Former Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and ex-West Berkshire Council member for Kintbury slams ‘woke’ policing

A FORMER Kintbury councillor and Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has criticised ‘woke’ policing.

Anthony Stansfeld said he supported the arrest of potential protestors at the King’s coronation before they had a chance to peacefully demonstrate.

In an outspoken interview on LBC radio, he hit out at the “appalling” burglary detection rate of some forces.

And he condemned officers who demonstrated support for the gay community during the phone-in with host Matthew Wright on Saturday, September 2.

Mr Stansfeld was a Conservative district councillor for Kintbury and Thames Valley PCC for nine years from 2012.

He began by stating: “What’s gone wrong over the past few years is something absolutely critical to the public – household burglary.

“The detection rates are utterly appalling; a lot of forces don’t bother to report them...they’re not even recorded.

“Burglary is simply not being controlled and that worries the public enormously.”

He added: “I thought, when Theresa May was home secretary the cuts to policing were disastrous – and they were major.

“The idea that you can cut civilian staff overlooks the fact that forensics and so on are done by civilian staff, often very experienced ex police officers.

“There was a major hole in policing and a total lack of prioritisation.”

When Mr Wright suggested the gay community might be reassured by the occasional rainbow display by officers, Mr Stansfeld replied: “I think you’ve got to be very careful with that.

“I would rather they were totally apolitical in every way whatsoever...they should be above that.”

Challenged over whether the police were partisan in arresting people they suspected would demonstrate at the King’s coronation, Mr Stansfeld said the “very small minority” who resented the spectacle had “no right to bring things to a standstill”.

Mr Wright suggested people’s right to protest had been removed, Mr Stansfeld suggested they might have tried to “break through police lines”.

When Mr Wright retorted: “They didn’t have a chance,” Mr Stansfeld said he was “delighted” about that.