Britain’s Police State Unmasked: The Shocking Numbers Clapped in Handcuffs Over ‘Offensive’ Social Media Posts
The Mail submitted Freedom of Information requests to Britain’s police forces asking how many arrests they had made for ‘offensive’ social media posts. The numbers are alarmingly high — over 30 a day in 2023 and only slightly less in 2024.
Figures obtained by the Daily Mail show that some forces are making arrests for ‘offensive’ social media posts at “extremely concerning” rates.
Cumbria Constabulary had the nation’s highest arrest rate of 42.5 per 100,000 population (217 arrests) in 2024, 20 times higher than Staffordshire Police’s low rate of 2.1 (21 arrests).
Gwent Police came second with a rate of 33.9, a total of 204 arrests.
The crime of sending ‘grossly offensive’ messages or sharing content of an ‘indecent, obscene or menacing character’ on electronic communications networks is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment or an unlimited fine.
But thousands of people have been detained and questioned for sending messages that simply cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety to others.
The alarming differences in arrest rates have provoked criticism from civil liberties groups, who say that some authorities are over-policing the internet and threatening free speech through ‘vague’ communications laws.
Maya Thomas, legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch, a civil liberties group, said the number of arrests is “extremely concerning” in a liberal democracy like the UK.
Total arrests fell to 9,700 last year from a record high of 13,800 in 2023, but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Ms Thomas said: “Despite the prime minister’s assurances that ‘We’re not censoring anyone’ the UK is unfortunately gaining an international reputation as a country where online speech is policed with more enthusiasm than the types of crime causing people the most anxiety and concern.
“The vast discrepancies in the number of arrests across different police forces speaks to just how open to interpretation British laws on speech are.” …
Together, the 39 of 45 police forces that replied to the Mail’s freedom of information (FOI) requests arrested around 9,700 people last year under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988.
However, the total arrest figures are likely to be higher, as six forces failed to respond to FOI requests or provided inadequate data, including Police Scotland, the second-largest force in the UK.
Worth reading in full.
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It’s totally understandable why the police love this type of activity:
1.) Easy targets for our useless police “force”.
2.) Low-risk, effortless arrests: the “perpetrator” is likely to be nothing more than some grumpy disaffected bloke. Compare that to arresting a violent drug dealer.
3.) Improved crime statistics: they can claim that the successfully solved a crime.
4.) Ideologically approved activity, in line with woke, “progressive” policing.
“Ideologically approved activity, in line with woke, “progressive” policing.”
Cumbria police, the worst offender, as per the article, has a current and previous white male Chief Constable, as well as a white male Deputy.
Good to know…👀
You’d think these progressive woketards come in both male AND female versions, wouldn’t you?🤯
Actually, in some ways it makes sense that white males would be the most vocal supporters of woke policies.
It is exactly this type of person who feels most exposed and vulnerable: they have to prove their impeccable credentials as the most ardent allies of woke causes.
A black female lesbian would be far more protected, as she would be able to claim victimhood and discrimination. But a white male officer has no natural protection. The only thing he can do is show extra zeal and enthusiasm for these policies.
But on the other hand, it’s these very woketard men who showcase by their behaviour what traitorous oikophobes they are, because most of the people they’re going after are white members of the public, whilst oftentimes ( as has featured on this site previously ) discriminating against white, male candidates. Candidates who are just like them.🤦♀️
So whoever is at the helm calling the shots is a corrupt, unscrupulous tosser if they’ve embraced the Woke and are policing in a Stasi-like, authoritarian manner. I don’t give a toss what sex or colour they are. I judge by actions, not appearances.
Well, yes, it’s like communists denouncing fellow communists in order to demonstrate their unshakable loyalty to the party.
Hey, under Stalin husbands and wives sent each other to the Gulag for the same reason. And during the Stasi era, spouses reported each other to the secret police.
There is nothing new under the sun. Having lived in Eastern Europe due the communist regime, I saw these people doing exactly the same things.
One characteristic feature of any leftist system is that it positively relies on the spinelessness of the commissars and operates a selection process where only the spineless get into these positions.
Just for balance, you might remember this incident which was featured on here not long ago. This particular constabulary has a female Chief Constable in charge. So when we consider the various police forces across the country, we can see that it doesn’t matter who’s the boss. It’s got nothing to do with colour of skin or which gender they are, because they’re all singing from the same authoritarian, woketastic hymn sheet. From what I can tell, most have been captured. And they’ll shaft their own and chuck them to the wolves in the blink of an eye. This is just an excerpt as the post is lengthy; ”If you want to understand how far Britain has sunk, look at the case of Lorne Castle – the Dorset officer sacked for tackling a masked 15-year-old knifeman and telling him to “stop screaming like a bitch.” For those who don’t know the story: Castle brought down a youth suspected of assaulting an elderly man, carrying a blade, linked to drug dealing, and causing chaos in Bournemouth. The teenager wasn’t harmed. The knife fell from his pocket. The arrest was clean. And for this, a decorated officer with a decade of unblemished… Read more »
Top comment;
”Great piece Jim.
Front line policing is hard, I’ve done it, but what rankles me is PC Castle, (no relation) was reported by his fellow officers.
I served 30 years ago, and even back then we had to be careful around some colleagues, but not to this extent.
Utterly shameful.” Frank Castle.
Let us recall that the point of PCCs was to determine the priorities of police forces so different outcomes should be expected. However, I doubt there has been any input from PCCs in any of the police areas mentioned on their priority for social media posts, nor anywhere else.
I suspect that all PCCs and their staff have milked the system and achied no democratic accountability at all.
The majority of people, quite rightly, think PCCs are a waste of time and don’t bother to vote for them. Does anyone know, without looking it up, the name of the PCC for their police force? Presumably this makes it a lot easier for someone with a particular agenda to get elected as they only need a fairly small number of supporters.
And it all started under the dreadful Tories. They put a lot of time and effort into stealing our freedoms. Bar Stewards. Never forgive, never forget.
MBE??. Moaner of the British Empire for services to DEI