Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Met Police still have problems to overcome among its ranks but yesterday was a good day for Policing













Dear All

Yesterday, Ali Dizaei was convicted of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice.

Today, the chairman of the Metropolitan Black Police Association has said the Met is "without doubt" institutionally racist.

The conviction of Ali Dizaei has nothing to do with racism rather than crimes committed by him on an innocent man.

Sgt Alfred John speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme said;

"Without a doubt. There is no two ways about that. The evidence is that by the Met's figures, black people are still disproportionately disciplined, they are still disproportionately asked to resign, there is still a lack of progression for black people."

Any Officer who is subject of a complaint should be dealt with on the evidence and the merits of the case, not on race.

This should also be the same with regard to promotion or advancement; it should be done on merit.

Ex-deputy assistant Met commissioner Brian Paddick said the imprisonment of Dizaei "will do little to improve race relations in the police service".

I would disagree; if anything it shows that the Metropolitan Police is prepared to stand up for members of the ethnic minority community against powerful figures such as Dizaei.

Dizaei going to jail serves us all, it shows that justice works; if we could get it to work more often the world would be a better place.

Paddick is an aspiring politician, is he saying that we should overlook Dizaei’s crimes and let him continue to persecute an innocent man?

Some people really do need to grow up.

The Stephen Lawrence inquiry in 1999 painted the Met as “institutionally racist”, it made over 70 recommendations for change which the Met has hopefully been working towards.

In any large organisation there will people, a small number of people whose attitudes or behaviours are totally unacceptable and racism will exist. It is therefore essential that these people are weeded out.

That takes time, cultures do not change over night or by edict, people change culture and the sooner the Met mirrors the community it serves the better.

Yesterday was a good day for the Police and Justice.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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