Over the years, horrendous stories regarding police corruption have been revealed. From Wayne Couzens’ brutal murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, to the 14 other officers convicted of murder since 2009, it is unsurprising that so many have lost faith in those meant to protect us.
The most recent police scandal: 25 ‘spy cops’ having sexual relations while undercover. With many entering long-term relationships with women who had no idea of their real identities, to some even fathering children under false names. The blatant corruption is clear: these officers did not care for a second about the emotional distress they caused the 50 women affected, nor did they consider the backlash they are rightfully receiving.
It is no shock that the police have upheld a culture of institutionalised racism, homophobia, and misogyny for decades
With the scandal gaining wide-spread coverage, the police force has been forced to respond, stating that the relationships were “abusive, deceitful, manipulative,” and is a product of “a wider culture of sexism and misogyny,” in the British police. It is no shock that the police have upheld a culture of institutionalised racism, homophobia, and misogyny for decades: going back to the 1993 murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence, a blatantly racist attack on a boy who is still waiting to receive justice. As written in the Macpherson Report, the severe lack of investigation was due to systemic racism in the police, something that is still yet to be solved today.
As a woman, it is getting increasingly difficult to trust the police.
As a woman, it is getting increasingly difficult to trust the police. Knowing that many have used their power to exploit vulnerable members of the public, solely for their own gain, makes my skin crawl. This class of discrimination is still at the core of the police, and it must be dismantled swiftly to ensure that no more women, people of colour, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are affected by their corruption. They cannot complain as people scream ‘ACAB’, whilst not doing anything to solve the issue that is quickly causing us to lose hope in our so-called protectors.
With 25 officers thinking their actions were appropriate – alongside managers who closely watched their undercover work – it is safe to say: “This is not the problem of a few ‘bad ’uns’ but systemic and institutional sexism.”