Bigots in blue
POLICE chiefs must read the riot act to their boys in blue following this week’s BBC documentary exposing racism.
The Secret Policeman proved that bigots are poisoning the force and it comes as no surprise that just three per cent of our officers come from ethnic backgrounds.
The behaviour of eight bobbies — captured outstandingly by undercover reporter Mark Daly — was repulsive.
In particular, vile Rob Pulling who wore a Ku Klux Klan-style white hood and giggled after every racist comment he made — as if he thought it cool.
Ten years after the death of Stephen Lawrence and the report which branded the Met institutionally racist, the police force is still perceived that way and its overlords must stamp out that notion.
Shockingly, eight out of just 18 recruits in Daly’s group at the Bruche training centre in Cheshire were proved prejudiced. That figure would undoubtedly be repeated in such centres — and police stations — across the country.
That’s more than just a few bad apples. As Pulling said disturbingly: “Everyone’s like it, mate.”
Sorry, but the truth is it will be hard to look at an officer in the same way again.
The programme left me angry, embarrassed and astonished as in one hour the very fabric of a force which we are brought up to respect, trust and admire was blown apart. Trainers say racism will not be tolerated and the use of certain words — which I have chosen not to repeat — will result in dismissal.
Yet one officer was fined just 13 days’ wages after a complaint that he used one of the abhorrent terms. That sends a dangerous message to trainee cops.
Like-minded officers must not be allowed to patrol our multi-cultural streets. The entire police system has to be overhauled. Training must root out bigots early on and they should be prosecuted for inciting racial hatred — as I hope the eight in this film will be.
Just as the police encourage members of the public to grass up criminals, so they themselves should be urged to help expose their own narrow-minded colleagues. The force must employ Daly’s tactic and monitor recruits covertly to ensure the next generation of officers is tolerant of ethnic minorities.
Any doubt and they should be booted out and taken to court.
Pulling boasted about beating up an Asian man himself. Why wasn’t that investigated properly at the time?
Perhaps his victim was sceptical of how his complaint would be handled.
But do feel for the thousands of decent, honest and committed police officers who must sense their integrity has been tainted by scum like Pulling.
Indeed, they must now work even harder to convince a doubtful public that they are in fact genuine, especially when dealing with criminals or victims from ethnic groups.
The irony here is that the only person featured in the programme to be arrested was Daly himself for committing three offences: Obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception (his police wages), presenting false documents (not revealing he had worked as an undercover reporter), and, laughably, damaging police property (he punctured a bullet-proof vest to hold a tiny camera).
What he has done is to pierce a hole through the heart of British policing.
David Blunkett must step in and see all charges against Daly are dropped — and insist he’s awarded a BAFTA.
