The Crime Agents

• 'Two-tier' policing: are cops tougher on some protesters than others?

  All summer, Britain's police have been kept busy by a range of protests. From demonstrations outside asylum hotels, to marches in support of Palestine Action, thousands of people have taken to the streets to make their voices heard from across the political spectrum. But have the police handled these protests even-handedly?To answer that, Andy and Neil go back to the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and the vigil for Sarah Everard on Clapham Common in 2021, to look at the origins of so-called 'two-tier' policing and why these events are so hard to keep under control. Neil takes us inside the Gold Command Centre to explain how officers prepare for major demonstrations, and Andy reveals the protest which made him feel more unsafe than he ever had before in the UK. Later, Andy gives us a firsthand account of this year's Notting Hill Carnival - and he and Neil discuss whether the debate about where the event should be held in the future has gone away for good.

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• What’s the future of Notting Hill Carnival?

  Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's biggest street festival. It's been a fixture of London's cultural scene for decades and it's attended by millions every August Bank Holiday. But the event also regularly attracts negative headlines, with several murders and many more violent incidents in the last few years. So should Carnival be allowed to continue in its current form? On the eve of this year's event, Andy and Neil take a look at the history of Notting Hill Carnival and why it's so important for Britain's Caribbean community. They also discuss the idea of moving the festival to a different venue, and the possibility of a Hillsborough-style crush taking place if changes aren't made to the current format. Plus Andy and Neil reveal why officers consider the event 'unpoliceable' and suggest what can be done to make Carnival safer in the future. Later, Neil explains how the festival's Gold Commander once got into a social media spat with Stormzy - and lost.Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents

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• Q&A: Should police reveal suspects' ethnicities?

  The Q&A is back! In this week's episode, Andy and Neil answer your questions on one of the major talking points from last week: an announcement of new guidance suggesting police should reveal the ethnicity of suspects in 'high-profile and sensitive' cases. Is greater transparency a step forward? Or could this lead to more racial tensions in the UK? Tune in to hear which way Andy and Neil think it will go.Plus: has social media helped or hindered counter-terror police in their efforts to foil terror plots? Is it time to consider decriminalising drug use? And is there such a thing as a 'charming' serious criminal? Have a question for a future Q&A episode? Email it to [email protected] or send it via social media: @thecrimeagents on all major platforms

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• Cocaine and punching police horses: inside football hooliganism

  You've seen The Football Factory and Green Street. You remember the chaotic scenes at Wembley for the Euro 2020 final. And for years you've heard hooliganism described as 'The English Disease'. But what is the reality of football hooliganism in the UK in 2025? This week, Andy tells the story of when he infiltrated one of the country's most notorious football firms, and Neil explains how even experienced police officers were shocked by the volume of Class A drugs being used by so-called fans who forced their way into Wembley back in 2021. Plus Andy reveals why the rise of the far-right briefly led to a drop in the number of violent incidents and arrests at football matches - and why those numbers are now on the rise again as the new Premier League season gets underway. Later, they discuss whether there's any justification for cash-strapped police forces footing the bill for policing football, when billionaire-owned clubs spend their money on transfers instead. Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents

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• Policing, politics, prejudice: 30 years on the frontline

  In this week's bonus episode, Andy quizzes Neil on some of the most memorable moments from his 30 year policing career. For example, Neil tells the harrowing story behind his most memorable murder case - the 2003 shooting of drug dealer Tony Byfield and his 7 year old daughter, Toni-Ann - and the unlikely way he and his team eventually cracked the case. Neil also explains why being too outspoken cost him the chance to become Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police - aka the country's top cop - and how his ethnicity counted against him at every stage of his policing career.Later, Neil finally tells Andy how he got his nickname of 'Bash' - and reveals the one key trait all police officers need to survive in a job that pushes you to the limit nearly every single day. Have a question for the next bonus episode of The Crime Agents? Send it to [email protected] us on social media: @thecrimeagents on all major platforms

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