How should our community address violence and its impact on public safety and trust in government?

How government should respond to the killing of Henry Nowak sam.macrory Fri, 05/06/2026 - 12:14 Henry Nowak's murder must lead to considered and targeted government action. 5 Comment Institute for Government Yes Police form a cordon outside Southampton Central Police Station as locals gather during a flash protest following the release of body-cam footage of the arrest and subsequent death of Henry Nowak. Policy making Public services Criminal justice Police Law Labour Reform UK Conservative Prime minister Home secretary Starmer government Home Office No The police bodycam footage of Henry Nowak is harrowing and deeply disturbing. Henry, an 18-year-old white student, lies on the ground mortally wounded while an officer casually dismisses his cries for help and arrests him for a racially aggravated assault that his Sikh killer, Vickram Digwa, had fabricated. The case has undermined trust in the police service, sparked a bitter debate about so-called ‘two-tier policing’ – and led to scenes of appalling violence in Southampton, where the murder took place last December. When such dreadful events happen there is a temptation to seek immediate answers and reach for quick policy solutions. In the face of an outpouring of grief and anger, the government comes under intense pressure to “act” – particularly from its political opponents. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said it must be a “seminal moment for Britain on a par with the murder of Stephen Lawrence”, the black teenager fatally stabbed in a racist attack in 1993. For Reform UK, Nigel Farage called for people to respond with “pure, cold rage” and end a “culture of fear that puts minority lives on top and white ones at the bottom”. What ministers really need, however, is space and time to make the right decisions. The impact of all police anti-racism advice, policies and training should be reviewed Some of those decisions will hinge on the outcome of the investigation into the police’s handling of the incident.