G20 Policing: 27 Prosecutions, 256 complaints against police officers - call that a success?

So with the final belated prosecutions and court appearences happening it appears the sum total of the police prosecutions against G20 protests is 27. As stated before this figure should be put in context with the 256 complaints made against Police officers. What's even more disturbing is the news that police appear to be ‘making up the numbers’ on prosecutions with 11 rather questionable charges… (see below)

“ONE woman is dressed provocatively in a black bra. Another sports red high heels and stockings. Their long-haired male companions are dressed in scruffy blue boiler suits and the occasional riot helmet.

The costumes may look harmless, but for the Space Hijackers — a small group of part-time anarchists with a penchant for street entertainment — they have been enough to earn them charges of impersonating police officers...”

Source: The Times

At the first meeting of the new MPA Civil Liberties Panel it also transpired that Senior Met officers feel police who fail to show ID in Public Order situations should receive no punishment other than a talking to.

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) said senior officers must ensure frontline colleagues can be identified.

Some officers were photographed without ID badges during April's G20 protests.
Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison of the Metropolitan Police said discipline may not be appropriate for officers who sometimes forget to attach their ID.

Source: The BBC

So protestors whose disruptive but peaceful protest are prosecuted for 'impersonating a police officer' whilst Police Officers are left unpunished for not displaying ID? Hardly bringing back trust in Policing is it?

Whilst I appreciate that some officers may inadvertantly lose their ID during operations and there may well be geniune accident its noticable that the ones missing ID at the G20 are also the ones under suspicion of violent or inappropriate behaviour. For example, the officer who struck Nicola Fisher and has just been charged was missing his ID.

The Met need to start owning up to the fact that there are bad apples who have been deliberately concealing ID in recent demo's. Senior officers current line seems to be its all a coincidence/accident, which is simply not good enough.