Officers kneeling during anti-racism protests are vulnerable, police chief warns
5 June 2020, 11:40
"Police officers kneeling during anti-racism protests are vulnerable"
This was the Deputy Assistant Commissioner's response to the question of whether police officers should kneel during the Black Lives Matter protests.
There have been debates in policing circles over officers taking a knee during Black Lives Matter protests earlier this week and put the question to Metropolitan Police's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty.
"That's a matter for individuals in the circumstance and we know in policing that the death of Mr Floyd in America has had a big impact on lots of individuals.
"It is a personal choice although I would say where officers are in the middle of a public order situation, or operational deployment, they should think carefully about it because of course you are vulnerable whilst you are on the knee."
He said it is important to pay respect, "but we want our officers to be safe."
Separately, around 20 county lines drug networks have been successfully closed in a joint operation between London Metropolitan Police and Norfolk Police.
The police have been targeting the "line-holders", those that live in the city, exploit children and collect profits while not going near the drugs themselves, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty told LBC.
In London alone the Met has closed down 94 lines and made nearly 200 charges and while the pilot operation worked with Norfolk forces, the collaboration has extended to 11 forces.
