"Stubbornly White" Police Chief calls for action

In a speech last week at a conference run by the Home Affairs Select Committee, one of Scotland Yard's most senior officers criticised the recruitment strategy used by the police. His criticism comes as it emerged that in the last strategic command course, which qualifies a police officer to the ranks of senior officer, not a single candidate on the course was from a Black or ethnic minority (BME) background.

Chief Superintendent Dal Babu, spokesperson for the Association of Muslim Police, said in the speech that officers, especially in London, should reflect the communities they serve. Babu believes that despite years of initiatives to improve diversity within the police service, it was "stubbornly white".

Babu said:

At a time when the census is saying that London is becoming a majority black and ethnic minority city, we should be coming up with strategies to reflect our communities".

He also urged the Metropolitan Police to recruit more ethnic minority candidates in this year's recruitment drive. At present, Scotland Yard has only four senior BME officers and no force in Britain has had a BME chief constable for almost three years.

This lack of diversity is clearly problematic. Not only is a more diverse police force better equipped at understanding the needs and concerns of different communities, but it also creates a more positive image of modern policing in Britain, which is necessary for creating trust between communities and the police and ultimately creating safer communities.

At present, the lack of diversity within the police service, worsens relations and further compounds the perception and accusations that BME communities are disproportionately targeted by the police. One such example is Stuart Lawrence, brother of murdered student Stephen Lawrence who is currently filing a complaint against the Metropolitan Police, for its use of stop and search on him.

He claims to have been stopped and searched 25 times by the police, simply because of the colour of his skin. Sadly, the data for stop and search clearly shows that Stuart Lawrence is not the exception to the rule. The data reveals that black people are disproportionately targeted and in fact are 26 times more likely to stopped and searched than their white counterparts.

Furthermore, the release last year of a 2004 report by Brian Paddick claimed that police officers were stopping black people because they fit a 'racial profile' of a criminal. The report was initially, kept secret by the police, until it was leaked to the Guardian.

It is expected that the Home Secretary Theresa May will announce plans later this week to overhaul current police recruitment rules. It is said to include plans to allow the police force to recruit senior officers from overseas.

Chief Superintendent Babu believes that the adoption of the right strategies can address the imbalance. He revealed that he has helped 8 BME officers to reach senior ranks in the Met with the support of a group of mainly white officers.

He said:

This shows it can be done with the right strategies. I approached the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) with the idea of doing it nationally, but it was not accepted".

Worryingly, the prevalence of a "stubbornly white" force is not only witnessed at the senior officer level. The historic introduction and election of Police Chief Commissioners last November resulted in not a single BME Police Commissioner. After hard won gains after the Macpherson Report, the slide back into a 'male and pale' police service is quick as it is shocking.

Usman Butt