Tough police tactics always backfire. If the prime minister wants to cut knife crime, there are far more effective ways
Yesterday I was reminded, yet again, that a policy of “fighting crime” can quickly morph into punitive policing and an attack on civil liberties. For the record, I am not anti-police, nor am I against tackling violent crime. What I am against is racial discrimination and oppressive police practices. Here we are, a year on from the unprecedented mass mobilisation of people at Black Lives Matter protests across the UK and numerous discussions about racial disparity in the criminal justice system have taken place. Yet it is clear the government has learned nothing in the past 12 months. Absolutely zilch.
Related: What is Boris Johnson offering in his crime reduction plan?