Police leaders have rejected claims that they are more focused on being 'woke' than solving crimes, following a report by the Policy Exchange think-tank. The report, authored by former Metropolitan Police officer David Spencer, suggested that officers should consider the potential impact of dancing or engaging with the public at protests and events. It cited polling indicating that the public were nearly twice as likely to agree than disagree that police prioritise wokeness over crime-fighting.
Mr Spencer argued that British policing has lost its way and requires an overhaul of leadership to deliver for the public. The report comes amid criticism from the police watchdog over poor responses to burglary and theft, and official figures showing that only 5.6% of recorded offences in England and Wales result in charges—a record low.
The Police Federation, representing rank-and-file officers, attributed the decline to years of government cuts. Deputy chair Tiffany Lynch told TalkRadio that the consequences of cuts made in 2011 are now evident, with a drastically increased population and greater demands on officers who cannot cope. She noted that 20,000 new recruits will not fully compensate for previous losses.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) acknowledged that the proportion of crimes solved and charged has fallen over the past five years. A spokesperson cited austerity, loss of thousands of officers and staff, increasing complexity of policing, mental health-related demand, and court backlogs as contributing factors. This follows comments from HM chief inspector of constabulary Andy Cooke, who said police spend up to a third of their time on non-policing matters such as cardiac arrests and mental health crises.
Liz Truss, expected to become prime minister, has pledged to order police to cut key crimes by 20%. However, police sources have previously called the proposal 'incoherent' without a clear strategy or resources. A 2015 report warned that such targets could create perverse incentives to mis-record crime.
