Racial profiling: UK policing is wrong and racist

If anyone was in any doubt that even after 25 years have passed since the death of Stephen Lawrence when the Met police were accused of being institutionally racist, nothing much has changed,  then take a look at this video in which the police racially profiled two innocent young brothers Liam and Dijon Joseph.

In it two things become clear: The much talked about ‘Stop and Search' which, we’re constantly told is desperately needed for in the fight against gun and knife crime, is in fact being used as a blunt instrument to target and harass black youths through the failed prism of the Met’s 'War on drugs'.

This 'War on drugs', which has become an assault on the Black community,  sees the most flimsiest interaction between two black people, in this case a fist bump,  construed through prejudice lens as a drugs deal.

Secondly, and equally troubling,  again seen through the same discriminatory lens, is the way that the two arresting officers both conclude,  on zero  evidence other than the arrested man is 6ft tall and Black, that he is aggressive. Of course we all know that if you believe that you are dealing with someone aggressive then you act accordingly, which is often an aggressive response.

The young brothers, who were in total disbelief to see how this nightmare was infolding, behaved exemplarily throughout.

The arresting police officers, having searched the two brothers and their car, found no drugs, but not content with their failed racial drugs profiling, proceeding to arrest Liam Joseph for handling 'stolen goods', because he had his girlfriend’s credit card. Of course he was innocent.

Liam Joseph stated that: "I felt ashamed, and I felt disrespected and I felt threatened; and it felt like it was a toe-to-toe situation,” he said, explaining that he feared police would become more violent. “The whole time, in the back of my mind, I was watching them to, if necessary, get ready to weave to the left or the right to protect myself.”

This video nasty was a throwback to the 1970’s.  But back then there were no phone cameras, and the police would have probably  beaten up the two brothers, charged them with assault, and in some cases planted drugs on them to justify their actions.

But in 2018 with trust between the police and Black communities at a desperate low, how can confidence be built when some  police officers behave in such racially prejudiced and aggressive behaviour.

Who will hold those officers to account?

This video nasty not only demonstrates the abuse of 'Stop and Search', but also how officers too often view Black youths.

See video here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfv_XCUlbAP/?utm_source=ig_embed

Simon Woolley