Saturday 7 January 2012

The Reason Why The Macpherson Report Was Such A Poisonous Legacy…

From an article in (where else?) the ‘Guardian’:
In this country we waste an awful lot of talent. Bright children from second-, third- or even fourth-generation (black) families from the former colonies are too often denied the equal opportunities that are offered to their white schoolmates.
A flat statement of fact, with no supporting evidence for what he claims at all.

Right, I see where this is going…
But what of the police as employers of minorities? They are, after all, major employers, and probably the largest apprenticeship scheme in the UK. In 2009...I asked the Met's head of human resources how many GCSEs one needed to sign up as a probationary police officer. He had to send his staff officer to find out. Both were startled at the answer. None. The applicant had to pass (a very simple) literacy and numeracy test, and they were in.
Well, great! So black kids have an equal chance of being morons and getting into the police force as white kids!

/facepalm

But apparently, having entry requirements that my cat could probably pass still isn’t enough for this chap. These kids need more help, damn it!
Unlike the army, police services don't have an Army Educational Corps (as they did when I did national service). That is a serious weakness that must be corrected if we want sharp-thinking officers serving us.
Officers like PC Jasbir Dhanda, perhaps? Or the likes of Ali Dizai?
Police services, however, do deserve genuine praise for recent improvements in dealing with discrimination in employment. Women now occupy senior posts in numbers that would have been unthinkable 13 years ago.
Yes, yes, they do. Sterling officers like, say, Cressida Dick! Truly, a momentous leap forwards, eh?
In the wake of such a damning inquiry, I would have expected to see a broad wave of black officers at or above the level of commander, as is the wave of women there now.
Would you? Because, frankly, I’d rather have good men and women in the top job, regardless of colour.

Tokenism just gets you more Cressidas, more Alis, and a pervading feeling for the ones who aren’t like Cressida or Ali that they only got where they were because of what they are, not who they are…
In relation to police forces as employers, the Lawrence inquiry recommended "a ministerial priority" that should include "performance indicators in relation to levels of recruitment, retention and progression of minority ethnic recruits … with the overall aim of elimination of racism, prejudice and disadvantage in its demonstration of fairness in all aspects of policing".
A recipe for utter failure, and one of the reasons the police force is so utterly debased and discredited today.
Enough of this anger-creating suppression of the hopes and opportunities of people from black backgrounds. My message to white (mainly) men (like me), who have the power to discriminate is this: just stop doing it.
And who is this cretin, you ask?

Why, this is who he is:
Dr Richard Stone was a panel member of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry as an adviser to the judge, Sir William Macpherson, and the author in 2009 of Stephen Lawrence Review: an independent commentary to mark the 10th anniversary of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.
And now you know why MacPherson was such a travesty.

How could it be otherwise, with people this blinkered and self-admittedly partisan on it?

16 comments:

Edwin Greenwood said...

Curious that Dr Stone's obvious opinion piece is filed under News rather than under Comment. Short of moderators, are they?

Anonymous said...

What a bonkers article from the Grauniad, no context and no consideration of the changes to recruitment post-MacPherson. To join the Old Bill back in the 1970's you had to have 5 'O' Levels or pass the required numeracy and literacy test (which many young people with GCSE's today couldn't pass) In the mid 1990's it got to the stage where you had to have a degree (Although the basic requirements still existed) then post Macpherson with quotas the whole thing has been turned on it's head. Let's also not forget the Police Cadets - not the modern beret wearing Scout/Beaver style but the apprentice residential style - you joined at 16/17 and had the opportunity to take 'O' and 'A' Levels before joining the regulars. The trouble with this version of the cadets is that it was kind of like army basic training with an emphasis on improving fitness, swimming and teamwork plus education plus instruction in law and police procedure. Of course this almost para-military youth movement was closed down on grounds of cost in the 1990's. Where are we today, well there is no longer any residential police training, fitness and educational standards have dropped (no requirement to be able to swim FFS) and The University of Portsmouth have got in with any initial or foundation training counting towards a 'Degree in Policing' or summat. Result? Young officers with a very poor basic knowledge of law and procedure, no inkling of discretion, low standards of education and self discipline with soaring numbers of complaints and supervision at street level by equally poorly trained supervisors. If you don't recognize that picture you will within 5 years. God forbid you are ex-armed forces and have a nasty tattoo. No thanks! All of this topped off with a massively top heavy very politicised 'officer' class of left leaning, self-interested tossers and large numbers of 'tokens' representing the wonderful world of a vibrant and diverse society.

Anonymous said...

As for employing minorities? Hasn't this dimwit visited NSY or ESB in West london? Hasn't he seen the diversity of our central london PCSO force? LAzy journalism - if it can even be called that.

Antisthenes said...

I new decades ago that entry into the police service was relatively easy as no academic qualifications were required. I am shocked that this is still the case but it at least explains the ineptness that we so often see emanating from that service.

A salt and battered said...

Metaphor or naked truth? - 'Institutionally corrupt' or 'Institutionally racist' must have been a tough call for the Macpherson panel.

Institutionally corrupt or racist, the situation has subsequently degraded. Plod recruits, unable to pass primary school tests, have certainly infiltrated a post-Macpherson police service.

Abysmal grammar aside, police bloggers can even misspell four letter obscenities. Shijuro is a fabulous exponent of the art, his selection of 'big' words such as sentance, sargent, porpoys and calulate, are a few of the site's hardy annuals.

It is almost impossible to set these recruits a task more complex then emptying refuse bins. The notion of arming incompetents with an assortment of lethal weapons, is a 24 carat guarantee for misuse.

The article refers to 'A recipe for utter failure' but in my opinion, the stew has already emerged from the oven to fill the kitchen with a whiff of gangrene supreme.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear Julia where do I start this morning? My blood pressure is through the roof with this story and the other one about the retired officer in Croydon.
I agree with Ranter 100% and I have to concede that even Melvin has a point.
I have been a PC for 22 years.I have seen a steady decline in recruiting standards to my shame.When I was Hendon it was bloody hard work.It was very difficult to get in and once there you were really pushed to the limit and people fell by the wayside at regular intervals.
But then someone (lefty) decided it was too difficult for certain sections of society to join the police and decide to dumb down.
We have reaped what we have sown.
There is still a hard core of honest hard-working sensible PC's in the Met (including me) but eventually we will be outnumbered.
Don't even get me started on the standards of PCSO's and Special Constables!!!
Jaded

Anonymous said...

Oh, look - Jaded making room for herself alongside the literati.

Not like one of them their scrotes that dont no there proper english are you, Jaded?

Anonymous said...

Please explain yourself anon above.
Far to complicated for me i'm afraid.I assume you are losing the argument so you have to fall back on tiny mistakes in a post?
Not big and not clever.
Jaded (Male)

blueknight said...

Shijuro is a fabulous exponent of the art, his selection of 'big' words such as sentance, sargent, porpoys and calulate, are a few of the site's hardy annuals.
Some of us are better at punching criminals than punching a keyboard. Only saying.

Frankie said...

Unless the minimum requirements have completely done away with... potential police recruits need(ed) a minimum of five O level's at Grade 'C' or above, including English and Mathematics (i.e. the same as if you wanted to be a pilot in the RAF) and if they had not taken any recent examinations or had evidence that they had passed any other relevant or similar examinations, were additionally routinely required to pass the required numeracy and literacy test,which were not an easy test - approximating 'O' level, under strict timed conditions.

There followed a number of other tests, such as basic fitness test, a thorough background check and two or three face to face interviews, the last being with at least three senior officers, during which candidates were required to demonstrate a considerable depth of knowledge of current affairs, matters relevant to the police service, as well as a working knowledge of the structure of the force they were proposing to join.

Not a walk in the park.

Judging by the very high numbers of persons who routinely fail to be recruited in to the police (when they have the money to recruit that is)it surely can't be that easy now, or, alternatively and more depressingly, young people these days really are morons, despite having bagfuls of 'ologies' and other qualifications which are not worth the paper they are printed on.

JuliaM said...

"Curious that Dr Stone's obvious opinion piece is filed under News rather than under Comment. "

Handy that, because it means no comments section...

"What a bonkers article from the Grauniad..."

And it's a pretty strong field too!

"Result? Young officers with a very poor basic knowledge of law and procedure, no inkling of discretion, low standards of education and self discipline.."

Something that seems endemic in all society's institutions, frankly. Not just the police.

"We have reaped what we have sown."

We've reaped what someone has sown, all right. It wasn't me, though, and I doubt it was you...

JuliaM said...

"Some of us are better at punching criminals than punching a keyboard. Only saying."

Heh!

Well, it seems the best PR staff that taxpayer cash can buy aren't immune from that, as Mr Miliband found out.

"...or, alternatively and more depressingly, young people these days really are morons, despite having bagfuls of 'ologies' and other qualifications which are not worth the paper they are printed on."

You might think that. I couldn't possibly comment... ;)

Woman on a Raft said...

"Unless the minimum requirements have completely done away with... "

They have been.

there is no formal educational requirement, but you will have to pass written tests

The full circular (pdf from that link) barely mentions education at all, and it will do Jaded's blood pressure great damage, so click with caution.

Here are the Scottish Standard Entrance Tests if you want to have a go:

http://www.police-information.co.uk/Docs/howtojoin/scotland/entranceexam.html

Stone makes a great deal of the fact that his interviewee couldn't answer this question but a) he wasn't interviewing an HR officer whose job it is to know the current recruitment requirements and b) if he wanted to know, he only had to google it.

Frankie said...

I am shocked... Not because WoaR is right, regarding the absence of the need for any formal qualifications to join the police.

I had no idea that they had done away with this requirement. it would explain a great deal...

Many within the force are graduates, who do not choose to go on what was the Graduate Entry Scheme, but on the other hand...

Woman on a Raft said...

Read the pdf, only sit down first.

Eligibility criteria for role of police constable

Note carefully things like which body it is now under the authority of, and when it was shifted.

See also
Introductory page

baron samedi said...

http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/cs05.pdf