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On Tuesday the Telegraph ran an article named “Colour Blind Policing” in which frankly, following the decision to investigate complaints made by the BPA – Black Police Association, could be interpreted as both bigoted and racialist in its approach, it was not a bright move by the DT.

As someone who reads the DT on-line each day and find as much fun and information from the people who write comments in on articles, I was shocked by the response. Even regular contributors who normally, whether you agree with their views or not, write well reasoned comments were for the most part bordering on getting a free lifetime membership of the KKK because of their views.

It Set Me Thinking

I saw something similar about a year ago over the situation concerning Catholic Adoption Agencies but in a sense this was less of a surprise, there has always been and probably always will be, a nascent underlying current of Anti-Catholic and Anti Jewish sentiment in England which becomes blatant from time to time , however this was slightly different.

The New Labour mantra of political correctness, copious and generally pointless legislation is leading to a backlash from white Middle England. They are fed up with having to put up with radical Muslim Clerics who cannot be deported because of the Human Rights Act whilst Gurkhas who have fought for this country are denied settlement rights. Overall they are tired of being targeted by left wing do gooders keen to remove their rights as the indigenous population just because it seems they are white.

The utter pointless stupidity of our Labour Government is encapsulated in Harriet Harmon who wants to see abortion extended to Northern Ireland despite the determined opposition of both Republicans and Loyalists Politicians . After well over 30 years of “Troubles” the very last thing the Province needs is the imposition by some Englishwoman of Laws they don’t want – she is totally nuts to the very last drop of her Labour blood, may the voters of Peckham put her out of a job in 2010…

However Frustration is Dangerous Too…

The Telegraph Leader was targeting the BPA and in effect suggesting that they (the BPA) were demanding extra rights and privileges over and above those offered to white officers which is not true as far as I am aware. The real focus should be on why the BPA exists and what the issues are that it is trying to address.

It is all very well to demand “colour blind policing” but the truth is that it will take some time to arrive at that situation as the American experience has demonstrated. In fact organisations like the BPA could be the very method by which you arrive at that because a fellow Black or Asian PC will be the very first to jump on a Black or Asian PC who was trying to play the “Race Card” for personal advantage.

The Real Danger

The issue of the BPA is not to be confused with broader protest movements that exist both in and right across ‘civilian society’. The BPA is an internal body that is built around only two issues; “The Job” and the issues that may or do arise for someone from an ethnic background who is a Police Officer and their relationships with fellow officers.

The following was what I wrote into the DT. Interestingly I suspect that the DT realised that they had made a mistake in their article because apart from some early posts, the rest were held back until mid afternoon before they were published. The tactic being that people will give up on the article, stop looking at it and trying to post comments so it takes the heat out of the situation.

My Twopence Worth

“I am sorry to be rude but frankly, many of the people who have commented thus far really seem to know little about policing and if anything by their attitudes merely confirm the necessity for organisations like the BPA.

To start with, “Policing” is not an ordinary job, rather like Nursing; there is a ‘vocational aspiration’ that is part of the motivation for those who join. The job is dangerous and officers are often exposed to appalling situations as they sweep up the detritus of society, this can induce a degree of “coarseness” as a natural defence mechanism which in turn can induce poor ‘social attitudes’. Stress ‘on the job’ does this as talking to any Infantry man who has seen action will confirm.

People need to leave aside the fallout from the Steven Lawrence murder and the BPA and recall that it is not that long ago that the complaints about “Canteen Culture” were being loudly made by women police officers.

The reality is that in major urban areas such as London, a disproportionate amount of crime involves ‘ethnic’ groups of one kind of another and that will naturally lead to white policemen having shall we say, a jaundiced view of such groups. However, the real solution lies in having more policemen from ethnic backgrounds rather than less so that existing (white ?), officers can appreciate that they too are effective Police Officers and valuable colleagues.

It is only in very recent years that police recruitment has seen any marked increase in ethnic officers, it will take time to settle out and arrive at any police officer being judged wholly on their effectiveness rather than colour, age or sex.

The BPA is necessary if we are to continue to recruit and retain policemen and women from these backgrounds. There should be no favour granted for anyone in the police based upon race, religion, colour or creed but for now, the canteen culture needs to be balanced and in due time, organisations such as the BPA will fade away.”