Child Q: Councillors call for resignation of Hackney police borough commander
A number of prominent Hackney councillors have signed an open letter to the borough’s police borough commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Marcus Barnett, calling for his resignation over the case of the strip-searching of a Black teenager, Child Q, at her school.
The 15-year-old was searched by two female police officers on the school premises, and no appropriate adult was present to support her as required by law.
What happened triggered a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review by the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, which said “there was no justification” for the strip-search.
In their letter to the borough commander, the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the council’s scrutiny commissions and committees express their concern regarding the impact of the case on trust and confidence in policing in Hackney, stating:
“Unfortunately, the traumatic case of Child Q and the abuse she suffered at the hands of the police is sadly not an isolated one, rather it is a tangible manifestation of all that is wrong with policing in our borough and the systemic discrimination many of our residents are subject to.
The letter later continues:
“As councillors we have waited far too long for access to the sort of police leadership in our borough that is willing to recognise and acknowledge the impact of discriminatory practices and set in place clear process and practices which work to eradicate them.
“Past apologies from the police are insufficient. Historically they have worked only to frame cases as isolated incidents without recognising the wider implications in respect of the many others subject to the same circumstances.
“The time has long past for cultural and systemic change that will result in a local force which is able to police our borough without prejudice.
“As Chairs and Vice Chairs of scrutiny commissions and committees we no longer have confidence in your ability to deliver the leadership our borough needs.
“The ongoing failure to remedy what can only be deemed entrenched institutional racism, discrimination, and misogyny, falls squarely at your door.
“And, with all sincerity, we no longer see you occupying the role of Borough Commander as a tenable option for our borough and call for your resignation.
The letter was signed by Councillors Soraya Adejare; Polly Billington; Sophie Conway; Margaret Gordon; Sharon Patrick; Clare Potter; and Nick Sharman.
It is no surprise that once again the police are accused of heavy-handedness and racism. What was truly shocking about this is the attitude and easy compliance of teachers. They, after all, were the ones who called the police in the first place and then raised no objection to what followed.
We know the police are racist. Rather than go for the easy target why don’t the councillors use their scrutiny role to enquire about racism in Hackney’s schools?
Its really sad how easily the press both main stream and alternative have accept being misdirected by those whose only agenda is to get at the Met. There is no doubt they have done many things that they deserve to be strongly censored for.
But in this instant the primary culprit is the school, and worse the Hackney Council has contrived by adopting the anti met stance, to escape criticism.
But why would Hackney Citizen let them get away with it by reproducing this self serving press release.
Hackney Council coverd up for 2 years the fact that this took place in one of their schools. This means Hackney parents were unwittinly sending their children to a school without proper safeguarding.
Where is the report about the failure of hackney’s education department?
What action was taken against the individual teacher concerned and those who should have overseen what happened.
Hackney should stop with this juvenile lets get the met rabble rousing and face up to their own failure, produce a proper report on what actions they have taken and how they will ensure it wont happen again.
What is the point of the Hackney Citizen if you just write up what the establishment tells you to say.
Hackney parents deserve more than these empty gestures.
If Hackney Council had any guts and honesty they would call an open meeting for Hackney parents where they should answer questions in person, and then listen to what parents tell them they want changed, not listen to those self appointed leaders of “community” groups who solidify their funding relationship with the council by agreeing to these half baked gestures.