Diversity works

The idea of positive discrimination doesn't sit easy with most people. To think that you have only got a job or have been elevated to a senior position within an organisation because of factors not relating to your abilities or skills can make one feel they don't deserve to be in such a position. And it is a near certain fact that an individual who may have benefited from positive discrimination may face hostility, overtly or otherwise, from colleagues.

Some organisations may feel obliged to promote individuals from the BME communities in order to show they are diverse. But for Superintendent Leroy Logan MBE, positive discrimination or 'tokenism' isn't really the way to go to show that institutions, such as the police, serve the 'diverse needs of a diverse society'.

Speaking at OBV's headquarters earlier this month, Logan spoke about the issue of diversity in the police, saying,

"There is an inextricable link, between treating our diverse personnel right, to serve the diverse needs of a diverse society. And it's not about numbers of how many police officers or staff you have, it's about how those individuals are your ambassadors to your organisation, how they are actually success stories and we're not talking about positive discrimination, or tokenism. We're talking about meritocracy."

He added that in order for members of the BME community to succeed and excel, they should be given proper access to opportunities to succeed.

Logan, who is the only Black Borough commander in the Metropolitan police, was speaking on the day when two of Stephen Lawrence's killers were given sentences at the Old Bailey 19 years after his murder.

In the years after his death, an inquiry took place into the Met's investigation of Lawrence's death. The publication of the Macpherson report in February 1999, which is regarded as a defining moment in British race relations. The report made a number of recommendations aimed at improving police attitudes to racism and to increase the number of BME officers.

But Logan feels that despite some evidence of change, there needs to be a more robust approach to effect progression, which should, in his opinion, be led by the government.

"We're talking about the same issues now as we were talking about in 1993 and after the Brixton riots in 1981. So it's quite clear we'll continue this cycle unless we get the right lead and it's not personality driven, its process and practices driven. A lot of that will come from the government and I'd really like to think that this government will step up to the plate and follow through those recommendations of (The Macpherson report), but more importantly so we start seeing differences."

Logan added,

"At the moment, there's only one BME Borough Commander in the Met, there's only one officer of chief status in the Met. Five or six years ago, we had around four or five, so that in itself shows massive steps backwards. People watch this and we need to know we have to do this together and if that's anything we're going to change, it's to make sure our institutions reflect the communities they serve."

Check out the full video of Superintendent Leroy Logan speaking about diversity and the full press conference which took place a day after two men were found guilty for the 'racist' murder of Stephen Lawrence.