People questioning police tactics-it’s been covered here numerous times:
The training is to stand in lines with shields. Occasionally moved forward a bit, occasionally back.
You are wearing cumbersome protective kit under those overalls. The helmet squashes your ears, you can’t hear the radio properly and the visor steams up.
You have a long stick.
Sometimes you will see ‘snatch squads’ move between the lines to grab individuals they target and arrest them-but its really important officers don’t break the lines, otherwise you can easily get isolated.
You have consider staffing-every time you arrest someone that’s your serial gone, then you’re queued up in custody waiting to get your prisoner booked in. Plus you have to think of cell space-especially at weekends cell blocks can run at 80%+ capacity in normal times.
So it’s a case of standing there and taking everything thrown at you-and hope they get bored and go home.
Remember the majority of these officers are taken from the frontline so people reporting crimes that need an officer will be waiting days and days.
I think they have been incredibly brave. They will be scared ant times and absolutely exhausted working long shifts in that kit in this heat.
Just guessing but in reality the police can only keep this up for a few more days.
Keir Starmer was exactly right to call this out as actions by the far right.
What upsets me personally is realising just how prevalent racism is in society and it’s not only made me think about my use of social media but also look twice at some friends and wonder…
