Are All Coppers Bastards? Actually Most Are Unimaginably Brave.

Officers are met with unprecedented levels of violence — machetes, swords, knives, boiling water, cars, and even guns. And yet, for some, they are all bastards.

In London, frontline officers are unarmed. Some carry tasers — their only form of defence — in addition to batons and sprays. That’s it. And yet they face violent attacks on a daily basis, running toward danger while the rest of us run away.

Just three weeks ago in Havering, a knife fight broke out at a Tesco store. Who answered the call? Neighbourhood Safety Teams — officers without tasers — rushing straight in without hesitation. These are the same officers who, a month prior, had saved a pensioner’s life. And still, for some, they are all bastards.

Over the summer, a teen carrying a machete was arrested in Romford town centre. What protection do our officers have then? A stab-proof vest — which does not cover the arms, legs, or head. Yet for some, they are all bastards.

In Hainault, two years ago, a man went on a rampage, killing a child and injuring others — including two police officers — with a sword. It was the bravery of one officer, calmly walking up and tasering him, that stopped further bloodshed. If that taser had failed, lives would have been lost, including that officer’s. Still, for some, they are all bastards.

Policing is being used as a political tool, but the officers on the ground pay the price. Every call could be their last. Every day, they confront situations most of us cannot imagine. Cars driven at them, knives, machetes, swords, boiling water — yet they are all bastards.

If you haven’t spent a day in this job, seeing what they see, doing what they do, calling them ACAB is meaningless. They run towards danger that would make most of us freeze in fear. And for some, they are all bastards.

Our frontline officers are brave, selfless, and heroic. Criticising them from the safety of a keyboard is cowardly. For every “all bastards” remark, remember: these are people putting their lives on the line for the rest of us, every single day.

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