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In the aftermath of what is now known as the “London Bridge Terror Attack” on June 3rd the police were praised for their ”fantastic” response that enabled them to find and kill the assailants in minutes – potentially saving many more than the eight lives that were lost. (1)
This, along with discussions following the Westminster and Manchester attacks in March and May respectively brought to the fore debates on whether all police should be armed or at the very least current numbers vastly increased. (2) The reduction is police numbers over the last decade was one of the blows Jeremy Corbyn was able to successfully land on Prime Minister Theresa May during her woeful election campaign. (3) Calls to routinely arm police are supported by 72% of the population, according to a Sky news poll.Interestingly, this figure falls dramatically to only 26% among actual police officers. (4)
Although Home Office figures show a reduction of over 1,000 armed officers since 2010, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) assert that it is not all about the numbers and that firearms officers are better trained that ever. According to Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, the NPCC’s lead for Armed Policing:
“We have the ability to move much quicker to resolve situations. Previously the approach was to locate, contain and neutralise. Now it is to locate and confront. Our tactics are more aggressive.” He added, “We now have the capability to deliver much more … we also have plans in place to mobilise the non-Home Office forces to give support to a major incident and – if needed – the military.” (5)
Moves to increase armed police numbers, ostensibly supported by the Labour Party, (6) even under the guise of fighting terrorism, have traditionally raised concerns in the Afrikan community. For example, there was the infamous London “ring of steel” back in the 1990s. Designed to prevent IRA terror attacks but ended up disproportionately detaining Afrikans. (7) Currently, Afrikans are still the group most likely to be stopped and searched, irrespective of the severity of the the terror threat. (8) The USA may offer some idea of the destination where talk of police “occupation” of Afrikan communities is not unheard of. Glen Ford, Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report offered the following perspective:
“Obama came into office with the intention of vastly reinforcing the two-generations-long siege of Black America, but was temporarily chastened by the emergence of a resistance movement during his second term.. When Obama was earmarking $163 million for U.S. Justice Department “community policing” projects in 2015, he was simultaneously budgeting more than half a billion dollars for militarization of the police.” (9)
For the mainstream political parties more police guns is the clear direction of travel. Those who do do not advocate arming all police such as former firearms officer Steve White of the Police Federation of England and Walessee Tasers as a viable alternative. (10) The authorisation of the new, more powerful X2 stun gun by Home Secretary Amber Rudd earlier this year has been welcomed by police officers, with three quarters (75%) of Metropolitan Police officers believing they should be issued with a Taser, according to a Police Federation survey published in February 2017. (11)
However, not all see Tasers as the safer option. When race relations advisor Ras Judah Adunbi was Tasered outside his Easton, Bristol home in January of this year he said he thought he was going to die. (12) The incident sparked a number of campaigns (13) and now the officer responsible is now facing an assault charge. (14)
More tragically, ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson died around 90 minutes after being Tasered three times by police officers, reportedly the 11th death linked to Taser use in the UK. (15) Human rights campaigns group Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK) have also raised grave concerns about this so-called safer option. In June 20th press release the group claimed:
“Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK) view today’s announcement by Met Commissioner Cresssida Dick that more officers will be trained to use Taser as a retrograde step that has serious implications for the safety of innocent black people from the UK’s African Caribbean communities, particularly those who are forced to use mental health services.” (16) BHM UK already has a well established campaign to ban Taser firearms against detained mental health patients. (17)
The Afrikan community seems to find itself at odds with public opinion and mainstream political policy. Some activists question whether Tasers are really a safer option and the fact that Afrikans are ‘three times more likely’ to be Tasered will do little to increase support. Moreover, as the cases of Olaseni Lewis, Sean Rigg, Edir ”Edson” Frederico Da Costa as well as emerging reports of Rashan Jermaine Charles indicate, the majority of Afrikan deaths in custody are not predicated on the use of firearms, whether of the “lethal” or “non-lethal” variety.
(1) Vikram Dodd (03/06/17) Police praised for stopping London Bridge attack in minutes. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/04/police-praised-for-stopping-london-bridge-attack-in-eight-minutes
(2) Rachael Bletchly (28/03/17) After London terror attack – should all police be armed? Arguments for and against. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/after-london-terror-attack-should-10087838
(3) Heather Stewart and Peter Walker (05/06/17) Jeremy Corbyn backs calls for Theresa May to resign over police cuts. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/05/jeremy-corbyn-theresa-may-resign-police-cuts
(4) Harry Carrr (05/06/17) Sky poll: Most Britons want police to be armed.http://news.sky.com/story/sky-poll-three-in-four-support-arming-uk-police-after-terror-attacks-10905554
(5) Full Fact (05/06/17) Have armed police numbers been cut?. https://fullfact.org/crime/have-armed-police-numbers-been-cut/
(6) Rajeev Syal and Alexandra Topping (02/05/17) Labour will put 10,000 extra police on streets, vows Jeremy Corbyn. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/01/labour-will-put-10000-extra-police-streets-vows-jeremy-corbyn
(7) Will Bennett (03/07/93) Ring of steel makes a rusty start.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ring-of-steel-makes-a-rusty-start-1482871.html
(8) Patrick-Scott (27/10/16) Black and minority ethnic groups increasingly more likely to be stopped and searched by police. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/27/black-and-minority-ethnic-groups-increasingly-more-likely-to-be/
(9) Glen Ford (27/07/16) Obama Prepares to Reinforce the Militarized Police Occupation of Black America. https://blackagendareport.com/obama_reinforces_militarized_police
(10) Bletchly, Op. cit.
(11) Alan Travis (02/03/17) Amber Rudd authorises more powerful Tasers for police.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/02/amber-rudd-authorises-more-powerful-tasers-for-police
(12) Steven Morris and agency (20/01/17) Police Taser their own race relations adviser in Bristol. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/20/police-taser-race-relations-adviser-bristol-judah-adunbi
(13) Alastair Levy (24/01/17) Review Taser Use by British Police – Support Judah Adunbi.
https://www.change.org/p/amber-rudd-mp-review-of-taser-use-by-british-police-support-judah-adunbi and https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/suspend-the-two-police-constables-who-tasered-ras-judah-1
(14) Telegraph Reporters (11/07/17) Police officer facing assault charge after race relations adviser ‘tasered.’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/11/police-officer-facing-assault-charge-race-relations-adviser/
(15) Matthew Weaver (16/08/16) Dalian Atkinson death raises concerns about police Taser use.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/16/dalian-atkinson-taser-death-police-institutional-racism
(16) Black Mental Health UK (20/06/17) Met Police Taser increase a human rights concerns for black Londoners. http://www.blackmentalhealth.org.uk/index.php/news/news-archive/1708-met-police-taser-increase-a-human-rights-concerns-for-black-britain-
(17) https://www.change.org/p/bmh-uk-campaign-ban-taser-firearms-against-detained-mental-health-patients-ban-taser?recruiter=15482303&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive
(18) Damien Gayle and agency (13/10/15) Black people ‘three times more likely’ to be Tasered.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/13/black-people-three-times-more-likely-to-have-taser-used-against-them
(18) BBC News (24/07/17) Rashan Jermaine Charles dies after Hackney police pursuit.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40696004
we ask the question:
Will more armed police make us safer?
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Do Afrikans make up a significant proportion of 72% calling for routine arming of the police?
- Are mainstream political calls for more police firearms attracting or alienating Afrikans?
- Are Tasers really a safer option?
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What impact would more armed police have on deaths in custody?
Our very special guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Guide To Excellence.
Sis. Matilda MacAttram: is founder and director of Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK), a human rights campaigns group established in 2006 to raise awareness and address the stigma associated with mental illness within African Caribbean communities. She is a member of the stakeholder group of the Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody, which is part of the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody and also a member of an advisory panel for the Government’s Ministerial Advisory Board on Mental Health and Equalities. She was also on the working group of the Centre for Social Justice’s Mental Health Review and she currently sits on the advisory board of Mental Health and Justice Research Project, which is examining how law enforcement agencies treat victims of crime who have used mental health services. In addition, Sis. Matilda sits on the editorial board for the Journal of Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care and is a Fellow United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.
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