Greetings,
So, it has been decided to "ramp up" Stop and Search in an effort to prevent, and take a heavy handed approach to knife crime? Has it been noted that this method of reducing knife crime has been done before? Over the years it has had limited effect, if any, and has brought no better result than the 'Short, Sharp, Shock', idea many years ago, which, I understand, was short lived. Operation Swamp 81 was nothing more than a quick fix Law Enforcement empowerment exercise which also did nothing, except to incite further resistance to its methods, as Law Enforcement was not concerned with who was innocent or guilty.
This heavy handed 'colonial style' policing decided upon by The Honourable Minister needs to be reconsidered as there is no concern for the reason or reasons underlying the continual increase in that criminal activity. Note, I am opposed to any kind of civil disorder, but the reasons underlying the need for Stop and Search is a societal one, and that is where the focus should be to find answers to reduce its momentum.
Then again, I understand The Honourable Minister declared that Colonialism was a good thing.
Well, there we are, practising what one preaches.
It is my view that a certain Senior Civil Servant needs to return to His Majesty's Home Office.
It appears that community policing is slighted, and looked upon as irrelevant in reducing knife crime. A crime which, sadly, is happening among younger members of the population, and also where the focus is unfairly placed on ethnic minorities, and in particular young black males, who it is also unfairly presumed, are the main perpetrators.
This has been the story since the 1970's and 1980's and has continued unabated ever since.
As much as it has been denied over the years, young black males are a target 'speciality' as they dare to question authority if they feel that they are being unjustly harassed. In addition, their strong will, and physical resistance, is a ' challenge' to Law Enforcement, and therefore believe the only way to enforce compliance is by force. I expect my point of view here to be strongly opposed by Law Enforcement.
I believe members of Law Enforcement that support community policing may well be few in number, as The Establishment would rather a quick solution than to find out what are the sociological, emotional, racial, psychological, and economical issues which undergird and perpetrate knife crime.
I dare to say here, that bias can underlie certain decision making, which has also been indirectly shown by the predecessor of The Honourable Minister, and is well known by one ethnic minority group about another.
All ethnic minority groups have their challenges. It does not help when one seeks to gain an advantage to the detriment of the other.
May I humbly suggest to The Honourable Minister before we have yet another 'George Floyd' type situation, but U.K. style, to consider how these knife crimes can be prevented without penalising any ethnic minority group. Stop and Search has its virtues in crime prevention, but also appears to have no long term effect in reducing knife crime, nor any other crime, but only to disproportionately focus on, and stigmatise, ethnic minority groups, and young black males in particular, which continually perpetuates the cycle of creating more reluctant offenders who take exception to the heavy handedness bias of Law Enforcement be it justified or not.
What needs to be "ramped up" is community policing. Long gone are the days when it was a pleasure to stop and speak to a policeman, as a child, young person, or adult and regard that policeman or policewoman, as a respected member of the community. However, as difficult as it is with the changing times and levels of crime and aggravation in society, respect for law and order begins with the schools and the pupils within them, in terms of two-way communication and an understanding of what policing and law enforcement is all about, rather than Law Enforcement be seen as 'the enemy', and the brute force enforcers of law and order to be resisted at all times. Furthermore, there is a need to reassure communities whose confidence in Law Enforcement rests with the keepers of it.
If all that is lost, the future will be very bleak indeed.
Think on these things.
Peace
Grace
