Officers must police everyone without fear or favour, says Police Federation chair

Police Federation chairman has said that all police forces must get involved in all civil order with “equal ferocity” as the argument of “two tier” policing continues.

Richard Cooke, chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, who represents rank-and-file officers said videos do “look bad” as Muslim men have been seen wearing balaclavas shouting “Allahu Akbar” and “free Palestine” in Birmingham.

Some 200 Muslim men were at the Bordesley area in Brimingham armed with knives and one seen with a “sword” as there were incorrect rumours that a far-right protest was supposed to have been planned.

Cooke’s comment come as a female Sky News journalist in Birmingham was reporting on live TV was met by masked men who appeared and shouted “free Palestine, f**k you” but there were no police in sight.

She was then shown “a sword” and the journalist was “forces to stop broadcasting due to Muslim immigrants in Birmingham.”

Sky News journalist forced to stop broadcasting due to Muslim immigrants in Birmingham. One of them shows us a sword. pic.twitter.com/qFzYWLUu1x

— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) August 5, 2024

He said: “You look at these videos and it does look bad. You see a load of thugs in balaclavas waving knives around and you don’t see any police.

“There were a number of things that could have happened yesterday and so I think the force was looking at several potential incidents that could have happened and this was one of them.

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“It is all about understanding the context to me but there is no doubt that it is not a good look to have criminals marauding in the streets.

“What you are supposed to do if you have someone with a machete or a bladed weapon is send armed support in and of course, they don’t want to do that so I think it is a case that if it is peaceful in the sense of nobody has been injured, I think the conclusion is that it is better to wait.

“There is clear CCTV of the guy with the sword, they need to ensure that he is arrested and people like him are dealt with where there is the evidence, because my worry is that there is a focus on the alleged far-Right protests and I just wonder whether there is the determination to deal with everyone on all sides with equal ferocity given the over stance taken by the political leadership of labelling ‘far-Right’, which may well be the case, but there are clearly other elements coming into play.”

Darren Grimes who is a GN News broadcaster criticised “TwoTierKeir” as he compared two scenes, footage taken in Birmingham people are seen waving Palestinian flags and are “left to smash up cars without police in sight,” he wrote on X.

Grimes then showed footage of men and women “stood in Plymouth” who are then “met by a fleet of Riot Police and dangerous dogs.”

Grimes asks, “but there isn’t remotely an issue, right?”

Compare these two scenes.
Men and women stood about in Plymouth are met by a fleet of Riot Police and dangerous dogs.
Meanwhile in Birmingham a Palestinian flag-waving gang is left to smash up cars without police in sight.
But there isn’t remotely an issue, right? #TwoTierKeir pic.twitter.com/JDSWAptSYW

— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) August 5, 2024

Police Federation chairman added, “The excuse often given, and I don’t necessarily agree with it, is that you don’t confront them at the time because on the balance of risk, someone might get hurt if we confront them but actually there is a bigger picture, if you don’t confront them you pay a heavy price in terms of the psychology amongst the wider public says that the police aren’t going to do anything and if you allow that to take root it becomes a bit cancerous.

“To me if I see someone waving swords around I think they have got to be confronted as soon as possible. You cannot let it stand and too often that is what we are seen to do.”

Sir Paul Stephenson, the former Met Commissioner has also urged the police to use the “full force of the war” against anyone who is involved in crime and violence.

He told Nick Ferrari on LBC,  I rather think communities expect the full force of the law to be used against thugs, irrespective of who’s motivating them.

“All the thugs on the streets who are causing this damage, and I include in that, all the folks, people who mistakenly use fictitious banners of protecting communities to come out and cause damage.

“All of them need to face the full force of the law, but that’s something that should be in place 24/7.”

Birmingham tonight.
Pubs attacked.
This is a show of power.
Police absolutely nowhere in these clips.
The far right are being blamed, somehow.
They’re the issue, not these guys.
Terrifying times for our nation. pic.twitter.com/5zvRQMbfvy

— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) August 5, 2024

He also heavily criticised the Prime Minister saying he is “not impressed” with Sir Keir Starmer’s response to the riots breaking out across England.

Starmer’s “two-tier” policing will simply add to more disturbance that the UK has and is still seeing across England.

Sir Paul said on LBC that the rioters “need to face the full force of the law,” Sir Paul added, “I get that politicians have to make strong statements.

“But on a personal basis I’m not impressed by it. I will be impressed by politicians continuing to support the police in the difficult job they do – that has not always been the case, has it.”