immediately when a child is missing but a woman in her 40’s and a woman in her 20’s at a party

Baggs

Don't police take pics for evidence purposes?

Not selfies Baggs, which is what these two disgraceful, unprofessional individuals did. They have been arrested and quite right too.
Yes, a police photographer SOCO, would take photographs of the scene.

In contrast, their mother is so dignified and she puts others to shame. I hope her faith can sustain her.

In answer to your question, trisher, I don't think so but perhaps London is different to other areas. There are always rogue police officers, sadly, and the sooner the are rooted out the better.

Unfortunately, this could be distracting from finding the murderer and I hope they do find the culprit soon.