uk police

Culture in the police force, from top to bottom, is back in the headlines.

In the past week, police officers have been accused of mishandling body-worn video in more than 150 incidents, including switching off cameras and sharing footage on WhatsApp.

We've also seen more than 100 officers hand in permits allowing them to carry guns on duty after a colleague was charged with the murder of Chris Kaba.

Talk even turned to putting the UK army on standby.

In this episode, we talk about the perceptions and realities of the culture within the UK police force, as well as exploring strategies for leading with greater emotional awareness.

Joining us on the pod this time is Kul Mahay, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Ignite Your Inner Potential. Kul is the former Chief Superintendent of the Derbyshire Constabulary and he's a big proponent of creating human-centered cultures.

Listen as Kul makes the case to leaders to put people-first strategies in place and prevent scenarios where toxic individuals can poison the culture of an organization. 

Kul is also a speaker at the inaugural DisruptHR Birmingham summit happening on October 19.

The inaugural DisruptHR Birmingham summit is an information exchange designed to energise, inform and empower executives, business leaders and people in HR.

Folks will come together at Halton Turner Brewery on October 19 for an evening of inspiring speakers and networking.

Questions for Kul include:

• You're speaking at Disrupt Birmingham. Tell us about your session and some of the hoped-for learning outcomes
• What do you believe is the most important leadership skill set right now?
• What needs to change in the police force to counter the toxic culture we're hearing so much about in the UK news at the moment? How systemic is the reported toxicity? In your opinion is it, actually, not as severe as we're hearing? 
• Is there ever any excuse for police officers to turn off their body cameras?

More about Kul Mahay

Kul served for 32 years in the UK police service, of which two-thirds were spent at the leadership level.  In his life as a police leader, he oversaw complex and varied departments and co

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London’s police force said Sunday that some officers are refusing to conduct armed patrols after a colleague was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man. 

A Metropolitan Police marksman was charged Wednesday over the September 2022 death of Chris Kaba, 24. Kaba was killed after officers in an unmarked vehicle pursued and stopped the car he was driving. He was struck by a single bullet fired through the windshield as he sat in the Audi car. 

The case renewed allegations of institutional racism within the London police department. Kaba’s family welcomed the murder charge against the officer, who has not been publicly named. He was granted conditional bail and is expected to stand trial next year. 

Only about one in 10 of London’s police officers carry firearms, and the ones that do undergo special training. 

The Metropolitan Police force said Sunday that “a number of officers have taken the decision to step back from armed duties while they consider their position.” It said officers were concerned that the murder charge “signals a shift in the way the decisions they make in the most challenging circumstances will be judged.” 

The BBC said more than 100 officers had turned in their firearm permits and that police from neighboring forces were called in to help patrol London on Saturday night. 

The force said it still had “significant firearms capability," but had asked the Ministry of Defense to provide assistance with “counterterrorism support should it be needed.” 

The request means soldiers could be called on to do specific tasks the police are unable to perform, but they won't perform routine police work or have the power of arrest. 

Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who is in charge of policing for the U.K.’s Conservative government, said she would review armed policing to ensure that armed officers “have the confidence to do their jobs.” 

“In the interest of public safety, they have to make split-second decisions under extraordinary pressures,” Braverman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “They mustn’t fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties. Officers risking their lives to keep us safe have my full backing, and I will do everything in my power to support them.” 

Fatal shootings by police in the U.K. are rare. In the year to March 2022, armed officers in England and Wales fired weapons at people four times, according to official statistics. 

It is also extremely rare for British police officers to be charged with murder or manslaughter over actions performed while they were on duty. 

In one of the few cases in recent years, a police constable was sentenced in 2021 to eight years in prison for the killing of Dalian Atkinson, a former professional soccer player who died after being shot by a stun gun and kicked in the head during an altercation. The officer, Benjamin Monk, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter. 

Kaba's shooting came amid intense scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police. In 2021, an officer pleaded guilty to kidnapping, raping, kidnapping and killing Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman who disappeared while walking home from visiting a friend. Another officer, who worked in the same parliamentary and diplomatic protection unit, pleaded guilty in January to committing dozens of rapes between 2003 and 2020. 

In March an independent review found the London force had lost public confidence because of deep-seated racism, misogyny and homophobia. 

The force says it is committed to rooting out misconduct, and has dismissed about 100 officers for gross misconduct over the past year. But it said last week it could take years to remove all corrupt officers. 

- by Jill Lawless, AP

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A new report from the British Government's independent watchdog warns that police may be vulnerable to spying from Beijing.

British Police are still reliant on Chinese-made cameras and security devices, which has sparked concern from the publicly appointed commissioner.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says police forces across England and Wales use camera equipment made by Chinese companies, which has led to concerns that they may be vulnerable to spying.

LISTEN ABOVE

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Chief Inspector Ed Anrude has spent nearly 20 years at the tip of the spear with regard to UK policing and access to police leaders with his experience is rare.  Ed had the unique experience of being the on-the-ground commander during the abhorrent Westminster Bridge attack in 2017 which killed 5 people and injured over 50 more.   

Ed talks with Gaz about all things leadership, role models, taking opportunities, how to deal with difficulty as a leader and what to do when it seems everything is going wrong - enjoy!

Executive Producers for this episode are:

Dr. Debra Langan  - Associate Professor, Department of Criminology, Wilfrid Laurier University
Dr. Carrie Sanders -  Director, Centre for Research on Security Practices (CRSP) and Professor, Criminology, Wilfrid Laurier University

Guests for this episode include: 

Dr. Marisa Silvestri is a reader in Criminology at the University of Kent. Her research interests lie at the intersection of gender, crime, justice, policing and organizational cultures. She is currently working on two books: Police Leadership: Changing Landscapes and Police Leadership: Critical Perspectives.

Dr. Tim Prenzler is a professor of Criminology in the School of Law and Society at the University of The Sunshine Coast in Australia. His research interests include crime and corruption prevention, police and security officer safety, security industry regulation and gender equity in policing. 

Dr. Jenny Fleming is a professor of Criminology at the University of Southampton and is the Co-Director of the Institute of Criminal Justice Research at the University of Southampton. She is the Editor-In-Chief of Policing and Society, an international journal of research and policy.  Jenny has worked on an informal and formal basis with police agencies and police associations in Australia, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Canada, The Netherlands, the United States and New Zealand. 

Dr. Jennifer Brown is a visiting professor in the Manheim Centre at the London School of Economics. She is also a chartered forensic and chartered occupational psychologist. Her research interest is in police occupational culture especially with reference to stress experienced by officers and diversity -- particularly women's roles and coping strategies. 

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This episode was produced by Avery Moore Kloss from Folktale Studio. 

This episode is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

More information on the Centre for Research on Security Practices at crsp.online. 

This episode was produced by Avery Moore Kloss from Folktale Studio. 

It was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 

More information on the Centre for Research on Security Practices at crsp.online. 

Dr. Dominic Wood has been at CCCU since 1995.  He became Head of the Department of Law and Criminal Justice Studies in 2009.   He has led the development of many innovative academic programs in policing.  He was a key contributor to the Student Police Officer Handbook published by Oxford University Press (8th Edition currently at press) and has published around different political aspects of policing. He has a research interest focused on  the shifting philosophical underpinnings of policing from liberal to democratic principles. 

Dr. Wood helped to establish the Higher Education Forum for Learning and Development in Policing.  He is the Chair of the Higher Education Forum, which includes representatives from over 20 universities across the UK. 

He is a contributor to a collaborative MSc Policing program run in partnership between CCCU and the Police Academy in the Netherlands.  Dominic has participated in Skills for Justice working groups and as a member of the National Police Improvement Agency-led Higher Education Steering Group.

His Ph.D. is in the field of philosophy of education.  He is a member of the British Society of Criminology and the Philosophy of Education Great Britain Society. 

We spoke of the ever-changing state of policing and the value of university/police partnerships.

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

This week Bards & Jerry discuss UFOs, aliens, the US government, McDonald's, & the police.  *Notice: This episode was recorded at two different locations using Squadcast*