I have to admit, my last posting was a very difficult one to write in that I'm not entirely sure it conveyed the message I really wanted to put across. Those who are serving police officers will understand what I am saying, but those who are not may read it as a justification for the targeting of people from visible ethnic minorities. Nothing could be farther from the truth. What I am trying to say here is that it is preposterous for those journalists and human rights activists to say that officers actively use these powers in a biased manner. The use of these powers is the result of intelligence-led policing, in specific areas where the given crime-trend has been identified as being the most prolific or at risk of increase.
What I do find extremely insulting, however, is the explicit suggestion that we are racist, and that it may be at the forefront of our minds that visible ethnic minorities present the greatest threat to the social order. I find it extremely insulting that, unlike those journalists and human rights activists, the overwhelming majority of senior and rank and file officers have attended state comprehensive schools and lived in inner city suburbs. Here, we grew up alongside children from visible ethnic minorities and carried on those friendships into adulthood. Those journalists and human rights activists are, in all reality, the ones who are displaying racial prejudice. They consider the visible ethnic minorities to either be so apathetic, stupid or lazy that they feel they must complain on their behalf. That is the greatest insult.
What I do find extremely insulting, however, is the explicit suggestion that we are racist, and that it may be at the forefront of our minds that visible ethnic minorities present the greatest threat to the social order. I find it extremely insulting that, unlike those journalists and human rights activists, the overwhelming majority of senior and rank and file officers have attended state comprehensive schools and lived in inner city suburbs. Here, we grew up alongside children from visible ethnic minorities and carried on those friendships into adulthood. Those journalists and human rights activists are, in all reality, the ones who are displaying racial prejudice. They consider the visible ethnic minorities to either be so apathetic, stupid or lazy that they feel they must complain on their behalf. That is the greatest insult.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=94dbb54a-1e46-4471-9388-2b9bd41be65a)
Strike a light, some of these lefties are mad. Even as a civvie, I can see that if you do an analysis of crime in an area and find that location X is a hot spot, then you hit that area and strip every last idiot down to their undies if need be. If that area also happens to contain a large number of people of a certain ethnic group, then more of that group are going to be stopped and searched. You follow the crime, not the ethnicity.
ReplyDeleteThe computer system analysing the crime stats doesn't know or care necessarily about the ethnic makeup of an area - it simply looks at crime and says, "this is a bad spot - search here".
Sir,
ReplyDeleteYears ago we did target people quite badly on colour, we called them names, but now there is a mix of us having to hit crime in marginalised communities.
Our job is to catch criminals, why they become criminal is a problem for us all. Otherwise we could simply be adding to the problem.
There is discretion also, sometimes; some colleagues make matters worse by making the poor poorer. Perhaps we needa rething?
Sgt T.
a re-think oops....
ReplyDeleteEven in the old days I don't think it was a case of picking on people solely because of their colour, it was more a case of where the stop and search operation was being performed.
ReplyDeleteStop and search operations carried out in places like Brixton might involve black people, whereas similar operations carried out in other parts of the country may not.
We used to do something similar in our area and the 'suspects' were always white.
"unlike those journalists and human rights activists, the overwhelming majority of senior and rank and file officers have attended state comprehensive schools and lived in inner city suburbs. Here, we grew up alongside children from visible ethnic minorities and carried on those friendships into adulthood. Those journalists and human rights activists are, in all reality, the ones who are displaying racial prejudice"
ReplyDeletenever thought about it like that, at the risk of starting a class war a lot of journalists and 'uuman rights' activists do seem to be from well off middle class families.
What could be more racist than the "Black Police Officers Association" who represent ???
ReplyDeleteYet the Police Federation represent anyone, without prejudice, to colour, creed, sex etc.
Blueknight - any ideas how many poverty stricken areas hold minority ethnic people of colour? I admit there are sink estates which are predominantly White, but how do these compare? And the riots of the 80's? Why did they flair up in predominantly Black areas?
ReplyDeleteXXX TWINING said...
ReplyDeleteAnd the riots of the 80's? Why did they flair up in predominantly Black areas? XXX
Aye, because Africa is the most peaceful, war and riot free continent on earth, right?
Two could not POSSIBLY be linked could they?
Von Brandenburg-Preußen.
I need to rephrase this? Why have areas with Black people sparked up over history both in this country and abroad? Has this anything to do with the possiblity that racism exists and it's the way society treats minoirty people. Who says democracy works?
ReplyDeleteOo-er. Did I mention Africa?
ReplyDeleteDid I mention that Africa was peaceful?
Er No...
Twining,
ReplyDelete1) I should think most of them. My point simply was that the liklihood of an interaction between the Police and an ethnic minority will increase in some areas. There are probably more Middle Eastern people in Edgware Road than there are in the adjoining Kilburn Road for example.
2) The 1981 street riots flared up in London Bristol and Liverpool although many other towns and cities had copy cat incidents. In our town, an hours drive from London, someone threw a petrol bomb at the town hall and in the next town, the Police van attending a call was attacked with a brick put through the window.
Over the years there have a been a number of 'riots'. Some occurred just after the Nottinghill carnival. The cause of one riot was quoted as being the Police use of the sus law, (supected person, reputed thief loitering with intent to commit a felony.)The sus law was repealed and replaced by the Criminal Attempts Act. In Bristol it was a raid on the Black and White cafe, which was selling liquor without a licence.
In 1981 there was a groundswell against Margaret Thatcher and the thought was that some quarters may have been stirring up impressionable black youths for political ends.
There was anecdotal evidence that gangs of white youths were following up behind the rioters to loot shops.
Lord Scarman' report into the riots said "complex political, social and economic factors" created a "disposition towards violent protest".
He found the disorders were not planned but a spontaneous outburst of built-up resentment sparked by particular incidents.
He found loss of confidence and mistrust in the police and their methods of policing. Liason arrangements between police, community and local authority had already collapsed before the disturbances.