In this country we police largely by consent.
So the police appear to stand idly by when riots happen, statues get torn down, crowds mass against covid rules etc. They have been so diminished in numbers, and so constrained by the risk of official complaint or media scrutiny that they feel unable to act.
In fairness their judgement may sometimes be infuenced by broader considerations - intervene now and the fallout may create more problems downstream.
A lack of numbers also means that more minor crime is no longer effectively pursued - this can be dispiriting - the only reason to report it is to make sure the right processes are gone through to support an insurance claim.
In a local town known for its alternative culture last week, a police car was parked in the high street. 20m away a busker - hat on ground to collect coins - sign up "please contribute generously, need a fix" . Perhaps the police were right in this case - earning money by entertaining people is a worthy way to feed a habit.
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