December 2023: Another year of police violence and incompetence
In this month's newsletter, we look back at the year in policing
Dear StopWatchers,
Welcome to the last newsletter of 2023. Let’s take a look back at the year in policing via our monthly newsletters, shall we?
January: ‘Rotten to the core and a danger to society’ - new year, same old Met
February: The mission to restore ‘policing by consent’
In January, news broke of another serial rapist in the Met: David Carrick. Carrick, an elite Met police officer, ‘waged a campaign of terror and humiliation against women for two decades’ (The Guardian, 16 Jan), despite the force being told repeatedly of allegations against him. In February, the publication of new research by INQUEST revealed that Black people are seven times more likely to die following police restraint than white people (INQUEST, 20 Feb). The ongoing SpyCops inquiry heard that that undercover officers ‘regularly deceived women into sexual relationships because of a culture of “endemic” sexism within the Metropolitan police’ (The Guardian, 21 Feb).
March: ‘We've had so many watershed moments we should be swimming’
April: Nothing's changed
In March, Baroness Casey’s review of culture and standards in the Met was published in full. The report found ‘institutional racism, sexism and homophobia in the Met’, and described stop and search in no uncertain terms as a ‘racialised tool’. The fallout from the Casey Review continued into April (and beyond), particularly on the topic of ‘institutional racism’, as Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley faced criticism for his refusal to accept the term. April also marked 30 years since the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, whose death led to the commission of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry (also known as the Macpherson Inquiry), which published its findings in 1999. The landmark report was the first to officially label the Met as ‘institutionally racist’. Speaking to the BBC to mark the anniversary of her son’s death, Doreen Lawrence said: ‘I don’t know how many more inquiries and how many reviews you need to have to say the same thing and still no changes, and still denials. Officers [are] able to be as brutal as they want, and nobody holds them to account’ (The Guardian, 19 Apr).
May: Lies, lies, and more lies
June: Suella's stop and search scheming
In May, the controversial Public Order Act received Royal Assent – just in time for King Charles III’s coronation, after which the Met faced widespread criticism for its (over)policing of the event. We also witnessed the familiar pattern of police lies and deceit following the deaths of Welsh teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans, who were killed in an e-bike crash after being pursued by officers from South Wales police. In June, (now ex-) home sec Suella Braverman called on the police forces of England and Wales to ‘ramp up the use of stop and search’ (Home Office, 20 June); meanwhile, the Met were found to have been spying on children as young as 13 as part of an ongoing surveillance operation called ‘Project Alpha’ (The Guardian, 6 June).
July: Get a grip
August: Wrong Care, Wrong Service
July saw the publication of the Met’s ‘Turnaround Plan’, the Supreme Court’s judgment in the ‘Officer W80’ case, and allegations against Greater Manchester Police (GMP) of abuse and sexual violence. In August, the Met announced plans to stop attending mental health calls under the new ‘Right Care, Right Person’ scheme following a ‘tense behind-the-scenes row’ with the NHS and the government.
September: ‘Let the police police’, let the public suffer
October: Met police ‘trapped in a lie’ – and not for the first time
November: Rowley’s big risk pays off?
Mark Rowley reached his one-year anniversary as Met commissioner in September, only to be faced with a rebellion of armed officers who refused to go out on patrol in response to the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decision to charge the officer who shot Chris Kaba (‘Officer NX121’) with murder. In October, two police officers were found guilty of gross misconduct over the stop and search of athletes Ricardo dos Santos and Bianca Williams. Finally, in November we saw the sacking of Suella Braverman and the standoff between the Met and the PM over the policing of protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
And throughout the year, we saw countless cases of police misconduct across the country, from the ridiculous to the revolting, as well as dozens of cases of abuse of power (particularly against people of colour and young people). According to INQUEST figures, there have been 29 cases of deaths ‘in police custody or otherwise following contact with the police’ in England and Wales in 2023.
Another frequent feature of this year’s police-related news was the ‘culture wars’ angle, with police forces being accused by figures across the political spectrum (but primarily those on the right) of being either too ‘woke’, too ‘soft’, too ‘scared’ to use their powers (or too powerless), or in the words of the far-right, not ‘English’ enough (Express, Nov 11). What remained consistent was the commitment of most police leaders and politicians to the cult of stop and search, as we saw repeated calls to increase the use of stop and search powers, despite plenty of evidence demonstrating its (a) relative ineffectiveness and (b) potential to cause real, long-lasting harm. What this year has shown us, then, is that stop and search truly is an ideological and political tool.
Compared to the previous eleven months, December hasn’t been particularly eventful in terms of police-related news. We’ve seen the usual: the Met claiming they need more funding (BBC News, 15 Dec); an example of extremely inappropriate use of social media by a police force as Northumbria Police launched their ‘#ChristmasCountdown’ on Twitter, complete with the names and faces of 10 suspects currently on the ‘Naughty List’ (Twitter / X, 18 Dec); GMP drowning in hundreds unanswered FOI requests (The Register, 20 Dec); and the exhilarating highs of rural police work as North Yorkshire Police put out a call in the Thorpe Underwood area asking: ‘Have you lost nine goats?’ (North Yorkshire Police, 4 Dec).
This month at StopWatch, we:
Published our thoughts on the response to the Criminal Justice Alliance’s super-complaint on the use of ‘suspicionless’ stop and search powers
Co-hosted a research roundtable on the topic of Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs)
Enjoyed getting together with our brilliant network of volunteers for festive end-of-year celebrations
Please enjoy our roundup of stories below.
Deaths from police contact, cases old and new
John and Nerys Jackson
An inquest has opened into the death of two people who died in a crash with a police car. John and Nerys Jackson were travelling in a Skoda Octavia on the A458 between Much Wenlock and Bridgnorth on 9 December. Emergency services were called to the scene in the Morville Heath area at 10:16 GMT to a head-on crash between the Skoda and the police vehicle. Both Mr and Mrs Jackson from Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham, died at the scene. (BBC News, 19 Dec)
Other news
Met Police officer had sex with domestic abuse victim after arresting her boyfriend: PC Paul Onslow, based in south east London, returned to Miss A’s flat soon after her partner was taken away, a misconduct hearing was told. Within minutes, he turned off his body-worn camera to ask if she fancied him, while he was supposed to be carrying out a risk assessment of Miss A. (The Standard, 29 Nov)
South Wales Police officer asked vulnerable women to send him naked photos: Christopher Mason, whose behaviour was described as ‘unprofessional and perverted’ by one of his victims, used his police phone to contact three women, asking for nude photos and sex. He contacted one woman 226 times. (BBC, 29 Nov)
Charity head condemns Met police chief’s ‘inflammatory’ comments on armed officers: The head of INQUEST, a charity that supports the loved ones of those killed by police, has condemned Sir Mark Rowley’s comments on armed officers as ‘inflammatory, dehumanising and dangerous’. Britain’s most senior police officer told The Sun on Monday that marksmen would rather face terrorists than gangland criminals because there would be less of a legal backlash. But INQUEST’s director said officers had to understand that they would be held accountable for fatal use of force under the law. (The Standard, 29 Nov)
Liberty brings high court challenge to ‘constitutionally unprecedented’ UK anti-protest law: Liberty’s legal challenge against a new law making it easier for thepolice to put conditions on peaceful protests is seeking to have the controversial regulations quashed. (The Guardian, 29 Nov)
Police misconduct hits record high with a quarter of misconduct offences sexual in nature: Almost one in four of the reasons given for police officer dismissals for serious misconduct last year were for sexual offences, as the number of complaints over serious offences by officers hit a record high, according to Byline Times. (30 Nov)
Two Devon and Cornwall Police officers charged after man ‘beaten’ in Exeter stop and search: PCs Emmit Wookey, 30, and Liam Dunn, 27, are due to appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court, charged with assault by beating, on Thursday 30 November. (ITV, 30 Nov)
Police slammed over Notting Hill Carnival stop and search: Police have been accused of using stop and search powers to ‘intimidate’ Notting Hill Carnival festivalgoers. The comments from Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell came after data was released revealing that the number of stop and searches at the annual event more than doubled this year. (Ham & High, 1 Dec)
Sussex PCSO sacked for inappropriate relationships: An IOPC investigation found that the police employee had formed an inappropriate relationship with a man who he met in the course of his community liaison duties. The PCSO used derogatory and discriminatory language against LGBT groups in messages and agreed to obtain and sell an unauthorised medical product. He also had inappropriate and sexual communication through the dating app Grindr with a vulnerable 16-year-old boy, who was known to the police as a regular missing person. (IOPC, 4 Dec)
Police make 630 arrests of climate protesters in London in one month: The mass arrests of more than 470 people – some individuals were arrested more than once – was condemned by civil rights group Liberty as ‘staggering and shocking’. (The Guardian, 4 Dec)
Lancashire police officer sacked over sexual misconduct: PC Anthony Ford, who was cleared of sexually molesting 5 female colleagues more than two years ago, has been sacked from the force following a misconduct hearing, after he was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour. (Lancashire Telegraph, 5 Dec)
Ex-police inspector accused of sexual offences against 18 people in Hampshire: Gerard Hutchings, of Ashurst, Hampshire, faces 29 counts, including allegations of indecent assaults, causing a person to engage in sexual activity and misconduct in a public office. (The Guardian, 5 Dec)
GMP officer cleared of gross misconduct after woman 'seriously injured' during arrest: PC Kamren Khan was cleared of gross misconduct allegations after a woman sustained 'significant' injuries falling to the ground as a result of a 'leg sweep' performed on her during arrest. (Manchester Evening News, 5 Dec)
Met detective ‘took relative off domestic abuse suspects’ list’: A Metropolitan Police officer who tried to delete her fiancé’s nephew from a list of suspects being targeted by a flagship unit has been issued with a written warning. DC Hussain joined the Predatory Offender Unit in 2020 and was responsible for developing a list of 20 nominals to be pursued for violence against women and girls. (The Standard, 5 Dec)
PCC says he doesn’t want to live ‘in a police state’ over increasing stop and search: During the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel, Festus Akinbusoye told a local councillor who advocated ramping up stop and search ‘regardless’ of any complaints that might be made: ‘The last thing we want is the police stopping anyone anytime anywhere, because one of the most important things we have in this country, […] is the liberty to move freely without being interfered with by anyone, even the police. […] And I do not want to live in a police state where the police can stop anyone just because they feel like it’. (Bedford Independent, 6 Dec)
UK nuclear police share WhatsApp jokes about paedophilia, racism, and homophobia: Specialist police officers and workers at some of the UK’s most secure nuclear sites have been sharing jokes about paedophilia, racism and homophobia in work-linked WhatsApp groups, the Guardian revealed this month (The Guardian, 6 Dec)
Police Scotland failing to challenge bad behaviour: A report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) found that misconduct is underreported in Police Scotland and warned that the force is failing to challenge unacceptable behaviour. (BBC, 7 Dec)
Police still victim blaming in grooming gang cases, watchdog finds: An inquiry by HMICFRS criticised the pace of change in policing since the Rotherham and Rochdale scandals came to light more than a decade ago. (The Guardian, 8 Dec)
Lincolnshire officer who assaulted taxi driver found guilty of gross misconduct: PC James Froggatt, who admitted assaulting a man at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court and was convicted in September, was found guilty of gross misconduct a misconduct hearing this month. (The Lincolnite, 8 Dec)
Northern Ireland police data breach blamed on outdated practices: PSNI missed opportunities to secure and protect data, leading to leaking of 9,500 staffers’ details, says review. (The Guardian, 11 Dec)
Police more likely to Taser black people due to institutional racism, report finds: Study says societal factors play more of a role than the views of individual officers. (The Guardian, 13 Dec)
Data from UK anti-radicalisation scheme Prevent being shared with ports and airports: Personal details from voluntary programme sent secretly without consent to government departments and border agencies, document shows. A Metropolitan police document seen by the Observer also confirms that the sharing of details relating to Prevent across the police extends much wider than just counter-terrorism units, with local officers among those able to access such details. (The Observer, 17 Dec)
PC asked for black mannequin to stamp on in training: A trainee police officer asked to be passed a mannequin of a black child so he could ‘stamp on its head’, a misconduct hearing heard. Adam Brown made the comment during a first aid training session just weeks into his career at West Yorkshire Police, in September 2022. Mr Brown, who denied making the comment but did not attend the misconduct proceedings, resigned from the force in March 2023. (BBC News, 18 Dec)
Section 60 watch*
Merseyside
Everton (14-16 Dec)
Lancashire
Nelson and Brierfield, Burnley (17 Dec)
* This is not a comprehensive list
Terrible tech: Conflict of interest
2023 may turn out to be the final year before the misery of facial recognition policing en masse, and in years to come, British history may well remember Chris Philp as the politician who signed off on the nation’s official transformation into a surveillance state, with the likes of the Met and South Wales Police as the willing vanguard of this technology’s deployment.
The latter force announced 22 deployments of LFRT (live facial recognition technology) in December (Twitter, 6 Dec). Jake Hurfurt of Big Brother Watch said: ‘Suspicionless surveillance is wrong and LFR must be banned, but these deployments make a mockery of the police policies for the use of authoritarian tech’.
And soon all forces may be able to run facial recognition searches on a database containing images of Britain’s 50 million driving licence holders under a proposed clause to the current criminal justice bill going through parliament. Have a driving licence? Get used to being in a virtual police lineup, forever.
Prof Peter Fussey, a former independent reviewer of the Met’s use of facial recognition, expressed concerns with oversight of the system’s use, while ministers have remained ‘worryingly silent over studies that showed the technology was prone to falsely identifying black and Asian faces’ (The Guardian, 20 Dec).
Meanwhile, in a nod to the revolving door tradition so commonplace in British politics, former surveillance camera commissioner Fraser Sampson joined Facewatch, a controversial facial recognition tech firm (The Observer, 10 Dec), just like his predecessor Tony Porter (who joined Corsight AI):
The recently-departed watchdog in charge of monitoring facial recognition technology has joined the private firm he controversially approved, paving the way for the mass roll-out of biometric surveillance cameras in high streets across the country.
In a move critics have dubbed an ‘outrageous conflict of interest’, Professor Fraser Sampson, former biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner, has joined Facewatch as a non-executive director.
Sampson left his watchdog role on 31 October, with Companies House records showing he was registered as a company director at Facewatch the following day, 1 November. Campaigners claim this might mean he was negotiating his Facewatch contract while in post, and have urged the advisory committee on business appointments to investigate if it may have “compromised his work in public office”. [see footnote]
Facewatch uses biometric cameras to check faces against a watch list and, despite widespread concern over the technology, has received backing from the Home Office, and has already been introduced in hundreds of high-street shops and supermarkets.
Looking forward to the next surveillance camera commissioner doing a job share with Clearview AI…
In contrast, EU member-states agreed to limits on the use of AI biometric surveillance, with a ban on the use of real-time data without judicial authorisation in nearly all circumstances covering both public and private spaces (The Guardian, 11 Dec). Needless red tape!
Coincidentally, one former Met officer used the force’s computer systems to carry out illegal searches (BBC News, 2 Dec). Mohammed Rahman looked up family members, addresses and car registrations and passed information on to third parties. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years.
Imagine what any random officer could do with all that AND your driving licence details, eh?
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Stay safe, and have yourselves a very merry Christmas 🎄
StopWatch.