A white actor “blacked-up” to play an African government official in a role-play exercise staged by the elite squad leading the fight against organised crime, The Times has learnt.
The incident, which has led to accusations of crass racism, occurred in a recruitment process for candidates applying to be overseas liaison officers for the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca).
So far, so amusing. However, it seems the recruits they are attracting aren’t quite up to the potential expected of an organisation with
’law enforcement powers and harm reduction responsibilities’, because the first thing some of them did was go whining about it to the union and management:
The situation shocked several people taking part and provoked at least one official complaint.
One Soca source said: “The most infuriating thing about this is that there are a lot of people in the organisation who cannot see what they have done wrong.
Not just in the
organisation, Mr Anonymous. I think a lot of the public would regard this as a storm in a teacup too.
Jeremy Gautrey of the PCS union, which represents Soca staff, confirmed that he had been consulted over the incident. He said: “If the accusation is true it is extremely concerning. What this identifies is a clear need for equality and diversity training within the organisation to make sure this sort of thing never takes place again.
Bill Hughes, the director-general of Soca, was said to be furious when he heard of the exercise and ordered an immediate inquiry. It is being carried out by Andy Baker, one of Soca’s deputy directors and a former head of murder inquiries at Scotland Yard.
A spokesman for the agency refused to discuss specific details of the allegations but confirmed that an internal review was in progress.
Ah, well, who cares about the fight against organised crime, when we can pursue
the person who employed an actor to wear blackface, grievously shocking the delicate sensibilities of our future steely-eyed investigators.
Soca has been affected by repeated reports of low morale among staff who complain that the agency is undertaking too little investigative work and is burdened by a top-heavy management structure.
Yeah. This’ll fix
that problem, won’t it…?
11 comments:
These people need to get:
(a) a life
(b) a real job.
The government needs to stop employing them, for starters...!
A clearout of the wooly thinkers infesting most government departments and think-tanks is most overdue.
Nothing says 'top law-enforcement' like hearing from their union rep.
oh, Maybe you could become Prime Minister and do something about this. Get rid of those "wooly thinkers"
Cept no, sorry. That would mean getting off your arse.
You don't appear to have any collaborative or useful ideas short of insult, wry observation, ironic asides and lots of "shoulds" and "should not's" about our current malaise.
I do believe you're a supporting player to the adversarial bollocks that infests the political classes and real-time drama of this country.
It is very tricky of course. To try and change an entire sociology from the keyboard of your laptop.
What you really need is a champion. Someone who could make the trains run on time would be a start huh ?
Bring on the Eton-Boy, put him in a little scouting uniform and devise or invent a catchy slogan.
Something like "Briton for the British"
Per-lease
TT
"You don't appear to have any collaborative or useful ideas short of insult, wry observation, ironic asides and lots of "shoulds" and "should not's" about our current malaise."
Do you, Total Twat...? I certainly haven't seen any.
Here's an idea - start your own blog. You certainly seem to have enough time on your hands.
If it's any good, I might even link to it!
It was pretty stupid to employ a white actor to play a black character. Couldn't they have had a white African government official?
"Couldn't they have had a white African government official?"
Far be it from me to comment... ;)
Great idea. I could call it by a ridiculous name that would strike fear and alarm into the unwary.
Indeed, I could say who were fools, and those who were not. I could say who could come and go. I could say who should be punished. I could condem at will. I could exercise my cleverness at the expense of others. I could talk about how England is a mess but avoid saying anything helpful in remedy.
I would also bask in the glow of fellow travellers (probably caped motor-cycle out-riders) who agreed with me and, further, go on to get secretly irritated by people who thought I was bag o' wind. I would get to call them names like Total Twat. Groovy !
And (as ever) JuliaM would be the person who has the grace and favour to say whether the blog is "good enough" and then "link" to me.
Great skills little predator.
This is because, of course, you appear to think you have the right to be the arrogant observer and critic of all matters sociological and expect a natural entitlement to say whether something is right or not.
And then further, do absolutely nothing whatsoever to move the debate on and engage in tangible activity to make things any better.
Thanks but no thanks, I wouldn't want my thoughts to be linked to anything so infused with such vapidity, shallow purpose and self-importance.
On another subject entirely
I saw Emma Nicholson and Andrew Lansley on QT last night. They both remind me of you. They said "the government should listen to the people" They said "the government is flawed"
But then failed, singularly, to promote any sort of appatising alternative. Just the same old (by now very-tired) Punch and Judy rhetoric.
If politicians spent more time doing, instead of "shoulding and should-not-ing" talking down to others and learning about everyday people and what they really want in their lives, we'd all be be a lot better off.
Please, tell us all now...how are you going to change things ?
TT
This is because, of course, you appear to think you have the right to be the arrogant observer and critic of all matters sociological and expect a natural entitlement to say whether something is right or not.
It's called freedom of speech. We all have the right to say as we please and make observations that you don't like. Tough. Get used to it.
And then further, do absolutely nothing whatsoever to move the debate on and engage in tangible activity to make things any better.
How do you know? You don't - this is pure assumption, just as are your stupid assumptions about being Tories or being Toffs - only an idiot makes assumptions without corroborating evidence.
A blog is a discussion place. That is what is going on; discussion. If this discussion makes people think twice when they place their "X" on the ballot paper, it has achieved its objective.
No one is obliged to offer any explanations to anonymous trolls about their activities elsewhere - as, frankly, it's none of your business.
Why is every TT post the exact same post?
Why is every TT post the exact same post?
Presumably because TT is a troll and incapable of reason, logic or facts...
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