Drop pursuit of woke causes and focus on chasing criminals, new Home Sec tells police
24 September 2022, 07:38
Police must ensure they aren't perceived as chasing woke causes more than they pursue criminals, the new home secretary has told chief constables.
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Suella Braverman has told all 43 top cops in England and Wales that they are seen to be spending too much time on "symbolic gestures" instead of fighting crime.
It comes after anger in some quarters at videos of police doing the macarena at a Pride event in Lincoln against a backdrop of violent crime over the summer.
Ms Braverman said in her letter: "It's vital that trust is restored and to address this we must have visible and responsive policing.
"Unfortunately, there is a perception that the police have had to spend too much time on symbolic gestures than actually fighting criminals.
"This must change. Initiatives on diversity and inclusion should not take precedence over common-sense policing."
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Liz Truss has previously said the police can "dance the Macarena in their own time" and should be focusing on tackling crime instead.
A report by the Policy Exchange think tank said officers should be discouraged from acts that are meant to show solidarity for a cause – like taking the knee – because they could be perceived by others as taking a partisan view.
The report pointed to polling showing four in ten people worry cops are more concerned with being "woke" than tackling crime.
Ms Braverman added: "The public have a right to expect that the police get the basics right — driving down anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crime which can so easily rip through our communities.
"To put it simply, the public want to know that an officer will visit them after a crime such as burglary.
"They want to feel safe in their cities, towns and villages."
