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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that the Police Federation's statement is tone deaf?

56 replies

SunnyKlara · 14/02/2022 14:58

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-60375845

After all the bad press and seemingly institutional racism, sexism and homophobia we have seen coming from the Met over the past few years, I can't help but feel that the Police Federation declaring they have "no faith" in Sadiq Kahn just completely tone deaf and missing the point? It's all tit for tat rather than accepting the need for change. I at least expected them to play lip service to it!

OP posts:
StoneofDestiny · 14/02/2022 16:18

We have a prime minister who cannot recognise what is wrong with his government and a Tory Party sticking by his chaos.
Why are we surprised at the Met and the Police Federation.

CactusFlowers · 14/02/2022 18:50

@SunnyKlara

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-60375845

After all the bad press and seemingly institutional racism, sexism and homophobia we have seen coming from the Met over the past few years, I can't help but feel that the Police Federation declaring they have "no faith" in Sadiq Kahn just completely tone deaf and missing the point? It's all tit for tat rather than accepting the need for change. I at least expected them to play lip service to it!

I agree with you.
emuloc · 14/02/2022 19:12

I agree OP.

YeOldeTrout · 14/02/2022 19:17

pfffttt... it's tone def to you guys but it makes perfect sense to me -- and probably to many. I'd say you guys are as out of touch with policing reality as you think the police federation is.

DePfeffoff · 15/02/2022 01:44

@YeOldeTrout, what's the point in coming on here to sling accusations about without even bothering to try to explain or justify them, let alone provide evidence for them?

urbanbuddha · 15/02/2022 02:01

Another day, another Met commander outed

I agree Sadiq Khan's mistake was in not getting rid of Dick sooner. The scale of corruption and negligence is breathtaking.

It must be very disheartening for honest police officers - I know they exist, I've met some - to have to work in that cesspit.

Hoardasurass · 15/02/2022 07:36

I have absolutely no faith in either the police or Khan.
Khan is no friend to women as he has completely drunk the woke-ade please see the 2nd half of this article.
www.spectator.co.uk/article/stormont-s-stonewall-spend

itrytomakemyway · 15/02/2022 07:42

I have no faith in the Met. I really don't give a damn what they think about the mayor who was elected in a democratic vote. They need to put their own house in order.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 15/02/2022 08:00

Yes it is tone deaf but I don't understand why anyone would have faith in the jumped up little twat that is Sadiq Khan.

ClaudineClare · 15/02/2022 08:08

urbanbuddha that is appalling.

ClaudineClare · 15/02/2022 08:09

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

Yes it is tone deaf but I don't understand why anyone would have faith in the jumped up little twat that is Sadiq Khan.
In what way is he a "jumped up little twat"?
SquirmOfEels · 15/02/2022 08:14

seemingly institutional racism, sexism and homophobia we have seen coming from the Met over the past few years, I can't help but feel that the Police Federation declaring they have "no faith" in Sadiq Kahn just completely tone deaf and missing the point

I see it totally differently.

Those things didn't arise under CD, but they were beginning to come out in to the open, and so could be dealt with. It was always going to take some time, but at least this boss had started.

We'll be back to how things were before - not because there's nothing wrong, but because no-one will be making sure it surfaces.

The Mayor of course has the power to de facto sack the head of the Met, but I don't really get the timing

Noname99 · 15/02/2022 08:30

SquirmOfEels

Totally agree. I’m truly amazed at the jubilation on this site that a women has been effectively sacked for not being able to change the behaviour of men in 5 years. But things were changing ….. as you said people were speaking out and being heard rather than ignored or actually silenced. That will end now. The next commissioner will just ensure it’s all covered back up so as not to loose their job. Because misogyny can’t be solved in a couple of years.

And Cressida Dick is not responsible for the death of Sarah Everard. Wayne Couzens is. But let’s blame a women for a violent man’s actions.

LyricalBlowToTheJaw · 15/02/2022 08:30

@ClaudineClare

If Khan should have gone, then so should Patel. The Met Commissioner is accountable to the Mayor and the Home Secretary and both have a role in the appointment of the Met Commissioner.
Good point.
Brefugee · 15/02/2022 08:40

pfffttt... it's tone def to you guys but it makes perfect sense to me -- and probably to many. I'd say you guys are as out of touch with policing reality as you think the police federation is.

are you a police officer @YeOldeTrout? can you possibly understand why so many sections of society have zero trust or faith in the met? I'd really like to hear your thinking here

Khan is "jumped up"? he is the directly elected Mayor of a metropolitan city. He didn't jump up, he has been put there because people want him there. He is vastly superior to Johnson as mayor.

’m truly amazed at the jubilation on this site that a women has been effectively sacked for not being able to change the behaviour of men in 5 years

Why should we support her? Just because she's a woman? Fuck that shit. She is being treated absolutely in the same way a man would be for being a dangerous (since being Gold Commander when the chap was shot in the underground) menace, to being absolutely tone deaf in the misogyny and sexism (not to mention the homophobia and racism) in the ranks she commands. She's a lesbian, FFS, but has she done women or lesbians any favours to deserve sympathy in return? nope. NOPE. A big resounding no she hasn't.

She should never have been able to keep her job beyond 2005, tbh, that she rose as high as she did has done other women doing excellent work no favours because it looks as though she has been promoted because she's an easy won: a gay woman. Look how progressive the Met is! We are all tarred with her brush of incompetence and now have to work even harder to get our promotions and change things.

DePfeffoff · 15/02/2022 08:42

Those things didn't arise under CD, but they were beginning to come out in to the open, and so could be dealt with. It was always going to take some time, but at least this boss had started

She took five years to start? And much of her action appears to have been only in reaction to some of the more appalling events being publicised, not something that was generated independently by her. How long was she supposed to be given?

Saltyquiche · 15/02/2022 08:50

For the force to change they first need to admit there’s a culture problem. Denial isn’t helpful. Zero tolerance is the way forward, weeding out the officers who fall short rather then promoting them. Recruitment has to be ruthless and through. Good officers need to feel compelled to confidently challenge, whistle blow and report. Ignoring poor behaviour has fed into the poor police culture of the met

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 15/02/2022 22:34

In what way is he a "jumped up little twat"?

I’m particularly pissed off at him for the way he’s treating one of my favourite charities, Dogs on the Streets by refusing to allow them an exemption from the ULEZ and congestion charges. They do amazing work with the homeless in London and that idiots answer was for them to buy new vehicles with not even a temporary exemption to allow them to fund raise. It just goes to show he doesn’t give a shit about the homeless. And breathe!

VestaTilley · 15/02/2022 22:53

Agree. They loved Cressida because she was their biggest champion.

The federation are a disgrace - they don’t give a damn about the public and victims, just how well their members can line their own pockets. Despicable, especially given all the recent scandals.

Brefugee · 16/02/2022 07:09

that makes him a twat, possibly, @PinkSparklyPussyCat but it doesn't demonstrate jumped-upness.

VashtaNerada · 16/02/2022 07:18

I thought it was odd too. DH is with the MPS and is one of their biggest critics (which begs the question why he’s still with them but I think the fact that he’s a good person and can see its faults are exactly the reasons why he should stay) but I’ve never heard him criticise the mayor specifically. He’s angry at the reduced funding from central government, he’s angry at his colleagues’ incompetence, he’s angry at his commissioner (although understands how hard it is to run a functional service with the reduction in funding), but not the mayor. It seems like a very odd and unhelpful right wing comment. The federation isn’t a proper union anyway. If police officers were allowed to unionise and belonged to Unison or similar I think it would do them the world of good.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 16/02/2022 07:28

@Brefugee

that makes him a twat, possibly, *@PinkSparklyPussyCat* but it doesn't demonstrate jumped-upness.
OK, I'll rephrase it.

'Yes it is tone deaf but I don't understand why anyone would have faith in the unfeeling, also tone deaf dickhead that is Sadiq Khan.'

Better?

longwayoff · 16/02/2022 07:34

Of course it is. The Police Federation isn't famed for its ability to be rational and form a neutral unbiased opinion. It's the coppers union and reinforces all those stereotypes that make people take a step back from the Met and its well deserved reputation.

Chasingaftermidnight · 16/02/2022 08:12

@Brefugee

pfffttt... it's tone def to you guys but it makes perfect sense to me -- and probably to many. I'd say you guys are as out of touch with policing reality as you think the police federation is.

are you a police officer @YeOldeTrout? can you possibly understand why so many sections of society have zero trust or faith in the met? I'd really like to hear your thinking here

Khan is "jumped up"? he is the directly elected Mayor of a metropolitan city. He didn't jump up, he has been put there because people want him there. He is vastly superior to Johnson as mayor.

’m truly amazed at the jubilation on this site that a women has been effectively sacked for not being able to change the behaviour of men in 5 years

Why should we support her? Just because she's a woman? Fuck that shit. She is being treated absolutely in the same way a man would be for being a dangerous (since being Gold Commander when the chap was shot in the underground) menace, to being absolutely tone deaf in the misogyny and sexism (not to mention the homophobia and racism) in the ranks she commands. She's a lesbian, FFS, but has she done women or lesbians any favours to deserve sympathy in return? nope. NOPE. A big resounding no she hasn't.

She should never have been able to keep her job beyond 2005, tbh, that she rose as high as she did has done other women doing excellent work no favours because it looks as though she has been promoted because she's an easy won: a gay woman. Look how progressive the Met is! We are all tarred with her brush of incompetence and now have to work even harder to get our promotions and change things.

Agreed. I’m not jubilant at her resignation at all. What infuriates me is not that she failed to ‘fix’ the Met (which is a mammoth task) but that she repeatedly refused even to acknowledge the culture of misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia within the ranks she commanded. That culture of misogyny allowed Wayne Couzens to hide in plain sight. That culture of homophobia allowed Stephen Port to continue his killing spree. Along with countless other examples. If the head of the Met won’t admit there’s a problem, it can’t possibly be fixed.

Even her resignation statement refused to acknowledge it. ‘The murder of Sarah Everard and many other awful cases recently have, I know, damaged confidence in this fantastic police service.’ It’s not a fantastic police service. I’m sure there are some fantastic individuals in it but as an institution it’s plagued by dangerous problems. And how dare she say Sarah Everard’s name and ‘fantastic police service’ in the same sentence? It’s another attempt to absolve the police force from any responsibility for what happened.

DePfeffoff · 16/02/2022 09:14

Alfie Moore, the ex policeman who does the "It's a Fair Cop" radio programme, is moaning that the media are unfair to the police and don't post enough positive stories, and that people don't clap them the way they clap the NHS.

It really does demonstrate the weird sense of themselves some police officers have. Yes, they do a very valuable and difficult job, but the same could be said of thousands of others. I doubt that Alfie feels he should be clapping people who work in essential services like electricity and water supply and sewage.