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Black Pc 'rejected for promotion eight times'
Rob Singh, Evening Standard29.09.08
Met chief Sir Ian Blair's record on race is to come under renewed scrutiny after it emerged that a black police officer, who is the uncle of a teenage knife murder victim, is suing the force.
Derrick Quarm, 34, is the latest officer to take Scotland Yard to an employment tribunal, in a case due to be heard in November.
The former paratrooper claims he has been passed over for promotion eight times due to "repeated and targeted" discrimination when his application to become a trainee detective was considered.
Pc Quarm, a charity marathon runner who has taken only three days' sick leave in 11 years of service, is the uncle of A-level student Eugene Attram who was 16 when he was stabbed to death in Mitcham in November 2006.
PC Quarm's lawyer said he had been rejected eight times despite claiming to possess a superior record to his white peers. Melanie Thomas, of London discrimination law specialists Palmer Wade, added: "He absolutely never wanted to sue, but felt he had no choice."
A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed: "Derrick Quarm, a serving Pc based in Lambeth, is bringing employment tribunal proceedings against the Metropolitan Police."
The case is the latest in a series of race rows engulfing the force. Earlier this month the Met's third in command, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, was suspended after launching a £1.2 million racial discrimination employment tribunal claim.
The day after he was suspended, it emerged that the most senior Muslim woman in the force was also set to lodge a claim of race discrimination. Yasmin Rehman, the director of partnerships and diversity, claimed she was the target of racist bullying.
Reader views (5)
Yeah, I agree with the two Pauls, no racism whatsoever.............perhaps we should even get rid of that ridiculous word in our vocabulary?
- Romulus, Tokyo
It's not abour race or competence. It's usually politics or bottom grooming - always will be. Or is Ian Blair a fantastic policeman or not?
- Frederick, London, UK
Has it ever occurred to these grasping chancers that they just might not be up to the job and it has nothing to do with their colour ? No!!! At every opportunity we see people using the race card to claim thousands of pounds from us the taxpayer and it has to stop. No doubt he belongs to the totaly racist union of black police officers ? who are backing his claim ?
- Duncan Walker, Ex Peckham now Samui Thailand
I could write exactly the same thing as Paul Bradford... but he already did. I have personally never seen race come into issue on promotion boards in fact very often the opposite is true.
- Paul, Berlin, Germany
When I was in the Police Force, there was quite a number of Officers that failed their promotion boards, some of whom would have made excellent Sergeants, but just did not have that something the Board was looking for. One of my colleagues took over twelve years and failed numerous boards before he was succesful. The same occured with my Sergeant who tried umpteen times before he was promoted to Inspector. Now, both of them were good Officers and we on the shift were amazed they didn't get promoted, but others did. Some of those that were promoted, should never have been as they couldn't do the job of a supervisor, but that wasn't identified until they were promoted! Some people should just face up to the fact that they just might not be good enough, or have what is being sought. Just because you can pass an exam, doesn't necessarily mean that you will be good at a particular job. You shouldn't bring race into it. Others will not respect you for it. Also, how would you feel if you got promoted after raising the issue of race? Would others, as well as you think that you had only been promoted because you complained?
- Paul Bradford, Monflanquin, France
