Top cop's 'race bias' plea on recruits

exclusive nicola dowling

October 12, 2008

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FAHY Preferential treatment.

GREATER Manchester's new chief constable has said the only way to meet targets to recruit black and Asian officers is to give them preferential treatment.

Peter Fahy was speaking 10 years to the day after his predecessor David Wilmot said the force was `institutionally racist'.

Since then GMP introduced a target of recruiting 7.2 per cent of its 8,142 staff from ethnic minorities.

But today the M.E.N. can reveal the force has just 4.25 per cent - 346 police officers - from a black or Asian background, and none among the higher ranks.

Mr Fahy said `affirmative action should be considered' but that it would never happen because of `public mood'.

He said: "I don't agree with it in principle because you should be looking at every candidate asking if they are the most talented person available.

"But there is a very strong operational need for us to have a more representative police force to deal with a complex society. Because of the public mood, affirmative action would reduce confidence in the police - politically it will never happen.

"Minority officers don't wholeheartedly support it because they feel people will think they have got the job because of their race. We are criticised whatever we do."

Ten years ago GMP had just 79 ethnic minority officers - the figure is now 272, but it would still have to double to be representative of population. Just under nine per cent of Greater Manchester is from an ethnic minority background.

Yousef Dar, from the Greater Manchester Muslim Police Association, said: "If we are saying that we can't go out and recruit more black and ethnic minority officers, that is a damning indictment on GMP. What does that do to people's trust and confidence?

"In terms of the education system, Asian people tend to be among the highest achievers. Why can't they also be high achievers in the police - are there barriers there?"

Charles Crichlow of the Black and Asian Police Association said: "I think it is time to drop our hang-ups about it and look at those proposals if we are serious about having a more representative force and one which is democratic and accountable."

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thaitanium (13/10/2008 at 06:47)

"Yousef Dar, from the Greater Manchester Muslim Police Association,"
Is there a Christian bit of the Police Association?
"Charles Crichlow of the Black and Asian Police Association"
I wouldn't even like to guess if there is a white dept of the police association I wonder how that would sound?
No one has mentioned merit in this article or does that not matter?
Preferential treatment, you can see where this will lead.
I have seen this sort of thing in various parts of the world where ethnic minorites are given unfair help a recipe for disaster if ever I saw one.
Good luck as you will need it.

PW, Manchester (13/10/2008 at 06:59)

Well the targets should not be the most important consideration. If there are standards then candidates have to meet them, not vice versa. There should be no preferential treatment for anyone. We need the quality recruits, whether they are black, white or purple with yellow spots. If the black and Asian people don't want to join, then something must be very wrong with the image of the force.

Trumpetman21 (13/10/2008 at 08:19)

GMPs positive discrimination policy - a disgusting & racist policy if there ever were one.

Paul B (13/10/2008 at 08:26)

"to give them preferential treatment"

where it suits!!! i'd love to see him try and say this about something to do with white people, anything not just recruitment of officers, there would be utter uproar. yeah lets give white people prefferential treatment.

this country sucks and its now being run by more and more suckers!!

Mr Angry, Bury (13/10/2008 at 09:01)

This is just typical of the kind of politically correct rubbish which is 50% responsible for getting this country into the mess that it is in (the other 50% was the fault of greedy free market capitalists)

I dont care what ethnic group a police officer comes from, as long as he/she nicks villans, that is what the police are supposed to do isnt it, or am I missing something?

The idiots responsible for infecting the public sector with all this namby pamby pc rubbish should be rooted out one by one and all sacked and re deployed in another job where they cant do any damage.

Wheeling trolleys round Asda car park springs to mind, it is about all I would employ them to do

Frostee, Oldham (13/10/2008 at 09:30)

"Yousef Dar, from the Greater Manchester Muslim Police Association, said: "If we are saying that we can't go out and recruit more black and ethnic minority officers, that is a damning indictment on GMP.,,,,"

No! It's a damning indictment on so-called ethnic minorities. They create division themselves by having such things as Manchester Muslim Police Association and the ubquitous Black Police Association. As long as ethnic people, especially coppers, continue to place themselves apart then apart they will forever remain. Where, for instance, is there a White Police Association?

As for giving preferential treatment to such people - well that would really help wouldn't it! This sort of thing actually encourages racism rather than combating it.

Just as Metropolitan London has rid itself of a politically correct police chief (Blair) Manchester apparently has taken a step backwards and employed one. LOL.

cheeky chops, Manchester (13/10/2008 at 09:32)

So basically, the only way to combat this so called racism against the ethnic minorities, is to be racist against white people by giving "ethnic minorities" preferential treatment?

...Yep, sounds just like GMP that.

Beaufort (13/10/2008 at 09:33)

If I was a victim of crime it wouldn't bother me if the police officer was white, black, chinese or anything. I wouldn't even give it a second thought to assess what he/she was.

However, all this does is makes one think of race when I was brought up to not do so.

The targets are irrelevant. Why not just recruit the best candidates? I would feel awful if I was black and was recruited because I wouldn''t know if I was there on merit or not. Ther will also be a perception from white recruits that non whites are only there to meet targets and may actually not be up to the job-which can create racism.

The police seem to be more worried about being pc these days than anything else. They are onsessed with it.

Barry_J, Woodley (13/10/2008 at 09:46)

The whole point of positive discrimination is that if 2 people, equally suited and qualified, go for the job then the fact that one would increase the diversity is the reason that they will be picked. Not just to ignore a whole demographic to play the numbers game.

Mark,Radcliffe. (13/10/2008 at 09:50)

A month in and Mr Fahy is chasing "targets"...I find it disturbing that GMP believes the "only" answer is "Positive Discrimination".If thats all your Senior Management and Command Teams can come up with,then its time for Accountability to kick in..Show the minorities you mean business,show Gr Manchester you mean business,create the right work environment..and sort out that Management structure within GMP who believe they are a law unto themselves.

Elb Owdeep (13/10/2008 at 09:51)

Here here Frostee

BLUE DIBBLE, ashton (13/10/2008 at 09:52)

Well, already shown his true colours, doing poor on crime figures, no direction , no idea, play the early race card to drum up support

Jay B, oldham (13/10/2008 at 10:01)

also why on earth would you want to work for the police?
poor pay, long hours and masses of paperwork.
im amazed anyone wants to do it anymore.

sweary mary (13/10/2008 at 10:19)

Perhaps some black, asian or other ethnic persons do not see the Police as a suitable career choice, which face it, many people don't.
Added bonus you have to have no criminal convictions, so that ruins it for a lot of people, whatever your ethnicity is.
The comments made by Fahy is that in order to get the Government wanted level of ethnic officers recruited to GMP, then GMP are going to have to show preferences to ethnic potential recruits over white potential recruits.
Why should anybody be treated any differently because of their ethnic background.

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (13/10/2008 at 10:21)

Dangerous ground Mr Fahy...

Where will the madness stop...

""to give them preferential treatment"......

Will I as a white person get preferrential treatment on a medical course or posting as a doctor - as whites are under-represented as doctors in A and Es.

Perhaps we should force more males to become nursery teachers and more women to become brickies and joiners.

We could make it a state controlled issue to decide the profession people go into - or we could let people do the job they want and give them personal choice and not targets to satisfy !!!

Stu it Right, Manchester (13/10/2008 at 10:31)

I hate all this having to have certain numbers of different kind of people for jobs. It's like Manchester City Council. You have a much better chance of getting the job if you are gay or disabled. I don't care who polices this city whether they be black, white, yellow or green. Whether they sleep with men or women or both. I don't care where they come from as long as they keep us safe in our own homes etc.

I understand a little about certain communities needing help from certain area's of the police force but that is something the police force should look into as aposed to trying to fit minorities into jobs instead of the best qualified people!

JTC Formerley JimC (13/10/2008 at 10:31)

Well said Frostee. Could not have put it better myself.

Ace Shakespeare , manchester (13/10/2008 at 10:35)

As usual "Change one discrimination to another discrimination" And cause yet even more problems. You cannot stop discrimination by forever dividing people with Associations and clubs.

Bejjy ex Salford now Malta, Malta (13/10/2008 at 10:43)

I think GMP have made a mistake in appointing Mr Fahy as its Chief Constable. The Metropolitan Police have just got rid of a politically correct Commisioner who created more problems than he solved and now GMP have been saddled with the same type. I can see problems ahead for GMP and for the services that they provide to the people of Greater Manchester.

Anthony , Accrington,Lancashire (13/10/2008 at 11:01)

GMP sacked an officer for wearing a BNP badge off duty in his own and personal time. NOT the forces', then they DO THIS by giving black and asian officer recruits preferential treatment?!?! GMP ARE TOTAL HYPOCRITES, they pick on officers in their own personal time then come out with this PC garbage!)

Enigma, Trafford (13/10/2008 at 11:03)

I have had the pleasure of working with some cops that are from ethnic minority backgrounds and I can honestly say that the experience on the whole has been good, strangely enough just like those from white backgrounds!

Why are people no longer judged on merit? Have any of the officers mentioned in this article done a proper days policing this decade? I doubt it!

So the up shot is that racism is okay so long as it is state sponsored liberal racism!

The people of Manchester deserve the best officers on the streets not those that can fill some seedy quotas!

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (13/10/2008 at 11:15)

Mr Brunstrum ( former GMP Chief Supt) has been "at it" too today.

He wants the word "Police" removed from Police cars in North Wales so only "Heddlu" is there!!!

Why can't these Chiefs concentrate on fighting crime and protecting people rather than courting the media,"contemplating their own navel" and flapping the "race card" furiously !

Beaufort (13/10/2008 at 11:15)

Exactly. If ever you have to fill in a form for the council they want to know if I am able bodied, White British, straight etc. I don't care if anyone is straight, black or in a wheelchair. What does it matter?

If I was recruiting somebody I would think it racist if I wanted to know their colour in advance. Imagine that in Pretoria?

We should have quotas. What is more etnic people started applying and they were all good candidates and 70% of our police were of a different ethnicity. What we get rid of them because proprtionally it doesn't represent the UK. Of course not. I don't care if we have 0.7% or 70%.

The vast majority are not obsessed with colour like these pc types.

Loadsa money, Abu Dhabi of course. (13/10/2008 at 11:27)

I thought Nelson Mandela spent 30+ years in prison to get rid of this kind of discrimination, or am i missing something?

stektm, Manchester (13/10/2008 at 11:29)

This is nothing new. Its been going on for years. Part of the vetting system to get in the police includes checks on the applicant, home address, family and so on. If I had lied on my application form, omitting relatives with criminal convictions, made loads of mistakes and used it as a coffe cup mat, I don't think I would have got in. But 2 weeks after, this person is on the front page of 'Brief' - GMP's own trumpet magazine - as the latest ethnic recruit, great.
What do YOU want? I want someone who is there because of his own merits, regardless of the colour of his skin.

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