What A Surprise...

[bazwillrun]

not !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-21159807

"In particular we're underrepresented with minority groups and so we'll very much welcome applicants from those groups."

what and , give them jobs over equally/more suitable non-minorities ?!

[bednobs]

it makes a lot of sense to have a police force that represents the public that it's serving i think. There may be issues that pertain to certain communities only, there may be people that would not be comfortable dealing with police people from other cultures.

[Gromit]

The Pilice Service has to comply with the Equality Act 2010

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_2010

In short, applicants such as those with a disability must not be discriminated against and compliance with this law is key to making sure everyone in the community is represented, particulatly in organisations which are public serving.

[FredPuli43]

Not positive discrimination, but simply in the spirit of the law. Do you object to them wanting candidates from minority groups to come forward? Suppose they advertised in the Jewish Chronicle, but without those words, would you object to that?

[bazwillrun]

why are they simply not getting the best recruits, rather than quotas ?

why do minorities need their own sort ?

will they be expecting favourable treatment ? probably

so can a white english person expect and or request that a white english officer turn up when they have a problem or is it only ethnics that can expect someone of their own. ?

Yet more leftie PC (pun intended) infecting everything in this country

[jake-the-peg]

I don't see anywhere the word quota is used

The point is if say 10% of the country are from ethnic minorities and 1% of the Police force are then that's telling you that somethings stopping them from joining.

Quite possibly because they feel they wouldn't be welcome in a largely white police force.

They're simply trying to correct that misconception.

I don't see anything about positive descrimination in this story - looks like it's all in your head to me

[Sqad]

But........10 % of the police force ARE from ethnic minorities.

[LazyGun]

I know the idea of equality and minority representation feeds into your right wing victim mindset, but do try to understand the fundamental point that in any democracy, policing is all about consent.

We place a lot of trust in the police service. People rightly expect fair and impartial treatment. If you are from a distinctive cultural minority - for instance, having a different shade of skin - and you see few or none of a similar hue within the Police Service, and if you are disproportionately harrassed on the street, then your trust in the impartiality and fairness is eroded, as is your inclination to co-operate. Then policing by consent fails, mistrust builds, and you end up with communities alienated from and by the Police.

This is not a good situation for anyone.

[grasscarp]

This makes no sense to me. Maybe there are less ethnic applicants. It should be the best people for the job. Police have to have a level of fitness, which would mean that disabled people would not be any good except for a desk job. If you need a policeman it does not matter about who they are, it is are they fit for the job and the best out of the applicants. Filling quotas is not good as it can mean that the best are discriminated against.

[Sqad]

LazyGun

\\\I know the idea of equality and minority representation feeds into your right wing victim mindset, but do try to understand the fundamental point that in any democracy, policing is all about consent.\\\

Is that paragraph directed at me or a general point?

I still don't understand what you mean in that paragraph....could you simplify it for me?

[LazyGun]

But all of you who rail against the idea of a "quota" automatically assume that such a system automatically waives the basic requirements of doing the job - do you have any reliable evidence to suggest that?

[LazyGun]

@Sqad - Sorry, we kind of cross-posted. No, the comment was not specifically directed at you, it was directed at Baz.

It seems to me that, especially when it comes to issues like race relations and multiculturalism, those with a right wing agenda often display a kind of victim mentality - resistant to change, refractory to initiatives that promote inclusivity, whining when "tradition" is challenged or changed.

[Sqad]

LazyGun...LOL..yes i agree with your statement if you could exclude the word "whining".;-)

Because we "right wingers " are resistant to change doesn't in anyway invalidate our opinion..............does it?

[hc4361]

It makes sense to have police officers of all ethnic minorities and faiths and there is no reason why such recruits shouldn't be 'up to scratch', just as it made sense to have women officers do more than make tea and type reports.

I remember a white police officer being paid to learn Mandarin in Birmingham so he could communicate with the Chinese living and working in the community. Of course it took him years and then he resigned, got a job outside the force AND worked as a very well paid translator for the police.

Police officers have to be able to relate to all sorts of people - vulnerable witnesses; victims; families as well as the nasties.

[bazwillrun]

"t seems to me that, especially when it comes to issues like race relations and multiculturalism, those with a right wing agenda often display a kind of victim mentality"

i'm not a victim as I have no intention of joining the police

but it does seem those of a left-wing agenda will not stop until they have completely destroyed the countrys identity, heritage and cultural background.

They seem to be embarrassed/ashamed by the fact they are white northern europeans.

[Sqad]

trigger....I certainly hope so....the Chinese economy has grown by 43%....;-)

[LazyGun]

@Sqad- - It doesn't stop you having an opinion, Sqad, nor expressing it - I would not dream of attempting to deprive anyone in such a way :

But any opinion is essentially a statement of perception rather than necessarily the truth or otherwise. Thats why generally I would prefer an opinion supported by an objective and robust evidence base:)

As a (retired?) surgeon, you would no doubt have had to change or update procedures based upon the objective evidence. It should not be considered heretical to challenge tradition. Equality for all, regardless of gender or ethnicity should be something all of us should embrace - not feel threatened by.

Across England and Wales,only 4.6% of the police force come from black and ethnic minority groups compared to around 9% of the population as a whole; In London that situation is even more disproportionate. There is also data to suggest that they are less likely to be promoted than their white counterparts, and more likely to leave early. There are numerous complaints of racial discrimination from within the Police Service; You cannot dismiss all of them as simply disgruntled or disaffected individuals playing the race card.

And as far as I am aware, there is no suggestion that the fundamental requirements of being a police officer - fitness, intelligence, etc are being subverted to allow more candidated from minority backgrounds to be recruited.

[Gromit]

There a nothing in the article about ethnic minorities. Your questions and your answers are made up rubbish.

If I phone the police and get an helpful answer then I am happy. I have no idea the person helping me is in a wheelchair or homosexual. It has no bearing on their ability to do the job. What happened before the Equality Act was that employers were not employing some groups for no good reason, that is no longer ecceptable.

The report says there has been a freeze on recruitment from 2009 and then the current jobs were only viewable for a couple of hours. That kind of suggests that the people who replied in that very narrow time frame were tipped off. If there is a story here and cause for moaning, it is that those you were told in advanced that some jobs were going to appear were unfairly helped.

[Sqad]

LazyGun

\\\\But any opinion is essentially a statement of perception rather than necessarily the truth or otherwise. Thats why generally I would prefer an opinion supported by an objective and robust evidence base:) \\

Yes...I know you do ;-) but perception and "on the ground experience should not be discounted and statistics can be manipulated to suit the argument. For example statistics may show that violent crime is down, but at the "grass roots" people or some people or most people do not feel safe in their homes or in the streets. This non-statistical perception must not be ignored.

Your 4-6% is an average over the UK.......in some areas it is 3% and in some areas nearer 10% and rising of ethnic minorities in the police force. In the stockbroker belt of Surrey i would bet that they get very few applicants from ethnic minorities, but in Leicester and Peterborough the ethnic minorities are represented.

However........you point is well taken.

\\\\. Equality for all, regardless of gender or ethnicity should be something all of us should embrace - not feel threatened by. \\\

Yes......I would agree.......but that is not how it works. Some people do indeed feel insecure when their environment changes and yes as a retired surgeon I did indeed feel "nervous and unsettled" with a change of staff or indeed equipment.

You argue very well and impressively on all subjects but the variation of human reactions and feelings do not get the true impact in your comments.

That is not a criticism, just a perception.......

All is not "black or white" based on objective and robust evidence.

[pdq1]

Following on from the 'Black on Black' police force in London it makes sense to employ more racial police. At least we won't get the usual 'he picked on me because I was black' scenario.