A government-backed review has urged police forces across England and Wales to stop engaging in "woke" culture wars and refocus on catching criminals.

The directive signals a shift in priorities for law enforcement under the Starmer government. By distancing police from ideological disputes, the review suggests that authorities can better address the core mission of preventing and investigating crime.

The review, conducted by the College of Policing, argues that involvement in these cultural conflicts distracts officers from their primary duties. This shift is presented as a necessary correction to restore the efficiency of police operations across the region.

Caleb Bond of Sky News Australia said the report, which is supported by the Starmer government, found that there are woke problems within the police force and they need to get away from it in order to do their jobs properly.

Bond linked the need for this refocusing to public safety and the prevention of fatalities. He said that if police do not do something about it now, there will be another Henry Nowak and people will die.

The report emphasizes that the primary objective of the police must remain the pursuit of criminals and the maintenance of order. This move aims to insulate the police force from political volatility, ensuring that resources are allocated to active investigations rather than social debates.

“Police forces across England and Wales have been urged to abandon 'woke' culture wars.”

This review reflects a broader political effort by the Labour government to reposition law enforcement as a neutral, operational entity. By framing 'woke' culture as a distraction, the government is attempting to address public perceptions of police inefficiency and refocus the institutional identity of the College of Policing on traditional crime-fighting metrics.