The Police

[Doubtmyself]

Is it just me or does the rest of the population (Non-black) finally seem to be waking up to how rotten the police and all the institutions linked to it are?

We've had the rape trails, corruption and now this...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64304500

No, most working class areas of the UK knows and has been hard done by the police especially working class areas. Go up to places like Liverpool and Manchester and see what they think.

Things like stop and search aren't just for young black boys despite what the media,david lammy says they happen routinely in Liverpool to thr majority young white boys
It's a very London centric approach to think everybody else outside the London bubble thinks differently on atwas far more poor than lonon or there no ither working class people in the UK.

Of course you're correct.

In London amongst white working class friends their parents used to say to me, the Met were the 'biggest criminal firm in London' so I'm well aware, working class people all over the UK were well aware of police corruptions an plain wrong uns in uniform.

My post should have have been more specific, I meant middle classed UK, after that sickening murder of Sarah, lots of white middle classed friends were so shocked a serving officer could do this. I think this group have always believed the police wasn't corrupt and good, when the rest of us have known for decades the corrupt and twisted minority within the force was way too big.

Yes it would seem that a certain demographic are only just waking up to the rot that is at the heart of the Met Police. They have not been listening all these years while other people have, and continue to suffer at the hands of the Police. No doubt they believe that only 'crims, and crooks get done over by the Ole bill'.

I knew (white) 30 years ago. But I lived in South London and had Black and Asian friends. Got stopped in cars a lot. And attitude from them because I was with those friends, especially if they were male. Also working in housing you see some of the worst behaviours from the police. You also see the blatant change in some officers when they see you observing.

But yes, someone MC in a nice part of London? They would need to have listened to and believed lived experience.

Sorry, I don't normally comment on BMN so I'll shut up now!

No need to shut up@MrsTerryPratchett . You have not come on here to gaslight, and deny there is an issue, but share your experience of how your friends were treated. Thank you.

Thanks @LadyKenya

I think they always knew, but didn't care as they thought only Black people were targets and likely thought the targetting was deserved. A few years back it would be extremely rare, if ever, to read an anti-police thread on MN. How times have changed

Surely the police are no more corrupt than any other body? Any Tom Dick or Harry can apply. There are naturally horrible people in society, let's say 1 in 50. The police aren't special, so 1 in 50 coppers will be scum.

I dont think you can compare the police to just any other body though, they are literally supposed to keep people safe. If we continue to minimise corruption in that institution then nobody is safe.

I think lots of white, middle class people are waking up to the attitude of “we protect our own” in the police. There is, always has been, and probably always will be a few very bad people in any profession. But the (supposedly) good police officers seem particularly resistant to dealing with the very bad ones.

I think it is a bit like CSE in teaching. 40 years ago there was a culture of covering up, believing the adult, assuming children were lying. That has changed - I don’t know any teachers who would fail to report even the potential of CSE. Obviously the predators still exist, but they’re less likely to get away with it (in the profession) these days.

Policing needs to get to the same point with racism. But it would take an active choice from the police officers themselves. Perhaps now that the scrutiny is on, and people whose opinions they care about are starting to worry about the corruption, there is a glimmer of hope for change.

Working class know what police are like it’s the delusional others which think they’re amazing crime stoppers.

its not only black men who get done dirty although I know they are treated more harshly,

I think so - definitely a dawning realisation amongst my circles of white rural middle-aged UK people.

And it’s pretty pathetic realising how we’ve all heard this narrative of not trusting police from other demographics for decades, but have safely ignored and disbelieved it all this time.

It feels like a strong example of unconscious bias and racism - I grew up being told (and believing) that if you did nothing wrong the police were totally on your side and to be trusted.

Reading why I'm no longer talking to white people about race a few years ago did it for me. I think I read it in the wake of George Floyd and seeing a black journalist (Omar something) being arrested live on tv for the crime of being black. It was really chilling seeing it, and the book spelled out explicitly the mechanisms and the history.

@Doubtmyself
It was so easy
First they came for us blacks
Then the browns
Got away with everything they did and said because non-whites = not right
As the right wingers fanned flames
And in their own minds they became invincible
So their particular brand of cancer tentacled everyone else that there was
Simple.