Letters: Why Hugh Dowding deserves a statue

Police relations

Sir: As a former Met Police officer, with a similar background to Kevin Hurley, I was surprised how much I disagreed with his article (‘Cop out’, 27 June). Central to this was the lack of emphasis he placed on the attitude of police officers. The emphasis on violent gang crime undoubtedly leads to a distortion in how young black men are perceived by the police, and this in turn can quickly lead to confrontation on the street. The attitude of young police officers is key to avoiding an escalating reaction between them and members of the public. Senior officers need to develop more holistic ways of addressing crime, and acknowledge that the police cannot arrest their way to safer communities. Communities need to be integral to policing solutions.

After leaving the police I became a chaplain at HMP Wandsworth, and it was there I realised that relationship lies at the heart of any constructive change. Among men of varying ages, faiths and ethnicities, it was not their offending behaviour that distinguished them but rather their openness to the opportunity to change — to acknowledge the harm they had done, and believe that they could make a positive contribution to the lives of others. We have to find ways of speaking honestly with one another with an attitude of respect.

Canon Tim Bryan
Bishop’s Adviser on Prison Chaplaincy
Southwark Diocese

Erbil remedies

Sir: I read with interest Colin Freeman’s article about Macer Gifford and his experiences of fighting alongside the Kurds (‘The next Isis threat’, 27 June). For most of 2018 I served in Northern Iraq as part of Operation Shader and can testify to the courage and tenacity of Kurdish soldiers. Mr Gifford mentions the ad hoc prisons in which captives are held, which may result in the repatriation of foreign fighters on human rights grounds.