A significant government-sponsored study indicates that Britain’s police leaders should steer clear of “culture wars or wokeness” and instead concentrate on preventing crime and upholding the police’s fundamental values, hinting that they may not be doing this effectively at present.
Police forces across England and Wales are grappling with a leadership crisis, revealing inconsistencies in police quality as well as a lack of training and professional development among senior officers, who seem overly focused on issues of ‘wokeness’. The Police Leadership Commission, headed by veteran Labour figure David Blunkett and Nick Herbert, principal of the Police College, found that only 13% of constables felt they were part of a “well-led and managed organization.” While some police forces seem effective, others are said to be “not focused on fighting crime.”
The commission’s report, characterized as “the most detailed assessment of police leadership in England and Wales in a generation,” discusses the variable quality among senior police officers, largely due to inadequate training. In contrast to other uniformed professions, senior police officers appear to receive significantly less training. The report points out:
…Fifteen years post-Sandhurst, a Colonel overseeing 1,500 personnel will have completed 72 weeks of leadership training. In contrast, MPS chief superintendents achieving similar ranks typically receive two to three weeks. More than 20% of newly appointed chief constables and inspectors indicated they hadn’t received formal leadership training for over two years following their recruitment…
Emerging amidst ongoing claims of police misconduct and a supposed “two-tiered policing” system, the report criticized the police for allegedly enforcing laws unevenly, influenced by the background and social groups of those involved. It suggested these factors are “entirely irrelevant” to police conduct, hinting that such assessments of police practices pointed to significant shortcomings.
The report highlighted that police leaders have been labeled as ‘woke’ or ‘anti-woke,’ often drawn into the so-called ‘culture wars.’ It strongly advised that police leadership should resist taking sides and maintain focus on the critical tasks of preventing, detecting, and prosecuting crime, especially within a society that is becoming increasingly divided.
The implication of insufficient policing also raises fundamental concerns, as the commission stated that “police leaders must uphold the core values of British policing, based on the Pelian Policing Principles.” This foundational principle from 1829 promotes enforcement by consent, emphasizing that police legitimacy stems from public approval rather than coercive measures.
daily telegraph Mr. Blunkett emphasized the necessity for police to refrain from political involvement and instead focus on crime. “The report clearly states there’s no room for culture wars or wokeness… The police force should remain impartial,” he noted.
While acknowledging the noted issues, the report aimed to clarify that it was not criticizing individual senior officials. One member of the commission shared his thoughts in a British publication, expressing that, “We are not woke, we are not anti-woke, and we aren’t engaged in a culture war. We aim to be impartial… It isn’t helpful to engage in a polarized discussion,” asserted Matt Jewkes, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. Upholding essential principles of fairness and legitimacy requires a careful understanding of inclusion claims and acting when trust is jeopardized—without being drawn into confusing ideological debates.
