Police officers forced to write ‘anti-racism reflections’ during diversity training as force accused of ‘two-tier policing’
Police officers are being forced to write “anti-racism reflections” during diversity training as the industry continues to be hit with accusations of “two-tier policing”.
Surrey Police are now at the heart of a renewed row over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes after it was revealed its officers were instructed to pen 500-word personal essays on what they think about their employer’s view on racism.
As part of the drive towards diversity, employees were also forced to attend DEI “lessons”, all at the cost of the British taxpayer.
In their reflections, the officers are forced to divulge their “personal reactions” and set out their “commitment to change”.
The anti-racism statement, by Surrey and Sussex forces, reads: “We recognise that many races and ethnicities, particularly the black and dual heritage communities, continue to experience disadvantages and barriers from the police service they are entitled to.
“We will move at pace to build capacity, capability and the wider awareness to be anti-racist. We will proactively seek to interrogate why disadvantages and barriers exist, to understand community trauma and to recognise the burden on those with lived experience,” the document, shared by The Telegraph, added.
Forces up and down Britain are fighting off critics crying out over “two-tier policing” as new revelations come to light about how diversity training operates within the police and justice system across the UK.
Now, in a Freedom of Information request, Surrey Police is the latest to be accused of abiding by a “catologue of insanity”, The Telegraph reported.
Officers must share their ‘personal reactions’ to their force’s anti-racism pledge and set out their ‘commitment to change’
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp ripped into the findings, branding the equality classes as a “catastrophic waste of money”.
Meanwhile, fellow Tory and Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy called for the abolition of the public sector equality duty.
“The growth of DEI training in the police, justice system and wider public sector is alarming. Much of this so-called ‘training’, whether on unconscious bias, gender or institutional racism, is pure left-wing ideology,” he fumed.
“It’s this culture that leads to the kind of two-tier policing we witnessed with the handling of Henry Nowak’s murder.”
Mr Timothy also called for a “culture change” across the police and justice system, as well as the abolition of DEI officers and urged officers to turn their focus towards solving crime instead.
A spokesman for Surrey Police said: “Surrey Police’s foundation training includes lessons on culture and inclusion and on hate crime as guided by the overarching training curriculum for new officers laid out by the College of Policing.
“We do not instruct officers either to record or not record non-crime hate incidents (NCHI). In March this year, it was announced nationally that the current NCHI system will be replaced with a new approach to keep individuals and communities safe, while making clear that lawful free speech is not a police matter.
“Surrey Police officers are directed to follow force policy and the authorised professional practice issued by the College of Policing.”
The murder of the 18-year-old university student prompted outrage after police released shocking footage of Mr Nowak being arrested while his killer, Vickrum Digwa, accused the teen of racially abusing him.
With his hands were tied behind his back, Mr Nowak repeatedly told officers that he had been stabbed and was unable to breathe while his murderer was treated as a victim of racist abuse.
In response to the student’s desperate pleas for help, a policeman responded: “Don’t think you have, mate.”
It took officers eight minutes to discover that Mr Nowak had been stabbed.
Two officers involved are alleged to have failed to recognise the teenager needed immediate medical attention after he was stabbed multiple times, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed.
One of the officers was accused of appearing to dismiss Mr Nowak after being informed that he had been stabbed.
After Digwa’s sentencing, it was revealed that officers within the police force responsible for the Mr Nowak’s moments before his death claim they felt “controlled and pressured” after being subjected to mandatory diversity training, a survey revealed.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary staff are trained to be aware of racism, unconscious bias, and privilege, alongside contested critical race theory.
One in seven of those at the force had felt “controlled and pressured” to adopt these notions, living in fear that “mistakes would have been held against them”.
A fifth also said they feared being “rejected for saying the wrong thing”.
