Scrapping non-crime hate incidents is a smart, overdue fix that gets police back to real work. The old system had officers knocking on doors over social media spats and routine arguments, which simply led to a waste of resources, not better policing. The new triage approach ensures only genuinely relevant incidents get logged, protecting free speech while keeping communities safer.
After years of allowing the police to harass people over legal tweets and online posts, the government is now trying to take credit for ending an authoritarian system it created. Countless people were dragged through a system that never should've existed in the first place, which begs the question: if the current government cares about free speech, why did it allow this system in the first place?
Scrapping one policy doesn't undo a system built to monitor lawful speech. Officials still insist police must track "serious community tensions" and may retain involvement in non-crime incidents, leaving the door open to continued oversight. Meanwhile, new laws, like teenage social media bans, are expanding ministerial power to control online content, showing surveillance tools aren't disappearing.
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.2.2