“From Pride to Fear: The Shocking Decline of British Policing”

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, policing was a career people were proud to join. It was a job where men and women stayed for 30 years, committed to their service, their teams, and their communities. Officers knew their leaders, and leaders stood alongside their teams. There was pride, loyalty, and a sense of belonging.

Fast forward to today, and for many who once served, policing has never felt lower. Morale is broken. Teams are stretched thin. Officers who remain often do an excellent job under immense pressure, but they do so in fear—fear that one decision on the street could end their career.

There is now a culture where senior leaders are seen as detached, offering little support to those on the front line. Officers cleared in court still face disciplinary hearings, dragged through processes that leave them exhausted and demoralised. There have been countless cases where good officers, proven innocent in law, still face internal scrutiny. It is no wonder so many feel the system is stacked against them.

To make matters worse, officers describe “Al Capone tactics” being used to target so-called “wrong uns”—a climate of suspicion that erodes trust rather than builds it. For the majority who turn up every day, doing their best to protect the public, such tactics only deepen the sense of fear.

Morale is at rock bottom. Officers are burnt out, tired, and disillusioned. And yet, despite this, many continue to go above and beyond to keep communities safe. The question is: when will someone in power acknowledge this? When will we start praising the incredible work so many do daily, instead of tearing them down?

Policing was once a proud profession. It can be again—but only if those at the very top start rebuilding trust, restoring pride, and giving officers their confidence back.

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