NCJ Number
130023
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 39 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1991) Pages: 38-42
Date Published
1991
Length
5 pages
Annotation
There is a strong desire in British police circles to increase the number of blacks and Asians within the ranks, but certain barriers exist.
Abstract
According to the Home Office, there are about 1,350 nonwhites among the 127,000 officers on 43 police forces in England and Wales. The Home Office's goal is to increase the number of minority police officers to 4.7 percent of the overall population that belongs to minority groups. Well-publicized experiences of some minority officers, however, have underscored the difficulty of reaching this goal. The Metropolitan Police Chief recognizes the existence of racial discrimination within police departments and recommends the establishment of an environment where racism is totally unacceptable. Asians represent the largest group in Britain's ethnic minority population. Asians sometimes regard the police force as not suitable to the ambitions they have for their children. Suspicion of the police is strong among some West Indians. Unlike in the United States, the Home Office has no enforcement powers and can only encourage certain policies. Quotas and affirmative action, known in Britain as positive discrimination, are illegal. The police must recognize that the minority recruitment problem is within their institutional culture and that appropriate steps must be taken to deal with the problem.