Casting reflects organic diversity suitable for a London police station, including actors like Amita Dhiri alongside predominantly white ensemble, with no evidence of forced DEI quotas, race/gender-swapping, or clashes with source material. A single incidental reference to a character's gay sexuality in one episode ('New Beginnings') appears as background detail rather than a narrative driver or subplot.

The finale 'Respect' tackles gang rape and youth knife crime on a housing estate with diverse perpetrators and victims, but frames it as straightforward criminality and police perseverance, not through lenses of systemic oppression, identity politics, or critiques of traditional norms. No creator statements emphasize activism, and reception praises the hard-hitting drama without backlash over 'wokeness'—cancellation stemmed from declining ratings, not ideological controversy. This preserves the show's entertainment value through authentic procedural storytelling unmarred by contemporary social justice messaging.