Is it Fair & Do We Belong?
Last month the Police & Crime Commission (PCC) asked BRIG to talk to our networks about the perception in the Black community of West Midlands Police and the Criminal Justice system. As a result, we sent out a survey and hosted a conversation for you to have your say. Interestingly enough, many of you said:
“Sigh, not again, we keep being asked our opinion, but nothing ever changes”.
That’s not actually true, under new leadership the Fairness & Belonging (F&B) agenda has made inroads by creating a number of access points for us to oversee many operational decisions - to review stop and search - and to have our say. In addition, the organisation has implemented a programme of work around recruitment and retention, with the aim of a much more diverse force across the region.
Indeed, at national level, the Home Office is working to the Race Action Plan, on the back of George Floyd, this program identifies clear priorities around increased awareness of, consultation with and employment and retention of a more ethnically diverse workforce.
But is this enough?
In my opinion, it’s a start. But the problem with this approach is its focus is on ethnic diversity. In any organisation that is structurally racist, the approach has to be many faceted and begins, not by recruiting more black people into a broken system but reviewing the culture of the organisation. This can only happen by being prepared to rigorously interrogate the values, expectations, and practices that guide and inform the actions of everyone. And to completely overhaul all the attitudes and practices that work systematically against the interests of people of colour and women, from the top down.
Recently at the MET for example, two officers who were sacked for gross misconduct by arresting two Black Olympic athletes, have been publicly praised when colleagues ‘go fund me’ collection has raised over £130,000! An email was sent to every single officer in the 12 basic command units urging them to donate. And worse, Black officers in the organisation have complained about being pressured to donate. This is what we mean by the “culture” of an organisation, where the abhorrent and pervasive behaviours are being ignored and diluted as acceptable. Would officers collect and contribute to fund the athletes who were wrongfully arrested, and handcuffed in front of their 3-month-old son? Would that organisation be as content to contribute to a fund that addresses the physical and mental health of all the people whose lives have been demeaned or destroyed by wrongful arrest, or imprisonment?
But back to the west Midlands. In this authors opinion, what both the F&B plan and the Race Action Plan fail glaringly to do, is to publicly acknowledge the structural racism inside the culture of the system and to report on measures to A) weed out the most racist in the ranks, B) stop employing racists and C) to analyse where in the system, the cultural practices are upholding racism.
Being more aware of the needs and nuances of the Black community is a small element of addressing racism and creating an anti-racist culture. The problem is complex, and solutions must therefore be multifaceted, but focusing a solution entirely upon diversifying recruitment and retention, could very well lead to a system where Black & white officers are forced to collude in racist and misogynistic practices.
Yes, consultation is laudable and awareness is crucial and it’s a good start but for the system to be fair and inclusive, let us begin by looking within.
Further Reading:
Fairness and Belonging 2021/25: Our Force Strategy for Diversity and Inclusion 2021/25 - West Midlands Police https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/_flysystem/public-sync/inline-files/Fairness%20&%20Belonging%20priorities_0.pdf
Fairness and Belonging Event Shines Light on Diversity Work - West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner - 2/11/23 https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/fairness-and-belonging-event-shines-light-on-diversity-work/
Exclusive: Whistleblower reveals misogyny and racism in West Midlands Police - Channel 4 - Darshna Soni - 6/9/23 https://www.channel4.com/news/exclusive-whistleblower-reveals-misogyny-and-racism-in-west-midlands-police
Former officer reveals Sikhs subjected to racial slur in West Midlands Police - Birmingham Live - Amneet Kaur - 13/9/23 https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/former-officer-reveals-sikhs-subjected-27693809
Senior firearms officer wins £30k payout after being made to strip to her underwear during West Midlands Police training course - Dan Warburton and Kelly Ashmore - Birmingham Live - 3/11/24 https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/senior-firearms-officer-wins-30k-28038683
Mrs R Kalam v The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police: 1301519/2021 https://www.gov.uk/employment-tribunal-decisions/mrs-r-kalam-v-the-chief-constable-of-west-midlands-police-1301519-slash-2021