Police officers are incredibly brave and determined people but they're let down so, so badly by their senior officers
12 May 2023, 12:08 | Updated: 12 May 2023, 12:10
Nick Ferrari takes aim at Metropolitan Police Force
The men and women who do the job are to the vast, vast majority incredibly brave and determined people but sometimes I have to say they are let down so, so badly by their senior officers.
Can we talk a little bit about policing, now as you know this is a subject that interests me greatly for a variety of reasons, not least the fact that my mum was briefly on the job. I’ve also been absolutely privileged to conduct the Met Police Bravery Awards as a journalist.
I want to start by saying the men and women who do the job are to the vast, vast majority incredibly brave and determined people. But sometimes, I have to say, they are let down so, so badly by their senior officers.
If we just look at the events of less than a week ago, when we knew the eyes of the world would be on London for the Coronation of the King and his Queen.
For the first time since 1937, a King and Queen were crowned together, and more than a million people came to town.
So the police are given new powers, this new 'Public Order Act' and quite rightly, in light of intelligence that protesters were going to hurl white paint and lock themselves to things, they take a robust approach.
Six people were wrongly arrested and before the bunting was even down Scotland Yard expressed regret for their action. So having told coppers, and indeed said: 'Look lads, they are going to pose as stewards and throw paint over everybody' they then show immediate regret.
They got it wrong, I don't say they didn’t, but in terms of policing 1.1 million people, I think they did a pretty good job.
Then within 24 hours of their statement of regret statement, the Commissioner writes in the Evening Standard that he was 'intensely proud of all his officers'.
So as an officer what am I meant to think? I arrest a bloke and the Yard says I’m wrong but then the Commissioner says: ‘No I’m proud of every man and woman who served.'
I’m completely at a loss over where we go next, this is meant to be a Police Force, the clue is in the word, Force.
This week we also had the absolute farce of the locked filing cabinet in the Daniel Morgan case which the Met had to send for the fire brigade to break into.
Seriously, take it from me, this was once one of the most respected police forces in the world. It was a hallmark of policing globally now they can’t even open a filing cabinet.
Seriously, they need the fire brigade.
They had horrific issues, there were too many bent coppers and they were found out and they were booted out.
A very brave commissioner came in called Sir Robert Mark but more needs to change.
When I used to report in police stations the idea that any of the blokes sometimes women would ring the fire brigade to open a filing cabinet… it just wouldn’t have happened.
