Institutional racism in the police?

How dare you post that to anniebach, granmamat!

I think she knows more about grief than you will ever come across in your lifetime whoever you are. Obviously you are a new poster with no clue whatsoever.

I won't report your nasty post but leave it for all to see.

And suzie you should know better.

I wondered the same, lemongrove, as one was a senior social worker? A client, perhaps?

A mother has lost two daughters, she has spoken very eloquently, I admire her fortitude, her loss is surely unimaginable
The police officers selfies were appalling
Bibaa and Nicole ?

I have just read through this thread trying to find the alleged ‘racist’ posts complained about but I fail to see any.

As for the claim that a search wasn’t mounted promptly simply because they were black women is beyond ridiculous and insulting to the police, many of whom are themselves black these days.

I’m wondering if the officers concerned had offered any explanation for the taking of the photos. Obviously on the face of it , it was very wrong , but they must have had to answer the question.

I agree with your post Eloethan. The police do receive thousands if reports of missing people and perhaps this did not ring any urgent alarm bells as they were two adults and were together. As for those police officers, how did they get through the recruitment process and become serving officers? There are bad apples I know but these two are rotten to the core. I presume one of their 'friends' had the decency to report them.

There is no reason Jennifer and no defence.
They are sick voyeurs

GagaJo - wasn't the enquiry following the murder of Stephen Lawrence supposed to sort that out and others since I guess. So what is going on? Surely the training is still there from that enquiry and improved upon since, I guess. So why isn' it working? I saw a short excerpt on the news, I think, about an American town that actually disbanded their police-force and made it more into a social force. Officers going round visiting families, holding fetes, and so on. The crime wave had dropped remarkably. Could they be talking about policemen walking the neighbourhood perhaps?

We have community policing here too

I did add to that Callistemon that perhaps the police should have realised, if these women were habitually staying out till the early hours/staying out all night and ignoring phone calls, the family would not have been so distressed and worried. I do understand that the police are under pressure and receive lots of missing persons reports but maybe a bit more training in identifying unusual elements in crime and missing reports wouldn't go amiss.

Frankly, I think Anniebach deserved those comments. She has throughout this thread said some quite odd things.

Saying "it seems taking pictures on phones of anything involving tragedies is commonplace now" comes across as almost like excusing repulsive and callous behaviour. The vast majority of people would not take a selfie with the dead bodies of two women as their backdrop. The fact that two police officers did it is truly appalling and can't be explained away.

Next a suggestion that the horrible murder of two innocent people and the subsequent almost inhuman behaviour of two police officers should not cause outrage but should be discussed "calmly". This, from someone who quite frequently emotes about people and events that particularly upset her.

Given the circumstances surrounding these women's "disappearance" and their subsequent defilement at the hands of two police officers, I see the remark "some will see racism everywhere and in everyone" as being loftily dismissive of a genuine concern about police attitudes.

Quote from a serving police officer:
"Yet another example of people letting the side down."
As disgusted as the rest of us.

Trisher - thank you for that link. I wasn’t aware of that. I, too, saw their mother being interviewed yesterday. Very dignified, obviously her faith is a tremendous help.

It may well be a random lunatic - care in the community person responsible for this and if so it becomes very difficult for the police to find them.

Ass annie is a bereaved mother, her comments are frankly even more.reprehensible. Your own grief does not give you a get out of jail card to trample over the grief of others.

MRGUDER references an American town that disbanded its existing police force and began a community rather than military type approach to policing. The difference between our approach to policing and the more military/armed approach in the US makes the suggestion we follow suit rather unhelpful.
The tradition in the UK is policing by consent. That was the initial response in our major cities, when the BLM demonstrations started. Police recognised that any attempt to stop those demonstrations by using, for example, the guidance and legislation linked to the Covid crisis would not work and worse, would inflame tensions
There will be people with racist views working in our police forces. Whether the two officers who took and shared these obscene photographs did so with racist intent will be exposed by an investigation. Some people, including some police officers, are fairly disgusting human beings. I suspect racism will be a contributory factor to this behaviour but underlying that must be contempt for the public they are employed to serve.

I’d like to add that from watching various documentaries regarding police investigations over the years, there is always a reason they either withhold or put out information. They aren’t putting much into the public domain at present and it won’t be because of lack of interest.

These poor women were respectable professionals. I don’t think their colour has anything to do with the actions of the police. They will be under pressure to find the killer and it’s imperative they don’t make mistakes.

tickingbird do you think if two white women living say in Highgate had been reported last seen in a park late at night the police wouldn't have sent a community officer to at least look at the area?
I do think that if any police officers had received the selfies and not reported the officers sending them they should also be subjected to discipline. It's not enough to just target those two and leave the culture behind.

Iam trying to judge whether their behaviour was racist or not in taking the photograph is a bit like the ‘angels on the head of a pin question’. They are Met officers who are fully aware of prevailing race issues and so yes,they are racist and they thought they could get away with it and that says to me, they thought no one would care because where they are working locally must be steeped in it. Well tgs k god one person at least turned them in. I still want to know what’s happening to the other officers in the group who did not report them.

1 rotten apple commits an act that 9 ignore = 10 rotten apples

Lemongrove and Anniebach you are both spot on.

Vile behaviour by the Police Officers concerned, and I hope they are dealt with swiftly. It is indefensible and shocking.
I have to say I do not think Anniebach deserves the heart of stone comment, it is very unkind and unnecessary, she is a bereaved Mother herself, you can disagree with her without making hurtful comments which seems the norm with some posters these days.
Yes there is institutional racism in the Police, there is racism in others sectors too. I know this as when I am out with my black partner I notice we are followed round some stores, and it can be annoying. I feel like telling the security to S.. off, but my partner who is very dignified tells me to ignore it.
I also think the Mother of the two women murdered was very dignified and I hope the killer is found and bought to Justice

Thank you timetogo. The O/P asked a question and I have
given my opinions to the question. I have not launched personal attacks on posters who are soooo caring they launch
personal attacks.

For the record, yes I am a mother who is grieving, I am the
widow of a police officer who was murdered , I am a woman
who suffered the grief and anger of a loved black man murdered in apartheid South Africa.

I experienced racists taunts when in England because I was
with a black man .

I met and talked with the widow of P.C. Blakelock.

This will give my critics more to mock. I don’t give a fig.

Granmanat your post to Annie is way off the mark and frankly despicable.
suziew..... as usual you have waded in with both feet clad in bovver boots and your posts are ridiculous.There are no racist posts on this thread so why are you stirring the pot?!
Of course this thread should not be deleted or ‘looked at’ in any way.

suziewoozie

Ass annie is a bereaved mother, her comments are frankly even more.reprehensible. Your own grief does not give you a get out of jail card to trample over the grief of others.

Lovely eh?!
I can’t imagine what you gain by this comment suziew !

Message deleted by Gransnet as it quoted a post we've had to delete. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Anniebach

Thank you timetogo. The O/P asked a question and I have
given my opinions to the question. I have not launched personal attacks on posters who are soooo caring they launch
personal attacks.

For the record, yes I am a mother who is grieving, I am the
widow of a police officer who was murdered , I am a woman
who suffered the grief and anger of a loved black man murdered in apartheid South Africa.

I experienced racists taunts when in England because I was
with a black man .

I met and talked with the widow of P.C. Blakelock.

This will give my critics more to mock. I don’t give a fig.

Please do not let the personal attacks get to you.

GrannyGravy they won’t upset me, I am use to them.

trisher I will not apologise for asking a question which was in no way racist or uncaring .