The home secretary backed police and ordered a review of armed units after officers protested over a murder charge


Background on this for non-UK people -

  • Black guy shot by armed policeman whilst sitting in his own car.

  • Policeman arrested for murder, released on bail.

  • Last weekend armed police ‘strike’ by dropping their weapons because one of their own has been charged with murder

As per usual the victim is being forgotten in all of this while it turns into a massively corrupt political game.

  • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    I don’t know how things work in the UK, but most of the Kaba killing feels familiar — the cops’ highhandedness and entitlement, and the threat to stop doing their job (which most folks find terrifying, but sounds sweet to me), and the obedience of politicians like your Home Sec Braverman.

    Only some small sliver of UK cops carry guns, so they’re probably seen (especial by themselves) as super-elite cops.

    Can I ask about “NX121” though? Does every Brit get such anonymity when charged with crimes, and get released on bail when the crime is murder — or are such courtesies only for police?

    • HipPriest@kbin.socialOP
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      9 months ago

      Can I ask about “NX121” though? Does every Brit get such anonymity when charged with crimes, and get released on bail when the crime is murder — or are such courtesies only for police?

      Depends on the circumstances with the anonymity. I’m not a lawyer but the ‘bail for cold blooded murder’ sounds very much like a cop privilege thing. If it was someone else they’d be too busy beating him up in the cells to offer him bail.

      They definitely see themselves as special because Daddy lets them play with guns. One of my friends dad’s at school was a PC and told us he steered cleared of guys like that because they weren’t interested in crime fighting they were interested in playing with toys and getting people to call them ‘Sir’.

      • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        Thanks.

        Next question: The Home Secretary’s duties include overseeing all law enforcement in England — is that correct?

        If so, this is particularly heinous. She’s tweeting support for a cop charged with murder, peeing in the pool of public opinion.

        • HipPriest@kbin.socialOP
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          9 months ago

          Yep. That is correct, the Home Secretary is in charge of Police. This specific one we have now is a particular control freak. She was forced to resign from the same position in the last government for sending official documents from her personal Gmail.

          For more on her racist, right-wing views, her current solution to immigrants making their way to the UK on small boats is to… ship them off to Rwanda. Since she’s not allowed to do that, Plan B keeping them on a huge barge, which is costing the tax on payer more than the hotels they were housed in before.

          She’s big on culture war stuff (‘Police should be spending less time dancing with trans people at carnivals and more time fighting crime’, that sort of stuff). She’s seen as being the strongest contender for being a ‘Right’ leader of the party (as opposed to a centre)

          Anyway, yes, this is the woman who is now in charge of this situation…

          • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            Wikipedia says “member of the Conservative Party,” so I suspected as much.

            Thanks for the explanations.

            If you’re feeling chatty sometime, I’d be curious to know your perspective on The Met’s ‘ordinary’ cops — the ones who patrol without guns. Maybe being gunless makes it at least hypothetically possible that they’re not all bastards?

            • JudCrandall@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              I know I’m wild late to the party, but I’m interested in this topic too. I have siblings in the UK and their experiences with law enforcement have been pretty minimal/less aggressive compared to mine. Any chance of starting a Matrix chat or something for this instance community?

              • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                If you want to make a Matrix, by golly make a Matrix and make it marvelous. I won’t be involved but I’ll root for you. :)

                Me, I’m an old fart and a Luddite, on the internet only because I saw the usefulness of it. Haven’t seen usefulness in anything since, though — no smart phone, no smart watch, no smart house, no Roomba™, and I still read books on paper. No Matrix for me, thanks.

                  • Doug Holland@lemmy.world
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                    9 months ago

                    “Expecting a couple lawsuits” sounds awful, man. None of my business, won’t even ask, probably don’t want to know — just hoping you have a fine lawyer.