A watchdog has warned that police taking the knee or wearing rainbow lanyards ‘can undermine public confidence’ as officers risk being accused of lack of impartiality by showing support for marginalised communities.
The review also suggested that many police officers have been recording trivial matters such as non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) due to concerns about getting into trouble. In short, “risk averse” officers have been misrecording incidents to avoid being reprimanded.
Out of the 120 cases reviewed, inspectors found that forces had recorded 16 NCHIs and 14 hate crimes when there was no legal requirement to do so.
The report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into activism and impartiality in the police was commissioned by Suella Braverman, the former home secretary. Braverman had expressed concerns that public confidence in policing could be eroded by forces “pandering to politically correct causes”.
The HMICFRS report highlighted that: “A risk-averse culture and lack of knowledge among officers and staff contributes to unnecessary and incorrect recording of NCHIs and hate crimes.”
One officer said: “It is easier to record a crime and not get criticised for non-recording”.
Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said the recording of NCHIs could be important to gather intelligence. However, he stressed that caution had to be exercised in how such incidents are handled.
He said: “Officers and staff often find themselves in an invidious position. They must make difficult decisions about keeping the peace and meeting the needs of individuals and groups with opposing views, whilst simultaneously upholding everyone’s rights.
“Often, this is about contentious or emotive issues. This means that a lot of the time, the police simply can’t win. Whatever they do, they are likely to incur the resentment of some.”
Mr Cooke said the job was made more difficult due to a lack of guidance surrounding policing and impartiality.
The report also stressed the unintended consequences of police demonstrating support for marginalised groups. The report found that, although a particular badge worn by an officer might demonstrate support for one community, it can be misinterpreted by other groups
It stated: “While one person may see a badge as a sign of support for a particular group or cause, another may see it as a sign that the wearer isn’t impartial … Officers and staff often use visible representations as a form of communication.
“These representations can take the form of items such as badges, patches on uniforms, lanyards, flags, signage on police vehicles and digital badges on online profiles.
“However, communication using visible representations risks misinterpretation. While one person may see a badge as a sign of support for a particular group or cause, another may see it as a sign that the wearer isn’t impartial.”
The report added: “Officers and staff gave us both positive and negative examples of the effect of representations on members of the workforce and the public.
The report also warned that there is insufficient guidance regarding the potential pitfalls of “taking the knee” or dancing at community events such as the Notting Hill Carnival.
It said: “It is important that police engage with communities to serve them effectively. But engagement at some public events may make the police appear less impartial, and the actions of individual officers and staff can undermine the best-laid operational plans.
“Sometimes, officers and staff get things wrong and the resulting images or footage, propelled by modern media formats, can be extremely damaging.
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