After the release of a recent report exposing the extent of racism and ethical misconduct within the security institution, the mayor of London has announced the creation of a new committee tasked with overseeing the performance and reform process of the London police, Sadiq Khan, who will lead the committee, stated that its main objective is to promote transparency and accountability within the police force for all members of society. What factors have contributed to the rise in racial discrimination among the police? And what steps have been taken thus far to address this issue of bias within the police force?
An investigation into the performance of the UK police
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, stated that the newly formed board would adhere to Baroness Louise Casey’s recommendations for improving culture and standards within the Met. Recently, Ms Casey published a report on the London police’s performance, which highlights the alarming extent of racism and moral corruption present in the institution. The report, released last month after the tragic murder of Sarah Everard, who was sexually abused and killed by a London police officer last year, exposes a toxic work environment among the officials and staff of the UK’s largest police department.
UK police bullying and incompetence
As mentioned above, the report describes a bullying culture and highlights the London Police Department officials’ failure to manage their organization’s moral scandals. Casey identified extensive shortcomings in all the departments she reviewed, including the Parliamentary Protection Command and diplomatic centres. She suggested these units be transferred to more specialized departments or disbanded entirely. This recommendation is a long-standing proposal to transfer technical departments to allow the police to concentrate solely on maintaining public order in the capital.
A sharp decline in public confidence in the UK police
The research results show that public trust in the UK police has decreased significantly. The findings of Redfield & Wilton show that only 26% of people have a favourable view of the performance of the UK police; 40% of people who travel alone at night feel unsafe and are more worried about being a victim of a crime than five years ago. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for a culture change in the organization, saying that public trust in the UK police has been severely damaged.
Protesting the negligence of the UK police
The decline in public trust towards the UK police can be attributed to several factors. Official statistics reveal that crime rates have escalated to such an extent that 30,000 cases of theft and extortion go unaddressed by the police annually, leading to internal protests. Data on the UK Parliament’s website indicates that in the previous year, only 25 criminal cases were processed daily by the country’s police force, with most cases remaining unsolved. These issues have further eroded public confidence in law enforcement agencies.
The poor performance of the UK police in dealing with criminals
Upon examining the statistics, it was revealed that only four per cent of cases related to violent theft or extortion had been resolved in certain areas. Nationally, the resolution rate for these types of crimes decreased from 17.3% in 2014 to 7.3% in 2021, which is a substantial decline. It is worth noting that these cases pertain to instances where personal possessions have been stolen using force or threats of violence.
Liberal Democratic Party’s investigation into the performance of the UK police
Police in the West Midlands recorded the worst performance in this area, with only four per cent of reported burglaries in 2022 leading to a suspect being charged, according to Liberal Democrat research. After that, Northamptonshire has succeeded by 5%, Avon and Somerset by 6% and Hampshire by 6%. Sarah Olney, a senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party of the UK, who conducted this research, said: “These shocking figures show muggings are being effectively decriminalized, with far too many violent criminals let off the hook.”
Non-deterrence of English laws against delinquency
Sarah Olney, the Treasury spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, asserts that citizens feel increasingly unsafe while walking down their local streets due to the conservative government led by Rishi Sunak, embroiled in a never-ending scandal and implementing severe cuts to neighbourhood policing. Although the government has imposed stricter penalties for individuals accused of committing violent crimes, the low number of prosecutions has led to an increased sense of impunity among offenders, thus weakening deterrence measures.
The impact of bad economic conditions on the increase in crime
The British Home Office called extortion and robbery an aggressive and disturbing crime and asked the police to take all incidents seriously. However, experts believe that the current situation is rooted in the unfavourable economic crisis on the one hand and, on the other hand, in the people’s distrust of the institutions providing social security. The economic conditions of the UK are in the worst conditions of the last half century due to several successive crises, and according to the head of the BoE, this country is experiencing a long period of economic stagnation. According to statistics, the UK is the only country in Western Europe that experiences the highest inflation rate.
Increasing economic problems and decreasing trust in the UK police
According to research conducted in the UK, the world’s sixth-largest economy has seen a surge in delinquencies due to the economic crisis and worsening poverty. Moreover, the country’s citizens have lost confidence in social security institutions. As per statistics, 40% of British individuals have installed CCTV cameras, video iPhones, and reinforced building entrances to safeguard their property in response to the current situation. Additionally, around 6% have acquired guard dogs to patrol their premises.
Increased security measures by the British people
The Liberal Democrat political party commissioned research that found iPhone video to be one of the UK’s most frequently employed security measures. Additionally, 7% of individuals have joined local watch groups, while two out of every six households have installed CCTV cameras. Furthermore, one out of ten families has fortified their entrances or installed an alarm system. Despite these precautions, many Britons are still reluctant to venture out of their homes at night due to fears of criminal activity.
Immunity of criminals due to the inaction of the UK police
Official reports indicate that crime rates have experienced a significant jump as a result of the cost of living crisis in the UK. But more important than that is the inaction of the social policy in pursuing such cases, which, according to experts, has made criminals immune from punishment and fueled social insecurity. Statistics show the police have not followed 200,000 theft cases in the past year. This amount is equivalent to 600 cases of theft in one day, in which the criminals escaped justice due to the negligence of the police. According to statistical data, 77% of all theft cases have not been solved by the police, and only 6% have been solved.
The direct impact of the increase in poverty in the UK on the rise in crime
Experts attribute the current situation to the consequences of the economic crisis and poverty in the UK. According to official statistics, 14.4 million people in the UK live in poverty, 29% of whom are children. Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions show that four million and 200 thousand children, equivalent to 29% of the population under 18, were in poverty in the year ending April 2022. More than 800,000 children live in families that depend on the food bank for their livelihood.
