You need to be logged in to your Sky Poker account above to post discussions and comments.
You might need to refresh your page afterwards.
Met Police anti-terror chief wears 'hot flush vest' to understand the menopause
Scotland Yard boss who tried to feel 'authentic symptoms' at work is accused of woke stunt
Britain's anti-terror chief has been accused of a 'woke stunt' after he donned a special jacket that simulates menopausal hot flushes at Scotland Yard. Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police's new 'HeForShe Gender Equality Lead', wore the 'Menovest' garment in a meeting to mark Menopause Awareness Month. He said he found the vest with heated pads 'at times uncomfortable' and 'at times distracting'. He added that as the heat came to him in 'waves' while he attended the force's Environment and Sustainability Board, he had a feeling of 'Oh no, not now' and 'an anticipation before really losing my train of thought'. Mr Jukes said wearing the jacket had given him 'heightened awareness' of the experiences of menopausal women and vowed to 'redouble my focus to normalise our conversations about the menopause at work'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11418025/Mets-anti-terror-chief-accused-woke-stunt-wearing-vest-understand-menopause.html
Britain's anti-terror chief has been accused of a 'woke stunt' after he donned a special jacket that simulates menopausal hot flushes at Scotland Yard. Assistant Commissioner Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police's new 'HeForShe Gender Equality Lead', wore the 'Menovest' garment in a meeting to mark Menopause Awareness Month. He said he found the vest with heated pads 'at times uncomfortable' and 'at times distracting'. He added that as the heat came to him in 'waves' while he attended the force's Environment and Sustainability Board, he had a feeling of 'Oh no, not now' and 'an anticipation before really losing my train of thought'. Mr Jukes said wearing the jacket had given him 'heightened awareness' of the experiences of menopausal women and vowed to 'redouble my focus to normalise our conversations about the menopause at work'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11418025/Mets-anti-terror-chief-accused-woke-stunt-wearing-vest-understand-menopause.html
Comments
A man tries to place himself temporarily in the same position as thousands of police officers. In order that he may better understand the particular conditions that those colleagues undergo, and how this may impact on performance and decision-making.
That's not "woke". That is being awake to the realities of policing. It is taking action precisely to look at the "police's ability to deal effectively with crime and public disorder".
And for people who think that it is a "stunt" to look to deal with the realities of different people in different situations? Shame on you.
SARAH VINE: Ordinary, law-abiding citizens have been left tearing their hair out at the force's total inability (or is it unwillingness?) to tackle eco-vangelists.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-11418657/SARAH-VINE-crime-victims-comfort-hot-flushes-Scotland-Yards-priority.html
1 of them (yes, really-1 of them) has, amongst other things, done some work evaluating certain stressors on middle-aged women.
Meanwhile, the Police are left in a difficult position on eco-terrorists. The way the Law is currently set up leaves them hamstrung. Because the Conservative Government are seeking to blame the Police for the fact that the Tories are unwilling, or at least do not dare, to create the sort of Police state where many of their backers reside.
Sarah Vine. A woman who, for 21 years until this year, was married to Michael Gove. A Minister in this Government for the last 12 years. A prominent supporter of the current Home Secretary, Suella Braverman.
Stop picking on the Police. We live in a Democracy. Where people have the right to protest. That's part of the price of living in a Democracy.
Look at where people attack "wokeism". Human Rights. Health & Safety. Race Relations.
If people care about such things, that makes them, in my book, better human beings. If people want to disagree, then have the cojones to say why. By all means say you don't care about human rights, about keeping workers safe, about being aware of people's differing abilities and making adjustments.
Be brave. Say you despise those things. Make a case for it. But just crying "woke" as though it is a magic bullet that allows people to ridicule people for caring is rather sad.
Many husbands do the same.
I agree that we live in a democracy, and this applies to protesters, as well those they have prevented from attending their Fathers funeral, and appointments in hospital for cancer treatment etc etc.
If we didnt have the right to protest we wouldnt be a democracy.
I think it is fair enough to use a protest to draw attention to a particular subject, but not necessarily when it interferes with other peoples way of life, or impinges on their freedoms.
Only the truly foggy-brained would think it was a good idea for Britain's anti-terror chief to put on a heated vest during the working day to simulate the effect of of the hormonal changes.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11423663/As-anti-terror-chief-ridiculed-menopause-vest-writer-experienced-gives-verdict.html
Man says it is a total waste of time to think what women may be experiencing while serving as police officers, and how it may impact upon them.
Even though he says it impacted upon him massively. He doesn't think that is relevant.
Should it have been a public thing hamming it up for the cameras? No. That was as stupid as this article.
For me — ironically, perhaps, given the MenoVest’s purpose — it was chilling that the senior cop felt this was a sensible use of his time. Britain faces a ‘substantial’ terrorist threat, according to Government intelligence, meaning that an attack is ‘likely’. While drawing attention to the plight of menopausal women is a fine aim, was it really sensible to distract Jukes in this way, given the series of devastating terrorist attacks Britain has suffered in recent years — and the unceasing nature of the threat?
The fact is that the police are in crisis, and the Met in particular has never before experienced such a dramatic fall in its reputation. Britain’s biggest force is in special measures after a litany of failings, from the Wayne Couzens scandal to dealing adequately with the serial killer Stephen Port.
Thousands of crimes are going unreported, almost all cases of antisocial behaviour are being ignored and a backlog of online child abuse referrals is growing by the day. Meanwhile, Just Stop Oil activists have been causing mayhem for weeks on end. Officers have been pictured standing by these often privileged protesters and failing to deal with them properly, even at times offering the eco-lunatics a refreshing drink or asking them if they ‘need anything’.
Critics insist the stunt is of a piece with other flamboyant gestures from the police, including dancing the Macarena at Pride events, painting rainbow flags on squad cars or taking the knee at Black Lives Matter protests.
Needless to say, these have no effect on prosecution rates, which currently stand at a record low, with fewer than 6 per cent of reported offences resulting in a charge or summons and police turning up to only half of London burglaries.
Many of us who pay the police’s salaries and generous pensions would probably prefer they spent their time catching criminals and keeping the streets safe, rather than signalling their support for one modish liberal cause or another.
Which is why Jukes donning the MenoVest could hardly have come at a less appropriate time.
No one disputes that men in their 50s and 60s often have it easier than women in the workplace — and perhaps in the police more than anywhere else. The Met alone is investigating no fewer than 600 domestic and sexual abuse allegations against its own officers.
Only yesterday, a series of sickening online exchanges between dozens of serving officers were leaked to the Press.
Male officers from Gwent Police regularly shared pornographic videos and images of naked women, according to a report in the Sunday Times, while boasting about having sex with female officers on duty and hiding money from partners during divorces — which is a crime.
When my challenge ended, I took off the vest and was once again able to think, talk, write and stop sweating. I certainly felt increased empathy for women going through this difficult time in their lives.
But I had fumbled three interviews, missed an important deadline and needed to rewrite a feature. It’s just as well for everyone, I suppose, that the defence of the realm was not in my hands.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11423663/As-anti-terror-chief-ridiculed-menopause-vest-writer-experienced-gives-verdict.html
On the assumption that the device is accurate, then some (certainly not all) menopausal women need to be redeployed and/or monitored in certain situations.
That is the point of the exercise.
Excepting the Mail, of course. That will blame anyone, anywhere, rather than the Conservative Party. And do anything to try and deflect from the actual issues facing the police today.
2 I dont think you would need to get a leg amputated to appreciate the problems that may be faced by a one legged employee.
The analogy is inaccurate. There are lots of more similar hidden health issues. That people think they understand, and, quite simply, do not. Starting with pretty much every mental health issue-where people always say "that would never happen to me". Until it does.
Old-school police officers last night condemned Mr Jukes's detailed account of experiencing 'authentic' menopausal symptoms, which was revealed to 33,000 officers on Scotland Yard's intranet.
They pointed out that the Metropolitan Police is currently in 'special measures' because of its appalling performance and crime fighting record.
In June a scathing inspection revealed a catalogue of new failures by Britain's biggest force, which failed to record tens of thousands of crimes, ignored almost all victims of anti-social behaviour, let down vulnerable victims and neglected a huge backlog of online child abuse referrals.
Former Scotland Yard chief superintendent Phil Flower told the Mail: 'Growing public concern about the police's ability to deal effectively with crime and public disorder will be further undermined by this woke stunt. It's simple really: arrest and lock up criminals.
'Perhaps Matt Jukes could be encouraged to put on a blue uniform next time and walk on the streets at night to understand what it is like to be a real policeman.'
Another retired Yard chief superintendent, Dai Davies, said: 'Mr Jukes should concentrate on arresting burglars and people who attack women to counter the appalling level of arrests and charges in the Met, let alone convictions.
'He should leave women to be women, and encourage male and female officers to go out and do what they are paid to do: arrest criminals and protect the public.'
A serving senior officer at Scotland Yard, who saw the Menovest article on the force's intranet, added: 'At a time of crisis in the Met, this beggars belief. It's politically correct nonsense.'
Mr Jukes' Menovest experience was headline news on the Met's intranet this week.
In June, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) announced that 'systemic concerns' about the Metropolitan Police's performance raised by a new inspection had been so grave that the force needed to be put under special measures.
The unprecedented step means the force faces external monitoring and must come up with an improvement plan.
Top officer: Bosses hindered by a ‘woke mindset’
The ‘woke mindset’ of top officers is hindering the fight against crime, a rank-and-file police chief has blasted.
Richard Cooke, Police Federation chairman at the country’s second biggest force, said too much time was being wasted instead debating issues such as ‘white privilege’.
His comments came after Home Secretary Suella Braverman called for a return to ‘common sense policing’ and told bosses she wants officers fighting crime, not ‘debating gender on Twitter’.
Sergeant Cooke, who represents around 7,500 West Midlands Police officers, said: ‘I agree with the Home Secretary; there is a “woke” mindset at the top that leads to much time wasted discussing... ‘critical race theory’ or ‘white privilege’ or whether there should be extra categories of hate crimes.
‘I say leave all that to the academics and politicians. Police officers should focus on stopping the crime and violence which disproportionately affects our young, diverse communities.’ He said the majority of officers signed up to ‘help others... and catch the bad guys’.
‘But that role has become something quite different in recent years with more and more of our time taken up with what I would describe as social work – eight out of ten calls for service are non-crime related,’ he said. ‘It begs the question if we don’t go, who will? There is a current crisis in our ambulance services – this has a massive knock-on to police work. We can’t just leave people who are in need to go fight crime...’
Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, the UK lead for neighbourhood policing, said officers can spend half their shifts working on behalf of other services, leading to crime victims being ‘failed’ and the criminal justice system is now in ‘crisis’ she said.
Miss Pinkney, head of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight force, said officers across the country attend on average 54 mental health incidents every hour and spend three hours waiting with individuals before health professionals can take over.
She said she wanted them to be freed from attending incidents that ‘are not for the police service to lead upon’. Miss Pinkney said: ‘Come and sit in a police control room at half past three on a Friday afternoon, and the number of calls that come in and say “we haven’t been able to resolve this in health, in children’s social care, so we’d like the police to own this risk until Monday”.
‘It all lands on your desk because we’re here 24/7, we answer the phone.’ A source close to Mrs Braverman said ‘she has been crystal clear she wants to see a return to back to basics, common sense policing’.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11418025/Mets-anti-terror-chief-accused-woke-stunt-wearing-vest-understand-menopause.html