London Stabbing Spree sparks debate around police response protocols.

In the early hours of 30th April 2024, a man clad in a yellow hoodie went on a stabbing spree with a ‘sword’ in Hainault, London, killing a schoolboy, injuring four others and scarring an entire community.

Following the incident, police followed the suspect around for several minutes before eventually using a taser to take him down in a front garden. Bodycam footage shows police, grounded and seemingly outmanoeuvred, calling ‘Come this way!’ as the suspect walked freely across garage rooftops and jumped into a garden prior to his arrest.

Instances such as these, where a clear potential shot would have been available, raise questions around the frequency of the use of guns by the Met Police and why they aren’t more regularly used to immediately eliminate armed suspects and prevent any further harm from occurring.

Comparisons with police forces abroad, particularly in the United States, underscore the profound disparities in approach. Advocates for a more aggressive stance believe that a system more akin to American policing may be the best way to manage extreme situations such as these. However, it is essential to recognise the inherent risks of such a strategy. The frequent overuse of firearms by US police forces, coupled with systemic issues of racism and prejudice, has led to countless tragedies and deepened societal divisions. Furthermore, with scandals pilling up, confidence in the Met Police is at an all-time low as the promised reforms and investigations seem to be of no avail.

Whilst the Mayor of London praises the police for their ‘bravery’, commenters online have different views, with one writing: ‘Looked as though it was many of those coppers first day on the job’ and another describing the arrest as ‘Total chaos and total incompetence’. ‘Is this Police Academy?’ questioned another.

‘No one’s scared of the police anymore, which is why we're seeing more of this happen’ claims East London resident Ted Taylor.

The incident is part of a wider discussion surrounding the degradation of the UKs public services, from the NHS to the schooling system and the lack of neighbourhood routine police patrol.

Prevention is better than cure.

Isn’t it time to bring back the ‘Bobby on the Beat’?!