SUMMARY - As crime in England and Wales is at a 20-year high, leaked documents reveal Home Secretary Suella Braverman's primary concern is policing 'woke' content in Home Office diversity training. This move comes amid significant rise in organised shoplifting by gangs, which critics argue need more urgent attention compared to the focus on ‘woke' culture.
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LONDON (Bywire News) - Amid a 20-year high in crime rates, leaked documents reveal that Home Secretary Suella Braverman's key concern is regulating 'woke' content in Home Office diversity training, reports the Guardian.
The surge in crime offences in England and Wales is stark, reaching approximately 6.74 million in the 2022/23 reporting year, marking a significant increase from the 6.34 million reported last year. This marks the highest recorded crime rate in over 20 years, with figures steadily rising, save for a brief decline in 2020/21 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Despite this alarming trend, it seems that the Home Secretary's primary focus is to police the content of Home Office's diversity training, as leaked documents indicate plans are underway to examine and regulate 'woke' content - a term linked to progressive politics and social justice. The move came under the lens after media outlets claimed the department was capitulating to 'woke' culture. Critics argue such measures fly in the face of the commitment to promote diversity and inclusion in the wake of the Windrush scandal.
The proposal's timing coincides with an alarming rise in organised retail crime, with the likes of Co-op and John Lewis Partnership reporting the highest levels of shoplifting in their history. With blame blamed towards violent gangs of thieves, retail bosses are accusing the police of failing to respond adequately to calls regarding such retail crimes.
While shoplifting has historically been viewed as a low-level crime, recent trends suggest it has escalated into a serious issue orchestrated by organised gangs operating in broad daylight. Meanwhile, authorities seem ill-equipped to counter this trend.
There's a growing concern as to why, amid this crime wave, Suella Braverman seems more interested in regulating 'woke' culture than focusing on concrete strategies to deter crime. It's worth questioning whether such a focus on diversity training content aligns with Home Office's purported priorities – reducing crime, reinforcing homeland security, and managing migration – and whether this can truly deliver impactful outcomes for the citizens as crime rates continue to surge.
Public sentiment seems to indicate a desire for the Home Secretary to channel her efforts into tangible crime reduction strategies rather than policing diversity training content. In a time where crime is at a twenty-year high, the priority should perhaps lie in ensuring safety and security rather than getting embroiled in the 'woke' culture debate.
(By Michael O'Sullivan)