Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Fedster + 1,307]

Staff association is calling for change in the law to help make police more representative of communities.

Sgt Tola Munro. Photo: Peter Anderson Photography

Date - 19th October 2018
By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle

 

The time has come to use positive discrimination in the police service, the National Black Police Association says.

The need to improve community relations and representation within law enforcement is so strong that measures such as targeted recruitment and promotion of black and other ethnic minority officers should begin, according to the staff association.

Delegates voted in favour of calling for the measure – which requires a change in UK law at Westminster – at its annual conference.

President of the NBPA Sgt Tola Munro said: “There have been some outstanding achievements in recruiting by a selection of forces including Bedfordshire, the Met, Greater Manchester Police, West Midlands and Gwent Police. However there remain issues with other forces including the nearly third that have no black female officers.

“[At the conference] I thought that we might get two-thirds in favour. I was wrong - a stunning 80 per cent were in favour.

“Therefore I have promised to take this forward to the Home Secretary […]. My basis will be the Public Sector Equality Duty imposed by the Equality Act 2010, which includes a requirement for police forces to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.”

No police force in the UK has a proportion of black or Asian officers matching their local population’s make-up, despite the issue being highlighted for years.

A further statement from the association adds that “after much soul-searching, reflection and debate” it believes “targeted recruitment and promotion of BME [black and minority ethnic] officers and staff“ should be allowed because “positive action strategies alone will never meet the shortfall in officers and staff who can connect with and provide legitimacy to BME communities”.

Sgt Munro told Police Oracle that an example of its use could be when two equally qualified candidates are going for a promotion and there would be a presumption the BME candidate would get the post.

The call follows the official launch of the National Police Chiefs' Council’s new diversity strategy this week – which includes a toolkit for increasing representation but does not advocate positive discrimination.

Sgt Munro, who helped with discussions around that diversity strategy, said the new call from his association is not a sign of dissatisfaction with the NPCC plan but more a reflection of his members’ calls for swift action on representation in the service.

Issues such as the disproportionality of the ethnicity of those stopped and searched, and increases in race hate crimes have also sparked the move, he added.

Former Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has been among the most high profile supporters of such a change in the law.

He called on the government to let him emulate Northern Ireland’s 50:50 quota for recruitment from Catholic and Protestant communities, saying the UK’s biggest force should recruit a maximum of one white officer per ethnic minority officer it hired.

The Home Office rejected his plea, and has since maintained that positive discrimination is not needed.

It has been approached for comment on the latest call but had not responded before this article went live.

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[SimonT + 1,185]

Your know what, let's just do it. Have ten years of rampant positive descrimination. Fill whatever quota that's desired or required, by any means necessary. 

Then perhaps we can achieve this nebulous goal and move on. 

[Ether + 1,398]

Discrimination is discrimination.  

Lets disband the BPA, thats the first step towards equality.

[Hyphen + 693]

I find this absolutely disgraceful. If any other group or Officer was to suggest such a thing I’m sure they’d be out of a job. 

The best person for the job should get the job. It’s that simple. 

The sad reality for a lot of people who campaign and start ‘movements’ is that the vast majority of people don’t care one bit about the gender or race or sexual orientation of people in certain roles. We are all people. I always say it, but these sorts of group in the modern day simply are counter productive in the sense that they actually promote division and reinforce that people should be in different categories.

It needs to stop.

[Zulu 22 + 4,574]

Positive discrimination for one set is a Negative discrimination for the other set. The NBPA is one of the most racist organisations which proves that there is Institutionalised  Racism within the Police.  And I make no apology for making this post, all I want is equality for all.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

I think it’s lazy and unimaginative that senior police leaders want to change the law in order to enable positive discrimination.

They need to look at why black people do not want to join the police service in the first place.

[Zulu 22 + 4,574]

21 hours ago, ParochialYokal said:

I think it’s lazy and unimaginative that senior police leaders want to change the law in order to enable positive discrimination.

They need to look at why black people do not want to join the police service in the first place.
 

Many times because members in their own circles would brand them as "Uncle Toms"  That would indicate just how racist some of those communities are.

[MajorDisaster + 579]

 

I happened to be standing next to a noticeboard that I hadn't seen before [having recently changed stations].  It had the contact details for the local force Chaplain -[who I have always found to be good people and very supportive]

 

Also on the board was a complex display made up of paper-clip chains, showing 'links' of supports.  Represented were the Christian Police Assoc, BPA, LGBT group and Women in Policing.

As a male, white, heterosexual, atheist where is my support group?

Edited to add - 

In case anyone thinks I'm being 'anti' - I'm not- I really am not in the least bit interested in anyone's moral, religious or sexual preferences, nor their gender - I care about whether they are any good at their job, .  These groups seem to put themselves forward as being 'special' or worthy of different treatment.  If police officers and staff of a particular group or interest want to get together to do their thing, be it birdwatching, trainspotting or whatever then fine, crack on.  If anyone wants to set up a police 'beer and curry group' I'll be the first to join, but I won't be expecting 'special' treatment because of it [except maybe to open a few windows]

Edited October 21, 2018 by MajorDisaster

[mike88 + 257]

Positive discrimination is rampant in the police already, just because it isn’t legal on paper doesn’t mean they don’t do it. I know of forces that have coaching sessions for minority candidates to pass the assessment centre and have heard of people getting extra chances to pass fitness tests for specialist units. They’ve been doing it for years. Statistics are more important than the detrimental affect of unsuitable people getting certain roles. And they won’t get rid of them because they’re scared of being accused of discrimination.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

Many times because members in their own circles would brand them as "Uncle Toms"  That would indicate just how racist some of those communities are.

You appear to be blaming BME communities themselves for why there isn’t more BME police officers?

[bensonby + 3,503]

1 hour ago, ParochialYokal said:

 

You appear to be blaming BME communities themselves for why there isn’t more BME police officers?

 

Well, actually, yes to a point. Engagement is a two-way Street and from what I’ve experienced often the biggest barrier to joining the police for many BME people, and the greatest hostility they face, is from certain sections of their own community. The only overt racism I’ve ever experienced as a police officer has been from BME people themselves towards other BME people. 

Its not the only barrier, but I suspect it’s the biggest.

The other major barrier is  that to many people policing isn’t seen as a prestigious career: you don’t have a shortage of BME doctors for example. Is the stereotypically “pushy” Asian parent going to hothouse their bright son or daughter into the police? I doubt it. 

To be honest, I question the received wisdom that the force needs to be representative. If people (both the public and officers themselves) are treated fairly and properly it shouldn’t be an issue. There are plenty of sections of the community we shouldn’t employ or anything t would be impractical to do so.

 

I also find it offensive towards monitory  groups to suggest that they couldn’t cope with or trust an officer who doesn’t share the same characteristics as themselves. Will a gay person not trust anyone who isn’t a gay officer? It’s ludicrous and offensive to suggest such a thing. 

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

41 minutes ago, bensonby said:

Well, actually, yes to a point. Engagement is a two-way Street and from what I’ve experienced often the biggest barrier to joining the police for many BME people, and the greatest hostility they face, is from certain sections of their own community. The only overt racism I’ve ever experienced as a police officer has been from BME people themselves towards other BME people. 

Its not the only barrier, but I suspect it’s the biggest.

The other major barrier is  that to many people policing isn’t seen as a prestigious career: you don’t have a shortage of BME doctors for example. Is the stereotypically “pushy” Asian parent going to hothouse their bright son or daughter into the police? I doubt it. 

To be honest, I question the received wisdom that the force needs to be representative. If people (both the public and officers themselves) are treated fairly and properly it shouldn’t be an issue. There are plenty of sections of the community we shouldn’t employ or anything t would be impractical to do so.

 

I also find it offensive towards monitory  groups to suggest that they couldn’t cope with or trust an officer who doesn’t share the same characteristics as themselves. Will a gay person not trust anyone who isn’t a gay officer? It’s ludicrous and offensive to suggest such a thing. 

I think you raise some valid points. I don't think that it is the fault of such communities that there is a stigma to joining the police per se, as I imagine that it is the working class of such communities whom have such views due to a number of historic reasons. And, as you say, policing is not seen as a prestigious career, so middle class parents wouldn't want their children to join.

I don't think that it is a question of such communities trusting non-BME Officers, as opposed to a perception that non-BME Officers may lack the cultural competence to deal with them.

If you live in an inner London area and the local police are predominantly white British whom live in a surrounding county then I can understand why some may give that perception some credibility. Then again, there have always been such issues. There was a perception of the MET in some areas in the 1980s that many of the Officers were northerners whom joined the job, become institutionalised and lived in section courses, where they policed largely white communities and just assumed that everyone was a criminal. 

The reality is that the police are not going to attract many applicants from working class BME in some areas, yet they need to persist and open up further volunteering opportunities to get more BME people into the police family. However, a lot more could be done to market direct entry positions to BME people whom may have less 'baggage' in terms of their perceptions of the police service. The schemes having seemingly tried to attract 'titans of industry', as opposed to those more applied experience such as senior leaders in social work or teaching. The key to changing the composition of senior leadership in the service is to attract BME candidates to apply for this route through 'positive action' but to only appoint people on merit, so that their appointment has credibility. 

 

[Zulu 22 + 4,574]

What do you have against the working class.  Are you saying they are not fit to be Police Officer's?  I suggest that you slip into work and ask the majority of your colleagues who are probably from that class you denigrate.

[ParochialYokal 1,119]

What do you have against the working class.  Are you saying they are not fit to be Police Officer's?  I suggest that you slip into work and ask the majority of your colleagues who are probably from that class you denigrate.

What makes you think that I have anything against the working class?

[Zulu 22 + 4,574]

2 hours ago, ParochialYokal said:

What makes you think that I have anything against the working class?

 

Answer to your question. In your post of 17 hours ago you stated Quote

"I think you raise some valid points. I don't think that it is the fault of such communities that there is a stigma to joining the police per se, as I imagine that it is the working class of such communities whom have such views due to a number of historic reasons. And, as you say, policing is not seen as a prestigious career, so middle class parents wouldn't want their children to join."

Nobody else had mentioned anything about Working Class until your reply.