Green Party Considers Disarming Police of Tasers and Pepper Spray
The Green Party faces criticism over a radical policy proposal to disarm police, abolish prisons, and eliminate Prevent, though leaders say it's not yet official party policy.
According to Peter Stevens writing in GB News, the party’s crime and justice working group has drafted a motion that goes far beyond limiting police equipment. The proposal calls for abolishing Prevent, the government’s counterterrorism programme, and would eliminate police presence in schools entirely.
The most extreme element of the plan envisions the complete closure of all prisons in Britain through what the document terms “systemic obsolescence.” The proposal would also redirect funding away from both police forces and correctional facilities.
Policy Under Formal Review
The motion is currently moving through the Green Party’s formal policy process ahead of its October conference, according to documents obtained by The Times. If adopted, it would represent one of the most radical law enforcement platforms ever proposed by a political party represented in Parliament.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp condemned the proposals, characterising them as the party’s “latest madness” and raising serious questions about the Greens’ willingness to protect public safety.
Party Leader Disputes Characterisation
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, pushed back against the suggestion that these proposals represent official party policy. He took to social media to clarify the party’s internal process, noting that any member can submit a policy proposal under the party’s constitution, with members ultimately deciding whether to debate it.
Polanski argued that media coverage presenting member-submitted proposals as official Green Party policy amounts to misleading reporting. However, the fact that the motion has advanced to the formal policy review stage indicates it has gained traction within the party’s activist base.
Growing Concerns Over Public Safety Commitments
Political opponents have seized on the proposal as evidence of what they characterise as the Green Party’s detachment from practical governance and public safety concerns. The combination of disarming police, shuttering prisons, and eliminating counterterrorism programmes has prompted warnings that such policies would leave communities vulnerable.
The debate arrives as Britain continues to grapple with rising crime rates in many urban areas and ongoing security threats. Critics argue that reducing police capabilities while simultaneously working toward prison closures represents a fundamental misunderstanding of law enforcement needs.
With information from GB News
