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How the row unfolded
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent09.09.08
SEPTEMBER 1999
Tarique Ghaffur joins the Met as Deputy Assistant Commissioner. He is made Borough Commander of Westminster the next year. Promoted to Assistant Commissioner the year after.
NOVEMBER 2002
Assumes responsibility for the Specialist Crime Directorate.
MAY 2006
Made head of Central Operations and later that year he is tasked by Sir Ian with heading the security operation for the 2012 Olympics.
JUNE 2008
It is revealed that Ghaffur is preparing a race claim against Scotland Yard over concerns he had been sidelined.
JULY 2008
Sir Ian refutes allegations that he racially discriminates against minority officers, saying it would be an "aberration" from his drive to promote diversity.
AUGUST 2008
In a televised press conference, Ghaffur announces a race bias and discrimination case against his employers and names Sir Ian. It triggers a rebuke from the Met chief's deputy Sir Paul Stephenson who tells Ghaffur to "shut up" and "get on with the job".
TODAY
Ghaffur is temporarily relieved of his duties in a face-to-face meeting with Sir Ian.
Reader views (2)
I agree with what Sir Ian has done with Ghaffur. The highest respectof the force not to be allowed to redicule in public by any high ranking officer and any private matters be dealt in confidential and discreet manner.
The manner in which Ghaffur acted proves that he tried to gain sympathy in a cheap stunt in public. I salute Sir Ian for showing courage and determination in dealing with this in a polite firm and effective manner.
- Laxman Valand, Stanmore Middlesex
It really saddens me to read stories such as this. I am a serving Police Officer who started my service with the Met Police. I moved to another force a couple of years after the McPherson report was published for many reasons, one of which was the constant accusations received from the ethnic minority community and certain other sections of society, that the Police both in London and Nationally, is racist.
Having been a serving officer for many years I can honestly say that I have never seen any Police Officer do something or not do something based on racial grounds, ie with a biased point of view. I do not, however, make any attempt to say that racism does not exist in the Police, however no more than anywhere else in society. I would even go further to say that racism is less prevalent in the Police than in most other sections of society because of the hard work that has been done not only by the Met, but by all other forces across the country to eradicate racism and to integrate all members of the community within its ranks.
Officers such as Mr Ghaffur do an injustice to both the Police service generally and minority officers in particular. I am lucky enough to know that the accusations that were delivered not only by him, but by the Black Police Association in a recent press conference are wrong. But does the rest of the public?
The Police has made tremendous advances in this area so let's stop these false accusations and recognise this.
- Mike, Essex
