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Mayor to hold new inquiry on racism at the Met
Justin Davenport and Katharine Barney6 Oct 2008
Mayor Boris Johnson today announced an inquiry into racism at Scotland Yard as black police leaders ordered a recruitment boycott of the force.
The inquiry will examine claims that the Met is still beset with "institutional racism" - nearly 10 years after the claim was first made by the inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence murder.
Among its aims will be to decide if the recommendations of the 1999 Macpherson report into Lawrence have been implemented.
The review was launched as members of the Metropolitan Black Police Association urged ethnic minority applicants not to join the Met because it was racist. The group will boycott recruitment drives and use its " community network" to discourage recruits from joining.
The move coincides with a Panorama programme on racism in the police tonight in which Britain's only black police chief, Kent's Mike Fuller, says ethnic minority officers have to work twice as hard as whites to get on. The call for a recruitment boycott is a damaging blow to Scotland Yard coming just days after Commissioner Sir Ian Blair was forced out by Mr Johnson.
The force is embroiled in a race row which has seen two of its most senior ethnic minority officers effectively suspended. Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur has been stripped of his duties after publicly denouncing the outgoing Commissioner as a racist, while announcing he is suing the force for discrimination.
Commander Ali Dizaei, president of the National Black Police Association, has been suspended while he faces three separate inquiries into misconduct allegations.
Alfred John, chairman of the Met BPA, told the Standard today: "I want to see action that will take things forward. I am pleased about the review but we have been down the road of reviews before and little has changed.
"This has not been about Ian Blair, it is not about an individual, it is about institutional racism in the Met, about the fact that in a recent chief inspector promotion board there were 70 successful applicants but not one of them was from an ethnic minority. That has been the case for the last three years."
Deputy Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson, who is tipped to succeed Sir Ian, said he regretted the BPA decision. He added: "Much has been achieved since the Macpherson report was published but I am not complacent and recognise more must be done, not only by us but also with the Met BPA's full support.
"The MPS now has three times as many black and minority ethnic officers as 10 years ago and approximately 20 per cent of new recruits into MPS police training come from [an ethnic] background."
The Mayor's review will be led by Cindy Butts, a black independent member of the MPA. She described the BPA decision as disappointing, saying: "There is now an opportunity for change in the Met.
"We have a brand new administration which has set up an inquiry into race and faith discrimination in the Met and I hope the Black Police Association will see this as an opportunity and work with the inquiry. We cannot afford to allow this issue to derail police and community relations which are crucial in combating terrorism and preventing knife crime and the murders of teenagers in London.
"It is 10 years since the Stephen Lawrence inquiry and it would be foolish not to recognise that the Met has changed out of all recognition. But it is by no means perfect and there are a number of issues, particularly with the progression of staff."
On tonight's Panorama, Mr Fuller, who has two degrees and two postgraduate degrees, said he had personally felt the need to be overqualified in order to be promoted.
He added: "Ethnic officers will often have to work twice as hard to be recognised, to compete with their peers and that is a big concern."
The programme highlights an incident that took place two weeks ago in which two London Asian police sergeants in the British Transport Police were targeted for racial abuse.
Arriving at their station in Stockwell, they found the Ku Klux Klan emblem scraped into their lockers. BTP confirmed an investigation has been launched.
Reader views (16)
Wow Carver,I think your onto something there...isn't that the same thing that happened when some people moved to australia and south africa and caused an epidemic of crime there as well?
- Dk, UK, 08/12/2008 23:23
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Sorry, the BPA. What is that, the black policemans association. Is there a white one? Is this not a racist organisation within the met. And why is there a need for one? If you join the met you are a police officer in one of the worlds most respected police force. Sorry Service.
If you want PC then make it across the board then the BPA would not exist
- Joe, London, 04/11/2008 17:55
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why have we a Black Police Association at all,this is racist and the title alone smacks of aggression.
Now if we had a White Police association as well,mmmmm.
- David Pope, Chertsey UK, 20/10/2008 14:47
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Can anyone deny that our once great country, with its largely uncorrupt police, politics, and with truly inspirational ideals held by those in public life, have been truly corrupted since we opened our borders to all comers, and appear to have imported the crime, sleaze and corruption that has been endemic in the countries from whence they came? Or is this posting too politically incorrect to be included??
- Carver, Nottingham UK, 15/10/2008 22:58
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Serious case of "denial" here.
Lets face up to it - its up to the BPA what they say. But the truth is - it exists. White on Black - Black on White - and a bit in between, its a reality. A bit less of the outrage me thinks.
The fact is - where ever it exists - deal with it. Never have liked bullying cowards - in what ever profession or in whatever profession. It actually says alot about the folk who carry out and defend this type of behaviour.
Should be interesting to see the update on "The sleeping Policemen" almost certain to underline what Boris now sees.
Won't change much though.
- Tic, kent, 06/10/2008 16:57
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There IS an issue with racism, but not as the NBPA would have us all believe. Fullers claims that blacks have to work twice as hard is just utter bollocks.
It is a well known fact that if you play the race card you will always get your own way. Ghaffur and Dizaei are prime examples of this. Dizaei only got to the position he did because of that very fact.
So Ms Butts, yet another corrupt black is supposed to sort this all out? Why is it these idiot Majors fall into the same pandering game every time?
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 06/10/2008 14:24
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Hmmm Red Boris is going all PC as well.
- David, London UK, 06/10/2008 14:24
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Re: BTP Stockwell incident.
It will come as no surprise that the officers in question both wanted to leave Stockwell. It seems the best way for ethnic officers to attain their career goals of promotion, transfers etc is to cry racism. There is NOT ONE racist officer at Stockwell and it is abhorrent to suggest as much. The investigation is nothing more than a politically-motivated witch hunt to appease race baiters like the arrogant Cindy Butts and the corrupt Lee Jasper.
- Paula, London, 06/10/2008 14:19
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It's about time we addressed the issue of reverse racism that groups like the NBPA represent - or are we supposed to buy into the PC notion that only white people are racist ? Completely symptomatic of New Labour's divide & rule policy of the last 10 years
- Susie Bowan, shenfield, essex, 06/10/2008 14:11
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Here we go again. During 'Black History Month' no-less, the BME and other politically motivated self-interest groups are once again rounding on the Met with the sole intention of undermining and destroying what was once the best police force in the world. Our police stations are shrines to political correctness, our officers frightened of being sacked should the growing army of political commisars object to white officers' thoughts/actions/opinions. When will the MPA be happy? When the force is 50% BME? 75%?
If Ms. Butts is dedicated to fighting racism, perhaps she should look at her own community, a community that actively encourages mistrust of the police, targets white society as the root cause of its problems and seeks to pull further away from harmonious integration by championing black-only schools, police associations, laywers etc. It is not enough to say that racism won't be tolerated - the likes of Butt and others require more legislation, more concessions, more quotas, until one day we will wake up to a corrupt, Thirld World police service.
- Cliff Reeder, Luton, 06/10/2008 13:52
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This is rather pathetic..................what needs investigating is ALL the problems in the Metropolitan Police.
If this occurred ie a full investigation (bet it wont)it would soon become obvious, as it is to majority of ex-police officers and many current ones, that the causes of poor policies, ideas, recruiting and promoting by and of completly unsuitable "types" began in the eightites when recruitment and particularly promotion metohds were altered by p.c. morons (probably enforced by the Home Office).
A really good example of the complete and utter disgraceful results of their "changes" was the murder of LAWRENCE - where to cover up the real reasons of the disgraceful, incompetant investigation was identified as "Racism".
In the same Police District on a few years previously very, very serious attacks on coloured people by fifty member of the British Movement - all convicted - were dealt with and cured efficiently and quickly....what changed the activities of the local officers?
- Eddie, london, 06/10/2008 13:48
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This is totally unnecessary. The Met bends over backwards for every minority group under the sun as it is - without needing yet more incentive to do so. It's time they stopped listening to the race baiters like the BPA and other malcontents and started listening to ordinary Londoners who pay for the police.
- Steve Stander, London, UK, 06/10/2008 12:52
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One has to wonder, where was Ken Livingstone while the racism was growing throughout the Police force? Was he turning a blind-eye to a fellow Labour-lover? If he was, then I seriously hope all those people who voted for him and accused Boris of racism are now completely able to admitted that they were duped by the Labour spin machines.
Once again, thank goodness we have Boris here to clear up the mess left by Livingstone.
- St, London, 06/10/2008 12:47
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So are they saying that racism only happens to ethnic and black people???? get real I know of Irish people where racism goes on...as for the emblem on the lockers? are you sure it wasn't one of their own race that did that as there is alot of racism amoungest black and asians
- Sarah, London, 06/10/2008 12:41
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He added: "Ethnic officers will often have to work twice as hard to be recognised, to compete with their peers and that is a big concern."
Well they certainly don't have to work twice as hard to get in, as they get preferential treatment, so the diversity quotas are hit.
- P I Staker, London, 06/10/2008 12:16
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20% of recruits are of ethnic minority and they make up around 25% of the population of London, what are they moaning about?? That seems a pretty good statistic to me.
When will they be happy? When there are only 20% white recruits? What a bunch of racists idiots.
- Liam, London, 06/10/2008 11:47
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