It should surprise no one if police have sought information
to incriminate the law-abiding family of a murdered boy.
In a criminal
investigation, when evidence of wrong-doing is found, we congratulate
our constabulary on a job well done. A crime has been committed. The
gathering of evidence is designed to enhance public safety. The criminals
deserve it. When a conviction is achieved in court, a few careers in
policing are enhanced as well. However, when the same careers are
threatened by bad publicity, it is human nature – and a logical further step –
for police to investigate those responsible for this publicity in order to
discredit them. We need to watch our own backs. All that training
and manpower, and all those resources, are meant to be used, aren’t they?
The Lawrence family and their
supporters embarrassed police with their criticism. Although they had not
committed an offence, or been accused of any crime at all, an undercover agent
now says that he was assigned to spy on them. So, police
resources, which are often portrayed as scarce, were allegedly
diverted away from the investigation of real crime – the murder of boys, for
example – and marshalled against the private lives of an innocent, grieving
family. When real criminals walk free, this same scarcity of
resources is one of the excuses that are given.
In 1993, the reflex action to
bungle by an institutionally-racist police force made the guilty look innocent,
while the reflex urge to sniff and spy, in this case, we are told, to make the
innocent look guilty, has remained a secret until now. None of this
should surprise anyone. Considering what happens to whistle-blowers,
it is a wonder such allegations are made at all. What will they be
saying in 2033? Very little. The police are so much
better at it now.
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