The PC police, literally
by Tom Slater, spiked:
‘PC police’ may have become a tired phrase. But it seems it can now be taken literally. Last week news broke that a senior Scotland Yard officer is under investigation for using the phrase ‘whiter than white’ in a briefing to colleagues. He was discussing the importance of police officers being ‘above reproach’ in how they conduct themselves. But nevertheless a complaint was made and now the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating him for ‘the alleged use of language deliberately intended to be offensive and that had racist undertones’. He has been placed on restricted duties and has reportedly been warned that the inquiry may take up to 12 months to complete.
This is a story so thoroughly insane that even the most fulminating anti-PC warrior among us would have to do a double take. But a spokesman for the IOPC has indeed confirmed that not only is the investigation into the officer under way, but that it is part of a broader investigation into ‘allegations of serious corruption and malpractice’. So this superintendent, who is reportedly ‘highly respected’, is being hauled over the coals alongside bribe-takers and other bent coppers. And for what? For using a phrase that is not racist, has never been racist, and would require a fundamental ignorance of the English language for anyone to perceive as racist. Jesus wept.
That the British police not only have incredibly easily hurt feelings, but also systems in place to protect those incredibly easily hurt feelings, is one thing. The problem is that they are also becoming more and more interested in imposing their speech codes on the rest of society. A few weeks ago, South Yorkshire Police started a campaign called ‘Hate Hurts’, calling on people to report ‘non-crime hate incidents’ to what was swiftly nicknamed the ‘hurty-feelings helpline’. In 2016, Greater Glasgow Police ran a similar campaign telling the public to ‘Think before you post, or you may receive a visit from us this weekend’, accompanied by a nifty graphic, spelling out the word ‘think’ thusly: ‘T – is it true? H – is it hurtful? I – is it illegal? N – is it necessary? K – is it kind?’
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