The new head of the Greater Manchester Police has said the public are “fed up of virtue-signalling police officers when they’d really rather we just locked up burglars”.
Chief Constable Stephen Watson (52) condemned what he called a threat to impartiality among police officers when asked whether he would ‘take a knee’ in support of Black Lives Matter, insisting he would only do so for God, his wife or the Queen.
“No, I absolutely would not (take a knee”),” Watson told the Daily Telegraph.
“Stephen Watson, the new chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said police officers' traditional impartiality is being put at risk by “making common cause” with campaign groups by, for example, taking the knee or wearing rainbow shoelaces.”https://t.co/q7AFhUtDZa
— Andrew Gibson (@AndrewGibsonMBA) June 13, 2021
“Impartiality is in danger of being upset in our urge and desire to demonstrate that we would like to make common cause from time to time with people whose agenda is very difficult to disagree with.
“I do not think that things like taking the knee, demonstrating that you have a commonality of view with the protesters that you’re policing is compatible with the standards of service that people require of their police.
“Officers could put themselves in a difficult place because if you demonstrate you’re not impartial, and you then have to make an arrest, how on earth do you assist the courts to come to just judgement as to you having executed your powers of arrest in an appropriately impartial professional manner?”
Watson has promised to quit the force if it is not in a “demonstrably better place” in two years, claiming “every crime” will be investigated after a 2020 report found the Greater Manchester Police had failed to properly record some 80,000 crimes.
Watson’s comments come after several instances of allegedly partisan behaviour by police towards left-wing causes such as Black Lives Matter and LGBT campaigners.
Merseyside police were forced to backtrack on their Spring billboard campaign claiming “Being Offensive Is An Offence”, issuing a follow-up statement that the message was inaccurate and that “being offensive” was not a crime.
The police force said that the billboard was intended to “encourage people to report hate crime” and “although well intentioned was incorrect and we apologise for any confusion this may have caused.”
Here are the Thought Police.
So appalling is this you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a mock up for some dystopian drama.
But no, it’s Merseyside Police pictured outside an Asda.
Even the demeanour of these four cops speaks volumes. pic.twitter.com/N9rPazXxWG
— Peter Whittle (@prwhittle) February 22, 2021
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