Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Fedster + 1,307]

Police Oracle speaks to one of the chief constables behind the new police diversity strategy.

Gareth Wilson

By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle

33 Comments

 

Every force will soon have a gold group at chief officer level focused on diversity.

A new plan to make the service more representative of the public will be launched next week – and the issue will be treated like a critical incident.

Each force is to create a gold group team composed of senior officers, staff associations and community members to help meet aspirational targets for under-represented groups.

PCCs, mayors and HMICFRS are expected to hold the police service to account over their progress.

Chief Constable Gareth Wilson, chairman of the NPCC diversity, equality and inclusion committee, said: “What we’re talking about are local strategic leaders taking real ownership around this and making sure the strategy turns into action rather than being left on a shelf.”

The strategy commits chiefs to “embedding diversity, equality and inclusion” into all activities, and will be released alongside a toolkit of actions for forces to use.

Among the dozens of measures included are:

• Introducing ‘reverse mentoring’ programmes where lower ranked officers help senior colleagues “develop emotional intelligence”.
• Review flexible working practices to show “enhanced inclusivity” by enabling time off for cultural/religious observance.
• Gathering and sharing exit information from people departing from the service to help improve conditions.
• Forces should focus on emotional health and happiness and implement initiatives such as celebrations of culturally-focused events such as major religious festivals and Black History Month.

CC Wilson said: “There wasn’t an NPCC strategy before. This is not replacing one, this is a strategy that’s there to give that direction to organisations.

“There’s a real willingness among chiefs, so much so that it was unanimously accepted at chiefs’ council.”

The strategy applies to nine different areas: sex; race; disability; age; sexual orientation; religion and belief; pregnancy and maternity; marriage and civil partnership; and gender reassignment.

Some have already questioned why the strategy doesn’t give more prominence to race than other diversity issues, as the Home Office tends to.

But CC Wilson said: “Our ultimate aim is to ensure delivery against all nine protected characteristics because you cannot compartmentalise an individual into one category, we have to look at diversity across all nine protected characteristics.

“[But] what we have done is say we do recognise that government have prioritised race and we will support the activity that government are undertaking around that.”

On the overall strategy and its toolkit, Tola Munro, president of the National Black Police Association, said: “I’m grateful we were involved in developing it. It’s going to be the result of something that’s been developed by a number of people [from different organisations] so you’re not going to get everything you want.

“The key thing is that there isn't anything in there that makes sure it’s actually done.”

To chief constables what will success look like across such a wide range of issues and groups and from such a big document?

“There have already been significant steps forward in the time I’ve been in the police,” CC Wilson said, adding that the strategy will be "ever-evolving" and updated regularly.

“[But] when HMIC does its inspections and they say that forces have taken this on board and taken this to heart and it’s now central to the service delivery that’s when I say this is a success.

“The measure of success to me is when somebody outside looks in and says ‘You’ve cracked it’.”

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[Hyphen + 693]

Dear lord this is just getting sillier by the day. At least the big issues are being addressed in policing.

Fiddling while Rome burns comes to mind.

[Radman + 2,163]

Well we have the money for this... Oh wait.

Response cover barely manages, violent crime at record highs, murder rates surpassing large US cities etc.

I think we have more pressing matters to sort out than this, let's start making the streets safer first.

[David + 4,981]

Diversity - is that where beaten by ever larger sticks, the police (and other authorities) become too scared to tackle very real problems for fear of upsetting certain groups in society?

[SD + 688]

It’s working well in GMP, their recruiting anyone and everyone who’s not white and male. Apart from many not having basic English skills So far they’ve had several arrests ranging from rape and indecent images to armed robbery and passing info to OCG members. When concerns are raised trainers/tutors/supervisors are being told to STFU!

[Growley + 2,436]

So once we achieve a perfect representation of the public, what then?

Will that be the end of our troubles as an organisation, or will the job realise it didn't actually solve anything?

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

Diversity, the most divisive and dangerous phrase in Policing. How long do Chief Officers believe that they can insult their officers.  David Wilmot did it years ago in the GMP claiming  that we were Institutionally  Racist.  When I joined and was sworn in I gave an oath that I would enforce the Queen's Peace with fear, or favour, malice or ill will.  That covers everything and to throw Diversity into the equation is disparaging and in itself divisive.

As for SD's comments about the GMP that has gone on for a long time. I advised a young man about applying for the GMP. He followed the advice passed all of the assessments and was informed that he had been accepted. 3 months went by and he heard nothing. I advised him to enquire, with another applicant, who was in the same position. They were both informed that priority was being given to ethnic and other minorities. They were both informed that they would have to apply again and go through the process for a second time. He joined an adjoining Force and passed out as top recruit and has done well ever since.

Diversity is the bane  of life to be misused by any minority

[sierragolf95 + 55]

I would say that all this diversity bs is a load of rubbish, but no doubt that would automatically brand me as a homophobic racist in the eyes of some people. By all means encourage those from ethnic minorities to join, but don't give them preference based on that. Positive action is one thing, positive discrimination is absolutely another and last time I checked was just as illegal. There are far bigger problems than meeting diversity targets that should be prioritised. Now it's just another excuse for more people to get fancy job titles and a pay rise while also screwing over frontline cops with new staff who aren't fit for the job purely so that they can meet targets. 

As a member of the public I couldn't give a toss if someone was male, female or neither, white, black or Asian, that really doesn't matter, what does matter is whether they're competent or not. Anyone that prioritises the first over the second has their head firmly inserted up their rear end.

Edited September 2, 2018 by sierragolf95

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

Diversity is important, it’s just that the police service never gets it.

The police service can simultaneously embrace the diversity agenda whilst tackling the other problems it faces. In fact, a more diverse workforce would go someway to help mitigate some of those issues.

Diversity isn’t about prioritising a one legged, wheel-chair bound, black lesbian into a direct entry senior leadership scheme.

It’s about changing the toxic, top down ‘disciplined culture’ of the organisation that directs blame straight down to the bottom but doesn’t embrace the bottom up feedback that drives change, innovation and evolution because all of those at the top are so pale and stale that they lack the emotional intelligence to actually get it.

The police service is an inflexible public sector organisation that lacks the resilience to deal with the major challenges that local authorities and the NHS seem to work through whilst experiencing a slightly lower level of pain.

Ultimately, having a different mix will bring a different perspective. It’s as simple as that.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

Without Fear, or Favour, Malice or, Ill will and that covers it without all the Diversity nonsense.

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Without Fear, or Favour, Malice or, Ill will and that covers it without all the Diversity nonsense.

It’s a lovely idea. If it worked there would be no need for diversity legislation, or these discussions about it.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

3 hours ago, Reasonable Man said:

It’s a lovely idea. If it worked there would be no need for diversity legislation, or these discussions about it.

Precisely, no need, so why are Command prattling on about it making an issue of something when there is no need. They are creating and multiplying an issue.

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Precisely, no need, so why are Command prattling on about it making an issue of something when there is no need. They are creating and multiplying an issue.

You miss the point - it never worked. Too many examples of the police (and other public sectors) not acting without fear or favour, malice or ill will.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

29 minutes ago, Reasonable Man said:

You miss the point - it never worked. Too many examples of the police (and other public sectors) not acting without fear or favour, malice or ill will.

That was because they were running scared of the Politically correct brigade and being accused of racism, sexism, homophobia over every single incident.

The fact that a homosexual commits a male rape, or a Black African commits a robbery does not make it Homophobic or Racist. The same applies to Stop and Search. There are area's in London and Manchester where you would be hard pressed to find a white male to stop and search.