Almost irrespective of what one may think of SBs utterances, she is wrong. Democracy relies upon the independence of the judiciary, of which the police are a part.
Politicians in parliamentary debate, and through legislation, decide democratically the legal framework within which the police work. The police should implement that which is democratically enacted "without fear or favour".
A police state happens where the political elite direct the police. The Home Secretary has a role in holding the police to account - Mark Rowley will be looking for another job if he gets this one wrong, although I admire his resolve in standing firm.
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