UK Police to Resort to Positive Discrimination?

The National Black Police Association (NBPA) in the UK has called on the government to set quotas to increase the number of ethnic minority and women police officers by positive discrimination, reports the BBC.

However the plan would need Employment Law changes - a move not favoured by the Home Office as discrimination is currently illegal.

Currently some 3.7% of officers are from ethnic minorities, but the Home Office target is to achieve 7% by 2009 following recommendation of the Macpherson report into the death of Stephen Lawrence in 1999 to make the police service more representative of the community they serve.

Tough call.

Maybe a tried and tested golden rule should apply here. Take a look at who is supporting this issue.

Step forward one Supt Ali Dizaei, described by the BBC as

'one of Britain's top ethnic minority officers'

Ali said that if two applicants of the same standard - one black, one white - were interviewed for a job and were the same standard, the black applicant should get it. He confidently asserts that

"There is no evidence at all that this debate, if implemented, is going to cause resentment"

His rationale?

"In the US, a Gallup poll showed that 80% of people agreed with this kind of selection."

The US? What's a US poll got to do with the UK?

Ali Dizaei has a colourful past.

In 2000, Dizaei was investigated by the force after allegations of taking bribes, using drugs and prostitutes, and even spying for Iran. Dizaei was suspended in early 2001. Eventually, he was charged only with perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, and making false mileage expense claims. The investigations, codenamed Operation Helios, cost the taxpayer £7 million. Following these 'minor altercations', in true public sector style, Dizzy was was promoted to Chief Superintendent.

So let's cut to the chase. What's the real reason (i.e. the one you won't hear from a BBC reporter paid to research his subject as opposed to a blogger in Sydney with very little spare time on his hands) for the shortfall?

The Met just cannot, for love nor money, recruit Muslims. Here are some shocking figures.

Number of officers in the Met - 31,000
Number of Muslims in the Met - 300 (1%)
Percentage of London that is Muslim - 9%

Total number of police officers in the UK - 139,000

So here's the crux of the matter;

If the percentage of Muslims in the Met was equivalent to their London population (9%), then the national 'ethnic minorities' target would be reached today (rising from 3.7% to 6.5%). Problem solved.